Mia

N.B. All information is fabricated, and anyone engaging in intimate relations is of legal age (18). I know it's been a while since I last posted, which may be why my writing reads as somewhat scattered - I have no idea where this is going anymore! If any of you have any input, then please do let me know; it would be greatly appreciated. Happy reading!

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"I don't think we should see one another anymore..."

Caleb leaned back in his chair; folding his arms across his chest, he nodded slowly, suppressing a smile. He waited for her to say more, but it seemed as though she were doing the same, as she watched him, expecting him to talk. He looked around the restaurant, wondering why he'd agreed to meet her here. He didn't much care about their 'relationship' but curiosity had gotten the better of him. He looked back at her. "Can I ask why?"

She clasped her hands together and looked away for a moment before looking back at him. "I thought I was in love with you," she said simply "but I don't think I ever was... You're just so charming, I fell in love with the idea of you. But we want for two very different things" she paused, "it just took me a little while to figure it out".

He nodded again, giving her an understanding smile. He watched her, wanting to know exactly what had happened between her and Mia to make Jennifer go from dropping hints about marriage to the present moment. "Is there someone else?"

Jennifer looked troubled, "No..." she managed in a small voice.

He suppressed another smile. "You haven't met anyone?"

She looked at him curiously, wondering if he knew something he wasn't telling her. "Sort of..." she hesitated.

"You can tell me" he said smiling.

"It was short lived..."

"How long?"

"Not long" she said quietly.

"Go on".

"A day... If that." She admitted, visibly distressed.

He smiled, "that's not like you. Did you sleep with him?"

Jennifer nodded slowly, looking away.

"He must be really special for you to break your rules" he chuckled quietly.

She remained silent.

"How long had you known him?"

The wrong use of pronouns was starting to get to her. "She" she whispered into the air.

"Sorry?"

"She" Jennifer said, looking at him this time.

Caleb smiled, they were getting somewhere now. "Oh, well, that's... interesting". Correcting himself, he asked again, "How long had you known 'her'?"

"Not long".

"How long?"

"A day... If that" She repeated in a tiny voice.

He smiled, nodding, "She must be really something".

Jennifer smiled to herself, "She is... She's a lot like you, actually" she paused to look at him, "Charming, apathetic, beautiful," Caleb laughed, her eyes met his, "she's just not as cruel".

He continued to smile, nodding to himself. "So why aren't you still seeing her?"

Jennifer grimaced, "She didn't want to see me again".

"She said that?"

She shook her head, "not in so many words".

"When you were together did you spend the night at hers?"

She nodded slowly, not understanding why he was so interested.

"So if you really wanted to, you could pay her a visit and tell her how you feel?"

Jennifer hesitated, "I don't really know where she lives".

"You stayed with her but don't know where?" he asked, his brows raised in question.

Jennifer thought back to the moment she met Mia. Mia had run ahead to speak to the driver so she hadn't heard where they were going. On the way there, her eyes were mostly on Mia so she hadn't noticed the route, by the time she looked around, they were already in the basement. When she entered, Mia had almost immediately brought the shutters down. When they drove to get breakfast, Mia had taken so many turns and driven through so many back roads, she really couldn't tell where they'd started. All she knew was that she lived very high up.

"No... I guess not" she finally said. "She lives in a penthouse somewhere, that's all I know".

His brows shot up, "A penthouse?" he thought out loud. He began to wonder whether they were talking about the same person, or if Jennifer had had multiple one night stands with women. "Who is she?"

Jennifer looked at him suspiciously. "Why do you care?" she retorted, starting to get defensive. "You never cared about anything I did or said before" she spat.

"Just curious" he held his hands up, "just want to know who this amazing person is who seems to have had such an influence on you".

She blinked back at him, realising that even if she did want to tell him all about her; that she didn't have much to say, because she didn't know anything. She didn't know what Mia did for a living, whether she had siblings, where she was from, or even how old she was. "Her name's Mia", she said plainly.

"Annndd...?" Caleb probed.

Jennifer suddenly stood, pushing her chair back as she did. "It's really none of your business".

He blinked at her, unmoving.

"Goodbye, Caleb. It was nice knowing you", and with that, she left.

