This chapter is literally one big trigger.
***

I unwrapped the scarf from around my neck and held it tightly in my hand.

The rain was pouring loudly from the sky, hitting me like a weapon although I did nothing to defend myself.

The rain was cold and hard, but I needed it. It was the only thing that made me feel normal, the only thing that made sense to me.

Things were moving too fast and I needed something to grip onto, rain was helpful.

I was living on my own. No roommate, not even a pet. I felt like life didn't exist outside of my house. Then again, my life is the only life I know of.

I was bored. I was waiting for something to happen, something I could do. Life was so boring now and days, I just needed something.

And right now, I was getting soaked in water. So I would start thinking about how mad I was that I was all drenched, and *bam* I could do something, be angry.

But that was only temporary, I was waiting for something to happen. Maybe I could get hit by a car or something, that would be interesting.

Then again, I could end up paralyzed and then life would be even more boring.

I held my unraveled scarf above my head to try and protect my hair, but the tea cafe was only ten feet away.

I opened the door and let a girl in first. She thanked me with a smile and walked inside, shrugging her wet jacket off her arms.

I smiled and gave her a small nod as a reply, walking in after her and closing the door.

The girl went over to a table where a boy was waiting for her with a smile. Ah, young love.

I found a small table in the corner that had two seats, I guess my scarf could sit there.

The cafe was warm and comforting, light chatter filled my ears along with the indie music that played quietly. This was the perfect place to just be. People came here for first dates, families came here after church, and tall lost souls came here when they have a boring life.

I looked at the menu although I already knew what I was going to order.

Someone approached my table minutes later. I assumed it was the waiter again but instead, it was a short man with a nervous yet annoyed expression painted on his face.

I out the menu down and narrowed my eyes at him as he sat down.

"Hi. My name is Mitch and I'm eating by myself and my kind of boyfriend just walked in here with this twink and I cannot look like an idiot who's here by himself so may I please sit with you?"

Ah, there's something interesting.

I glanced around and noticed the guy who was occasionally glancing at this Mitch person. He was sitting across from another boy who looked a lot like Mitch.

Mitch had half of his head shaved, bangs falling near his eye. His hair was dark, but not quite black. He wore a black coat that reminded me of Sherlock Holmes, and tight black pants.

He was undeniably handsome, and it made me curious as to why the two broke up.
Oh look at me, basing everything on looks again, hello!

I couldn't help but chuckle at the situation, but I nodded.
"Sure thing."
I said. The man giggled and shook his head at himself.

"Sorry this is really weird, but I specifically want to be petty and I can't do that when I'm sitting by myself in a cafe."
He said, his friendly smile showing his dimples.

"I totally understand... Although are you sure that's not your twin brother sitting with him?" I joked, glancing over at then again. Although this guys' date wasn't nearly as handsome as Mitch, they definitely looked similar.

Mitch scoffed with a laugh and glanced over at his boyfriend, who simply bitchsmiled at Mitch.

Mitch smiled back and also gave a not so friendly finger.
I snickered at the entertaining childishness and took a sip of my water which the waiter gave to me when I arrived.

"God, he's so annoying." Mitch mumbled to himself, his attention averting back to me.

"What did you say your name was?" He asked me.

"I didn't." I said with a laugh.

"But, my name is Alex."

Mitch nodded with a small smile and looks back at his boy.
"So, what's his name?" I asked curiously, truly interested in knowing their entire story.

"Scott. I mean... We're not like, technically broken up, but we haven't talked in a week so I just assumed. And now he's out with that little hoe..." Mitch replied, staring at him subtly.

"If you don't mind me asking...how did this fight start?" Mitch hummed as he looked back at me.

"He didn't feed our baby at the proper time so I called him immature, then he called me controlling, then it blew up and now we're not talking."

My eyes widened.
"You got a kid?" I asked, surprised because he seemed so young.
He laughed and quickly corrected himself.

"No no, not a human. Just a naked cat. Now he's trying to make me mad by hanging out with this boy named Issa who he I have petty fights with and now we're in this big mess."
Mitch explained to me.

He then sighed and shook his head slightly.
"Anyway, what about you? You have a boyfriend or girlfriend or something?" He asked, examining his nails.

"Girlfriend, actually. But she lives in Florida so my life is just so boring without her."
I sighed quietly thinking about Emily and the many miles between us.

I heard the door of the restaurant open and a cracking noise.

My head shot toward the sound of a girl shrieking bloody murder.

