Chapter 6- LTC

Mason could hear Anya and her aunt's conversation from where he was sitting in his booth. They had only come in to order desserts, and so after providing their cookie doughs, he was able to sit and get back to his revision with little interruption.
The pair evidently got on well, and both were laughing, enjoying the quality time together. It was an encouraging sight to see, especially since Sameer's mum had lost so much. Usually, Mason would feel annoyed by the distraction, especially since panic for his studies had been on the horizon, yet he was pleasantly amused to watch the two interact.

The notion led him to think about why Anya would have chosen to move to Rye. It was a small town and couldn't be any more different than Birmingham, so naturally, his curiosity was piqued. He wasn't in any position to ask her, though, especially since the pair had only seen one another a handful of times. He had only caught glimpses of her in school, and she'd waved, but their interaction had been limited. The more he concentrated, the more he realised that Anya was a person that could raise questions. And the more queries he had, the fewer answers he doubted he would receive.

"Whatcha doing?" A familiar voice caused him to jump as the girl in question (literally) slid into his booth.

"Physics," He sighed, slamming his book shut. "Exams are in a couple of months, so I thought I'd better get cracking,"

"Huh, I didn't expect that," She mused, speculating the scrap pieces of paper he had been using for his calculations. He wasn't the neatest of people and began to compile the strays together, neglecting to consider an order as he raised his first enquiry.

"Why didn't you expect it?"

"I just thought you weren't so bothered," Anya shrugged. "You know, with your love for music and then the whole racing thing- Lucas told me," She added when his brown eyes met hers in surprise.

"I, well..."

"It's fine; your secret's safe with me!" She reassured with a wide smile.

"Clearly not with Lucas, though," He'd mumbled his response, but her laugh was as if she had heard the statement, as clear as day. It was enough to erase the irritation he felt towards his best friend before acknowledging the matter directly. "It's not a secret," He added. "Just not something I talk about; racing is just something I do...."

"I get what you mean," She nodded, "Not many people would think it's...acceptable?" Her eyes squinted in apology as if unsure whether he would be offended by her word choice, but he accepted her response and instead turned the questions in her direction.

"So, how do you feel about school and studying here? I haven't seen you in school much. Are Lucas and I that bad company?"

"Yes," She answered, a smirk pulling at the left side of her cheek, "you two were quite dire; I would much prefer to stay in the library," She expressed before the two cracked up. "Na," She added, once they had sobered up, "I'm taking five A-levels, so it's a heavy workload," She explained, turning her attention to the pigeon hovering outside of their window. "It's a lot to take in, plus we have mocks just around the corner, so I'm playing catch up,"

"Crikey, five A-levels," Mason whistled, the notion taking slightly longer than it should have to sink in. Most students only took three, so to take five subjects was incredible. "Lucas mentioned that you were smart, and that's a lot coming from him; he got the highest grades in our year," Mason expressed, his eyes glossed with genuine praise. "I have no doubt you'll do well; you're already working so hard," He added in encouragement as a blush feathered her cheeks.

"Thank you," She smiled her gratitude just as Talia approached their table, having exited from using the lavatory.

"Ready to go?" The aunt asked, receiving a nod in agreement.

"I'll just ring up your bill," Mason acknowledged, shuffling out of the booth and gesturing for Talia to sit.

As much as he wished he could say the line 'it's on the house,' it was not an offer Mason could afford. Even his father would pay for the Friday dinners they shared, and Mason needed to save as much as he could towards race entrance fees and home costs.
Perhaps it would be different in the future, but for now, he offered the card machine, and Talia tapped her card before they departed the premises.

It seemed Anya and her aunt were the last customers the Sinclair's would host this evening, and after cleaning up, the couple insisted that he go home, despite it being slightly earlier than usual.

The issue was, Mason didn't exactly want to go home.

Mason's interactions with his mother had been limited at best. He'd had a good conversation with her on Wednesday after he had returned from school, and she was still sober. It was likely the first time he'd seen her not crying or sipping from a bottle in months, and it was difficult for Mason to form an accurate opinion on the matter.

Yes, she was his mother, and yes, he loved her, but after a year and a half of concern, one good afternoon could not erase it. That night, she had even made his favourite; bibimbap- a Korean dish made of rice and mixed vegetables, but when he had returned from work, he had found her back in the lounge, having drunk herself to sleep.

By the time Mason arrived home, it was almost 1 am. He wasn't tired and so took the opportunity to have a quick shower, place his school bag and belongings in his cupboard and change into something more comfortable.
After a year of wearing joggers, jeans were an article Mason loathed. Now, he only exclusively wore them for work and, on occasion, to school. Upon his result home, they were immediately the first article of clothing to remove.