Caleb clenched his jaw and then stroked his face, nothing she'd said seemed to make any sense. He hailed a waiter over and ordered an espresso as he tried to piece it all together.

****************

Two more weeks had passed, and though Mia mostly attended Caleb's classes, she still missed a few of them. Today was one of those days.

They hadn't spoken to one another since the day she'd come to his office to warn him about calling home again, and she'd thwarted any efforts he'd made to change that. He looked at the register and clicked on her name; a task that which was quickly becoming habitual.

She hadn't attended any of her classes so far. He frowned. She missed way too much school.

****************

Mia scrolled through her texts as she waited in the queue to be served. She looked up briefly to see a little old man slowly put his empty mug onto the counter, she smiled warmly to herself. It wasn't customary to return your dishes, but it showed just how thoughtful he was. She returned her gaze to her phone, listening to the old man speak as he walked to leave the café.

"Off to the bank now! Do you know where it is?" he asked the barista on the other side of the counter. After she'd given him directions, he lifted his hat off to her and smiled, "thank you ever so much, let's hope I find it! And I hope you all have a wonderful day!" he said to everyone as he slowly made his way to the door.

Mia smiled again, it was so unusual for someone to be so friendly, in London at least.

As she waited for her drink to be made, she couldn't help but think about the old man she'd seen, wondering if he'd made it to a bank or not. Overcome with an unfamiliar sense of determination, Mia snatched up her drink and went to find him so she could make sure he hadn't got lost.

**************

Mia had searched for almost an hour before deciding it was time to give up and go to school, it was starting to get windy and though it was sunny, the breeze was biting at her bare legs; then she saw him, walking slowly through Tavistock Square. She paced quickly to catch up with him, not knowing what she'd say or do when she did. When she finally caught up, she stopped him.

"Excuse me?" She asked nervously, "I was in the coffee shop earlier and overheard you saying you were on your way to the bank but didn't know where it was, did you find it?"

He looked at her, craning his neck slightly. "I did, but it seems I don't have an account in any of the banks".

She bit her lip, "You don't have an account?"

"No, I never made one..." he then went on to tell Mia of how he came to London, wrongly imprisoned and then released far from his home in Scotland, and he was trying to make his way home since. He had no family to help him, and he'd out lived all his friends. He took out his wallet and held it open for her to see, "this is all I have in the world".

She glanced down at the contents, it held a ten and twenty pound note and a few coins. She swallowed. Then pulled out her own. "Maybe I could help a little" she removed five fifty pound notes from her purse, it was all she had on her, she handed it to him "It isn't much, but it's all I have on me right now" she held it out for him to take.

He slowly reached up and held the money looking at it. "This is a lot of money, why are you giving it to me?"

Mia stood dumbfounded, opening her mouth as if to speak and then closing it again, trying to find the words. "I don't know..." she started, "I just feel like life hasn't been too kind to you..." her voice caught, but she continued, "and no one seems to want to help...", her eyes had begun to well now and a single tear trickled down her cheek, she wiped it away with her sleeve, laughing weakly. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm crying" she sniffed.

"You're very kind, thank you very much". He placed a frail hand on the small of her back and guided her slowly to a bench nearby. "Come and sit down, would you like to talk?"

Mia sniffed and then nodded, continuing to wipe at her tears as she composed herself.

They sat down, "What is your name, young lady?" he looked ahead as he spoke.

"Mia" she said in a dry voice.

"Mia?" She nodded. "I'm Alan Connors. How old are you Mia?"

"18, how old are you?"

"You're very young. I'm 91".

Mia gawped at him, but he continued to look ahead.

"Do you know what you want to be when you're older?"

"I don't know, maybe become a lawyer" she shrugged.

"That's a very good profession" he said, nodding slightly to himself.

"What did you do?"

"I was a scientist..." He then went on to tell Mia about his studies and his work, asking her questions here and there as to whether she was familiar with a certain phrase or element. The longer they talked, the stranger the conversation became. Allen started to speak of space ships, and told her his was calling back to him; he was the captain.

She was slightly unsettled, but her heart still felt for him. They'd sat there for almost 3 hours together, just speaking, before he finally looked at his watch and said "I have an appointment soon which I must get to".

