Mysteries in New Berlin(Part Six)

My interview was so stressful but I got the job. The owner of Santa Fe is the head barista. His name is Jeff, short for Jefferson. And of course I get to learn how to use all the stuff by him. Yay!

Every day I'm tumbling into the house after school only to tumble back out to go to work.

That's how it was. Until one day I noticed something at the cafe. The place is pretty run down. Kind of old. On the doorknob of the girls' bathroom I see the same numbers as I did on my bedroom door. Except it's a digit off this time.

676

I now lay awake at night wondering if they're connected. I think they are. One time at school I went into a broom closet and on the handle I saw the same thing only different.

686

Another time we went to this cute boutique downtown and I found it on the handle again.

696

And again at a restaurant.

706

A greenhouse.

716

All over the place until I got a number and they just stopped.

886

I try to think about what they all had in common. A house. A coffee shop. A school. A boutique. A restaurant. A greenhouse. More places in New Berlin. Then I figured it out. They were all old in some way.

Maybe I can figure out what they mean.... At work I was closing and a boy named Ayden was helping me. Ayden is a sweet boy. He's around eighteen. Rouge-ishly handsome. Hair the color of soil after a night of hard rain. Skin the color of chocolate. Eyes the color of Belgium hot chocolate. Like I said, he is hot. It's even better because he does these cute little prankster things and I pretend to hate him for it.

I was about to pick up our most annoying customer's black coffee when Ayden talks to me. "Hey, Raelyn. You know those old railroad tracks," he asks.

"Yeah. What about them," I say.

"Wanna go over there after we're done here," he says.

"Sure. Got nothing better to do," I say as I try to look grouchy. Even though he's basically asking me on a date.

We finish up faster than usual and head over to the tracks. There were bright green leafed trees surrounding the train tracks. The railroad itself was rusty and rotting. The clouds above us were black as the night sky. You could barely see them in the darkness. "It's about to rain; I should get home," I tell Ayden and start to walk away.

He grabs my hand before I can leave. "Stay," he says pulling me closer. When he says that it thunders and rain pours down on us. By this point Ayden and I's shoes are touching. He pulls me even closer. Our shoes are between each other's. He lets go of my hand and moves his arms around my back. I maneuver my arms to get around his neck. Well, one around his neck and the other on his cheek. He pulls me in even closer. It was close enough to close the remaining space.

I didn't have to wet my lips; the rain did that for me. He pressed his lips against mine. He lets go of them but goes back for another kiss. I actually kiss him back this time. This one is longer. More intense. It makes me want more. It's like a hunger. I kiss him harder. Pressing my lips into his. By this pointing he's dipping me towards the ground.

I didn't fully surrender myself to his body, nor did I kiss him deeply. I allowed only my lips to touch his, nothing more.

I'm running out of air. That didn't happen in my daydreams. I have to pull away from him. And I do. I gasp for breath. He must've taken it the wrong way.

"What's wrong," Ayden asks, moving his arm so he can stroke my lips.

"Nothing. I ran out of air," I say slightly embarrassed. I cover my embarrassment with a weird smile.

Ayden laughs. "I'm glad you pulled away. I was about to run out of air too," He smiled back at me. He then fixed me upright.

We share a good laugh before I tell him I have to leave. But just as I was leaving I noticed numbers engraved in the rusty train tracks. All the ones I have found, in numerical order. Starting 666 and ending at 886. I will come back and look at them tomorrow. When I get home I walk right to my room and I don't stop. Only to find Laurie in there. "Leave," I order.

"No," Laurie refuses.

"If you don't want to die then I suggest leaving," I recommend.

"I'm going," Laurie walks out of the room and, thankfully, closes the door.

I get ready to go to bed and do so. I know I won't be able to function until morning. Not with Ayden's chapstick on my lips. All night I lie awake thinking about Ayden. Thinking about what that kiss means for our relationship. Does it mean... no, probably not. I don't think I want Ayden Colt as my boyfriend. Actually. I know I don't Ayden Colt as my boyfriend. Never. Ever.

Ever.

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