Once he was dressed, he collected his keys and moved back to the Toyota waiting for him. The tyres truly did need replacing, but hopefully, the new set he ordered would arrive just in time for the race his father had signed him up for. He had received the details the night before, and the moment he sat in his car, annoyance began to re-emerge. He knew tonight was the perfect opportunity to head further afield to practice; Mason didn't want to risk wrecking his vehicle even more than he had. So instead, he followed the familiar path to his parent's garage, where the 'track' was friendly, and he could still drive at a relatively fast pace. He had promised his father he would continue to race, and so the least he could do was practise. It was just not something he wanted to do.

His speed almost reached 90 miles per hour on his fourth lap, and he soon began to slow his pace, not wanting to stretch his car's capability any more than he needed to. It was still relatively early for Mason, however, and so instead of returning home, he decided to go to his favourite place to spend the rest of his evening, guitar in hand.

For some reason, Mason did not feel surprised when he saw a familiar green fiat parked on the cliff. Deep down, he almost knew to expect that Anya would return, and her appearance did not deter him from parking his car and joining her.

"I think you're stalking me," He announced as she looked up to meet his eyes, spreading her lips in an astonished smile. "First the diner, then here, I think you enjoy seeing me,"

"Oh please, don't flatter yourself; I just happen to like food and a view," Anya huffed, moving slightly so that he could sit beside her on the picnic blanket before covering himself with his own. He'd never carried one before, but after that night on the cliff, he felt it was best to keep one just in case. Their closeness felt strange, almost intimate, but it was cold, and Mason wasn't going to make things anything more than what they were.
His heart rate increase was not a factor he was putting into consideration.

"It is a great view," He acknowledged in agreement, leaning back against the car. "So, what brings you out so late?"

"I couldn't sleep," Anya shrugged, closing the book she must have been reading before his arrival. "There used to be an apartment complex on my street," She added after a moment's thought. "The view wasn't as beautiful, just townhouses, but whenever insomnia kicked in, I used to climb up the fire escape. It just helps me think, or gives me some time to read,"

"And your aunt and uncle are okay with you being out?" He pried as she shot him a smirk.

"Are your parents are okay with you being out?" Though it wasn't directly an answer, the expression he returned was enough to confirm that they were both in a similar agreement. Either Anya's carers were not aware that she was out, or if they were, they were not pleased.

"Touche," He chuckled, hugging his knees as a harsh breeze blew directly over their direction. It was enough to close the topic and hint that they needn't divulge further. Mason wasn't sure how he would even explain his family dynamic, but the thoughts were quickly dismissed as Anya calmed her insecurity.

"How about you?" She asked, tucking a strand he knew to be black but appeared almost blue under the midnight sky, where the moon shone vividly, behind her ear.

"I suppose the same as you," Mason returned. "I don't sleep well most nights, so this is the place where I come," He hadn't removed his guitar from the car and chose not to elucidate that; that was his intent.

"I could leave if you like?" She offered, but Mason was quick to negate, reassuring Anya that it was nice to have some company.

"What are you reading?" He asked, moving his attention to her book before she did leave.

"It's From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L Armentrout" She showed him the cover of the thick book, that in any other situation, would have had him wince and shake his head in defiance. "Do you read?"

"Not at all," He laughed, gaining a gasp in return. "I read Harry Potter if that stands for anything-"

"It's a start," She nodded in agreement.

"Other than that, I haven't read in, well, years. Have you always been so passionate or...?"

"Honestly, no," Anya responded, returning her gaze to the view. It was an act Mason was beginning to associate with her responses. Whenever she spoke about her home life, or her future, or even anything remotely personal, eye contact was immediately removed as a form of communication. "I used to read when I was younger, mainly the classics like Narnia and Harry Potter, but I got back into it about a year ago."

"What changed?" He pressed, and she turned to offer him a smirk, teasing him slightly before relaying the genuine truth.

"Netflix became boring," she criticised, "And lockdown gave me time." Anya shrugged, with a slight smile, "So what are your hobbies? Outside of almost killing new people to the town, working at the diner, guitar playing, and physics?" She probed as he sighed intensely, gaining a cheeky chuckle in response.

"I think you've got them all there," He answered with a bemused grin. "How about you, what are your other hobbies? Surely you do more than just read and study?"

"Nothing as excited as yours," Anya expressed, her tone fuelled with reassurance. "I like to read and go on long walks. I usually start my mornings with a mandatory cup of tea, and I like to paint,"

"You paint?" Mason asked, his curiosity piquing as she nodded, removing her phone from her pocket. She scrolled through her photos before presenting the device for him to explore. "...Did you fail to copy these from a Bob Ross video or..."