Soon, screams began filling up the cafe. My heat began racing as my eyes landed on a man in the doorway.

He held a large rifle. His hair was riddled and messy, he wore a rain jacket and sweatpants and a stained white shirt.

A mother threw herself over her newborn baby, a father pushed his two teenage daughters behind him. People began ducking under tables and using them as barricades.

People on the other side of the building began fleeing to the kitchen and back exit whilst I slid down under the table.

The man began open firing on the terrified people with a blank expression on his face.

Mitch moved to get under the table, but soon fell to the ground as a bullet hit his stomach.

I let out a scream instinctively as bullets hit the table I was using as a shield.

The man went to the other side of the building, and people began running. The boy Issa that was sitting with Scott, along with many others, were able to run out of the building.

The father screamed at his daughters to leave as he clenched his arm that was oozing blood.

The mother cradled her baby and ran from her seat, praying out loud as the man began firing again.

I got out from under the table and looked down at Mitch who's stomach looked like a bloody rag. When the crazy man began making his way over to us again, I was able to pick Mitch up with a grunt.

Scott raced over and helped me get him to the somewhat hidden Employees Only Break Room.

"S-....Sc..." Mitch was trying to speak but he stopped trying and just breathed heavily again.

"Mitch, don't talk! Don't talk, you're going to be fine, yeah? It's okay! Get those towels!"
I shut the door behind as Scott took Mitch and laid him down on the couch that was in the break room.

I listened to his order and grabbed a towel that was laying in the ground, it must've fallen from the top of the mini fridge in our frantic entering.

I tossed the town over and he caught it with his left hand, his right hand under Mitch's head.

He pressed the towels to the wound on Mitch's stomach. I noticed that tears were streaming down my face and my entire body was shaking violently.

I quickly noticed a lock was on the door, so I wasted no time locking the door and moving the mini to block the door.

The handle began shaking and someone began banging on the door.

"Oh my god, please let me in! Please!" It was a young girl. Although I probably shouldn't have, I unlocked the door the quickly opened it, blindly pulling the person inside.

A girl no older then five years in a pink dress and coat was in my grip, most of her body half covered in blood.

"Are you hurt? Are you okay!?" I asked frantically.

"Mama got hurt." She said and she wiped her arms.
"Your mama will be okay, alright? She'll be okay."
I said reassuringly, praying that I was right.

"I'm sorry for calling you immature." I turned and saw Scott leaning over Mitch, still applying pressure to his stomach with the towel.
He was caressing his forehead with his hand, his face his close proximity to Mitch's.

"It's fine, it's okay, everything is okay. I'm sorry, it's okay." Scott said although it was obvious that he was crying along with Mitch.

I heard police sirens loudly from outside and I sighed loudly in relief. The little girl was sobbing as she latched herself into me. I picked her up and held her tightly, grateful beyond belief that she wasn't hurt.

But her own mothers blood was on her.

"What's your name, darling?" I asked rocking her in my arms as I hoped the police would get in here.

"Kirstie." She answered.

"I'm Alex. The good guys are here, they're going to come get us." I said to her with a weak smile. I looked back at Scott and Mitch and my throat fogged up again.

"I love you, I love you so much. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Scott kept repeating, kissing Mitch's cheek before resting his forehead against Mitch's.

"I forgive you...we didn't actually break up, did we?" Mitch asked weakly with a small smile. Scott shook his head with a quiet, broken laugh.

"No. Never, not ever. I was just...I was trying to make you angry and I apologize." Mitch nodded and groaned in pain again.

"I didn't even know the dude I sat down with... I just didn't wanna seem lame." Mitch glanced over at me and smiled slightly before making eyecontact with Scott again.

"Ow ow, oh my gosh...oh my goodness..." Mitch squeezed his eyes tightly and stopped talking. I couldn't hear Scotts reassuring and loving whispers anymore since he was so quiet.

I heard crying, sirens, yelling and footsteps from outside the room, and I unlocked the door and peeked my head outside.
The police were inside and the man was pinned up against the door, his rifle was gone.

"I need help in here! Someone in here's been shot!" I asked. The blur in my eyes came back as they got us out of the building, the little girl got taken away by a man who was her father.

Mitch was being put on a stretcher.
I noticed how my own clothes were covered in his blood.

I was covered in the blood of a man that I met eleven minutes ago.

This isn't what I meant when I said I wanted something interesting to happen.

***