Mia nodded, biting her lip and thinking for a moment, she didn't want to lose touch with him, and thought she might be able to help further if she could only speak to someone else about it all. "Do you think I could speak to you again sometime? Do you have a phone number?"

"If you'd like, of course. I don't have a phone, but you can write me if you please".

Mia bit her lip, "You don't have a phone?"

"No," he shook his head, "no one to call".

She nodded, "alright".

He wrote an address down for her which she slipped into her pocket. He started to rise slowly, and Mia did too, waiting for him.

"It was very nice to speak to you, I wish you the best of luck, thank you".

Mia smiled warmly, "You too". She watched as he slowly hobbled away, then sat back down; exhaling loudly.

All of a sudden she was overcome with thoughts of her grandfather, and standing with a new resolve, she decided to pay him a visit.

*************

When she stepped out of the store she'd popped into, the Uber car was already waiting for her. Clutching a paper bag in her hand, she headed towards it and climbed in.

As they drove in silence she thought back to her conversation with Allen. He seemed like such an intelligent man, but some of the things he'd said seemed so farfetched, she wondered if his years were finally taking a toll on his mind.

She thought of how lonely he must be, having out lived all those nearest and dearest to him. Mia swallowed, her throat dry. She felt just as alone.

The car rolled to a halt, and Mia looked around to see that they'd arrived. She thanked the driver quietly and closed the door as she climbed out.

*************

Mia walked slowly, the long grass kissing her ankles as she lumbered along. She came to a stop and breathed in deeply before sitting down on the grass, crossing her legs as she gazed at her grandfather's name etched into a gravestone.

She set the paper bag down in front of her and looked into it, pulling out a single white rose and tossing it to the head of the grave. She then pulled out a 70cl bottle of Johnny Walker; whiskey had always been his drink of choice. Scrunching the bag up into a ball, she placed it to her side and continued to stare at the engraved letters that spelt the name of one of the few men she'd ever loved.

She sniffed as she pulled her sleeves over her hands to wipe back the tears that pooled in her eyes, but they still dripped down her perfectly carved cheekbones, and fell off her jaw; hitting her thighs.

**************

Mia's grandfather wasn't a very liked man. Much like Mia he was far too clever for his own good; instead of flourishing, he became complacent. He married young and irrespective of the love his parents and wife showered him with; he was extremely ill tempered, snapping at the smallest of things. Giada and her older sister grew up fearing their father as much as they loved him. As the youngest, Giada suffered the worst of his scorn; being the object of many bad beatings that would at the very least leave her bruised if not bloody, some of which she still bore the scars of.

Despite all this, Emilio had loved his grandchildren dearly, more than he loved his own, and though it was never said aloud; it was widely understood that Mia was his favourite; his golden child. Giving into her every whim and wish and favouring her over his other grandchildren; Mia and Emilio shared a special bond. For her, he was her sanctuary, and for him she was everything.

He died when Mia was 16, and when everyone cried at his passing; Mia didn't shed a single tear. She was expressionless for the entirety of the preparations and the wake, refusing to talk about anything of relevance, choosing instead to keep everything bottled inside; unaware that the bottle would eventually crack as she continued to fill it with unspoken and unfelt emotions until finally it shattered.

**************

Mia picked up the bottle before her and twisted the top until the seal broke with a small, satisfying crack. Dropping the cap, she held the bottle up slightly to the tombstone she sat in front of; before putting it to her lips and drinking the golden liquid deeply.

**************

Giada looked at the clock for the hundredth time that evening, it was almost 10pm and Mia still hadn't called or text to tell them where she was. Her daughter wasn't the most punctual of people, but she always let them know where she was and whether she was going to be late. If she was going somewhere after school, she would have been in contact by now, but she hadn't, and she'd missed dinner as well.

It was too late to call school, as it would now be closed and no one would be present to answer. She'd spoken to a few of Mia's friends but none of them seemed to know where she was.

Zeke wasn't in London currently, but she decided to try him anyway to see if he had any idea as to where Mia was. She picked up the phone and dialled his number; pacing back and forth in the kitchen. She heard him answer.

