Chapter 2

The next day Tria woke up and rubbed her eyes. She hardly remembered what she did last night until she started thinking about it when she was eating her breakfast. After that, she went to School. She was assigned a couple pages of language homework, but she didn’t mind. She also got 5 pages of history. Then she had to write and essay before the end of the week (It was Tuesday) and the essay was on her least favorite subject: science. She didn’t know why she really had to learn all his. Does she really need to know all this stuff about molecules and atoms if she can’t even see them with her eyes? Tria was not planning on being an Einstein anyway, and someone already invented the things that come into her mind.

Chloe was a type of smart person. She spent most her breaks in the library or sometimes outside to gather information. She had already finished the homework at the end of the day, so she asked for some more language for home.

Tria didn’t walk home with Chloe today. Chloe was probably already home, doing extra work when Tria was still walking home. When she passed by the ‘shortcut’ that she and Chloe had gone down last time, she stopped. Someone went out and when they opened the door, Tria could hear Tepo’s loud voice booming out. “I guess I could just do my homework there…” thought Tria. It wasn’t a bad idea.

As soon as she sat down at a dusty table, Tepo came over to her, using big heavy steps from behind the counter. “Ah, Tria!” Tepo said. “You’ve come back again. By the way, we added hot chocolate to the menu.” Tepo pointed up the wooden sign. An old man at the table next to her joked, “Not that anyone can read it!”

Tepo turned to the man. “Well, Pal, maybe you should get some glasses!” Tepo said. “I know your wife Linn has been bothering you about it!” Tepo then straightened his glasses and happily walked back behind the counter.

Tria ordered some hot chocolate and started doing her homework. Pal kept looking over her shoulder since he had moved his chair closer to her table. Finally, he said, “What’cha doin’?”

“I’m writing an essay for science and just finishing some pages of history,” Tria replied. “It’s homework.”

“Homework?” Pal said, as though he had never heard the word. “Homework? How can you do homework if you’re not even at home?”

Before Tria could answer, Denn made a joke. “Well, this is kind of a home to you guys! I have to kick you out when this closes if you're not doin’ something else!”

“We’re retired!” an old lady said. “Yeah, what else would we do?” someone said. “Denn and this Tria are the only ones who aren’t retired.” Then he snickered to another man, “Or aren't working.”

Every time they laughed, the rusty metal cups on the shelves made tinking noises. The spice jars and oil bottles were so dusty and grimy, that they looked like they hadn’t been used in ages. “Or maybe they really hadn’t been,” Tria thought.

When she was finally done her homework, she went home. Thinking that she might come back tomorrow.