"Hey!" she reached over for the phone, her laughter most likely stemmed from shock as he exhibited his own amusement, as he kept the device out of reach.

"I'm not done!" He chuckled, "I was joking; these are really good," He added, continuing to flick through the pictures that depicted both landscapes and portraits. "Seriously, they are great,"

"Thank you," Her blush could be seen in the dim light as he returned the mobile, "they're just from over lockdown, to keep me busy," She added with a slight shrug. "So how about you and racing then? What got you into that?" Anya pried, and he released a silent sigh,

"It's all my parents wanted me to do," He explained. "My parents are car mechanics, so I grew up watching them build cars from scratch, and watching the F1 races was almost tradition," He revealed, strangely finding it easy to speak about his family. "My mum used to race, and I suppose I'm following in her footsteps," He revealed.

The topic was one Mason usually avoided, but Anya was a stranger; she didn't know the reality that most of the town was aware of, and deep down, Mason wanted to keep things that way for as long as possible. Sadly, in a town like Rye, however, such secrets were not a possibility.

"It sounds like you guys are close," She commented, and Mason nodded, moving his gaze to the waves that crashed against the cliff face.

"Yeah, we erm...we were," he nodded, "Things have been a little harder since my brother died, but we make it work," He acknowledged.

"I'm sorry to hear that," She apologised, but Mason returned a small smile. Haneul's death was only the catalyst for the reality he now faced.

"It happens," He sighed, and she nodded, returning her gaze to the sea. She knew his pain, and he was grateful that she didn't press him any further as he held his body tight, the sudden chill spreading through his layers.
"So, what are your plans then after school?" He asked, opting to change the topic before she enquired further. Mason was quickly finding Anya was easy to talk to and didn't want to say anything more. His life at home was painful, and while he could speak to her without his past casting a shadow over him, he preferred to continue as if things were every day.

"I'm not sure," She confessed, "I'll probably get a job or uni...maybe something to do with advertising, but I'm really not sure. At the moment, I'm just hoping to find a part-time job around here. As much as I love my uncle and aunt, it will be nice to have something to do outside of studying and staying at theirs. I also don't like the thought of just leeching off of them; I think that ice-cream parlour we went to is hiring,"

"Oh, maybe!" Mason enthused. "They usually do hire students over the summer; I could give you Todd's number if you like?"

"That would be great," She nodded, slipping her phone out of the front pocket of her lemon-colored hoodie once more. He shared the number and suddenly felt odd as he realised that the pair hadn't even exchanged one another's contact details.
A flame of something new fired in his stomach. It was greedy and green and almost caused Mason to feel lethargic, and it forced him to acknowledge the matter first hand.

"You can have mine too if you like? My number, I mean," He clarified when she met his eyes in the dim light, the streetlamp in the distance given. "Or social media, I'm on Instagram? Or Snapchat..."

The hope he felt quickly fizzled with her nibbled her lower lip, but soon, those chocolate eyes were meeting his own with a genuine smile. "I'm not on socials, but we can exchange numbers," She agreed. "It'll be nice to have someone to text that isn't family!" She returned her mobile to type in his number, feeling slightly vulnerable under her observant eye. It caused him to make errors several times, making the seconds even more painful, but eventually, he could send himself a missed call.

He added her number immediately, and she seemed grateful when he returned the phone.

"So I guess I should get going; I wouldn't want my uncle to freak out when he realises I'm not home," Anya began, unwrapping herself from the blanket while confirming the answer to his first question of the evening.

"Yeah, I should be heading off too," Mason agreed, mirroring her as he moved to his feet and followed her towards the bright green vehicle.  "I guess I'll see you around?" The hope in his tone was almost at an embarrassing level, but his smile was fuelled with relief when she nodded in agreement.

"Yes! I can text you," Anya grinned before climbing into her car and waving as she drove away.

She could text me. The thought lingered in his mind for the rest of his journey, and his smile did not dim. Mason couldn't quite tell what the brewing emotions were, but when he climbed into bed that night, he didn't toss and turn or allow contusion to keep him awake.
Instead, he slept soundly, and for once, he dreamed, a genuine smile lifting his cheeks, the memories of the day crossing his mind once more.

A.N
Hi lovelies!
All week I've been wanting to post this chapter and then Friday is here and it just took me by surprise haha.
Nonetheless, here is chapter 6 and I can only truly hope you're enjoying the story so far!
Things are progressing nicely between our leads but who knows what could happen!
Have a lovely weekend!
Aamenah x
Somebody To You- The Vamps