"Zeke! Do you know where Mia is?"

"Uhh.. No" he said groggily. Amsterdam was only an hour ahead but he'd gone to bed early.

"Have you spoken to her today?"

"Uhh... No" he said, sitting up "What's wrong?"

"She hasn't come yet and she's not been in touch all day, we have no idea where she is and she won't answer her phone" her voice was laced with concern and dread.

"Is her phone dead?"

"No, but she won't answer. Will you let me know if she-"

He cut her off, "I'll call you back" and hung up. Reaching for his laptop, he started it up and set to work.

20 minutes later, the main phone at the Accardo household rang. Giada snatched up the phone and answered, hoping it was Mia. Instead she heard Zeke's voice through the speaker. "She's at Brookwood Cemetery".

Giada frowned, "Zeke, thank you so much. I'll speak to you soon". She put the phone down and called out for her husband.

**************

It was 11.15 when Raphael hurried out of his car to run into the cemetery. Because it was late, the gate to the drive in path had been closed so he had to go on foot. He ran through the dark graveyard, pulling his coat close as the wind howled around him. He came to a stop when he found her. Pausing momentarily as he took in the sight of his teenage daughter lying unconscious, curled up by his father in laws grave; an empty bottle near her. Her denim shorts barely touching the middle of her thighs, and though her top was long sleeved, she didn't have a jacket.

"Mia..." He pulled off his coat and placed it over her legs before reaching under and scooping her off of the ground. He carried her slowly to the car and sat her inside, strapping her in as her head lolled to a side.

They drove silently back to the house; Raphael looking over at his daughter every few minutes. It was dark, but he could still see that she'd been crying. Mia was one of the strongest people he knew, and it tore his heart to see her so broken.

When they reached home, he carried her in, his other two children asleep, but his wife who was sick with worry; came running. She looked at her daughters tear streaked face; black salty trails down her cheeks. She let out a small sob, "my baby..."

**************

Mia woke with an arm draped around her. She turned around to see her mother lying next to her, her eyes closed. Mia looked at the clock, it was 10am; she was late for school. She groaned and sat up, her head filling with nausea and pain, making her wince. She started out of bed, but heard her mother's voice "Mia you need to rest".

"I have school" she said, standing shakily.

"Mia..."

"I'm fine!"

Giada watched as Mia staggered her way to the bathroom, her shapely long legs carrying her unsteadily. Her grass stained shorts hugged her hips as they swayed from side to side with each step. When did she get so big? She sighed.

*************

When she reached school it was just in time for third period, but instead of going to her class she headed to the Economics office instead. The door was open so she let herself in and took her books out, setting her things on Ms Evans' desk before sitting down to work.

The teachers were used to her being in there by now, and had even come to like her, sometimes thinking of her as one of them rather than the student that she was. So no one bothered her as they came in and out.

It was lunch when she heard Ms Evan's voice. "How are you feeling?"

Mia sighed quietly, the fact she was asking that the moment she walked in instead of chiding her about missing class; meant that her mother had called school to let them know why she'd missed the first half of the day.

"I'm ok" Mia's nose was in her book, her hand scribbling down notes. Her back was to the rest of the room.

Ms Evans sat down on the desk so she was almost facing her. When she saw Mia, she noticed she'd been crying. She placed a hand on her shoulder and rubbed it comfortingly. "What else do you have today?"

"Double English" she sniffed.

"You're here until 4?"

She nodded. Wiping away a tear. She wished Ms Evans hadn't touched her. Contact always made her cry when she was upset.

Ms Green and Mr Wood walked into the office then, both chatting away. Ms Evans looked up at them both, "Could you give us a minute?" They both looked at her curiously before exiting the room. She rubbed Mia's shoulder again. "Come on, I'll take you home. You're not going to your lesson and you can't stay in this office all day".

"You can't do that".

"I'm not teaching next period, and I'm deputy head. I say I can. Get up, get your things together".

Mia sighed and stood, there was no arguing with this woman. She gathered her books and pens then stuffed them into her bag before following Ms Evans out of the office. She kept her head down as they walked silently through the school and the parking lot to her Qashqui.