Page 28 of The Curse of Redwood

“Actually…” Taylor wiped his mouth. “I dropped out last semester. Been kinda embarrassed to tell many people.”

“Hey, I didn’t even go to college, so I have no room to judge. But you seem like a smart guy. What happened?”

“Don’t know,” he responded, after swallowing a bite of his lemon cake. “I partied a lot, so maybe that’s what did it… but I don’t know. I just lost motivation. I dropped out and started working with my dad.”

“What was your major?”

“English lit,” he answered, then laughed at my shocked expression. “I told you. I love reading and writing. I wanted to be a high school teacher. English has a bad rep, and I wanted to show that it can be fun. Did you think I was gonna say football or something else jocky?”

“Yeah. Sorry.” My cheeks heated, and it had nothing to do with the hot coffee in front of me. I absolutely hated when people assumed crap about me just because of how I looked. And there I was doing it to him. “If it means anything, I can definitely see you being a teacher. You have the temperament for it.”

“Thanks.” He shoved the rest of the cake into his mouth, his cheeks puffing out like a chipmunk. “I’m a firm believer in following my gut. College didn’t work out, but I know I’ll find my calling soon.”

“Great attitude,” I said, before taking sip of coffee. “You’ll find your path eventually.”

The conversation got me thinking about my own life. I shifted my gaze to the window as a couple walked by. The man rested his hand at the woman’s lower back, and they laughed about something. They looked so happy.

WasIhappy? I honestly didn’t know. I loved my life, but there were nights when the loneliness crashed down on me.

“What about you?” Taylor asked, drawing my attention back to him. “Do you like your job?”

“I love it,” I said. “I’ve never really had dreams of being anything. And I have no talent or hobbies. I’m just ordinary.”

“There’s nothing ordinary about you,” Taylor responded, a half-smile curving his lips. “But enough of this serious shit. Tell me what the hell’s on your shirt. I see you wear that crap all the time. Who’s that white haired dude and why does he look so badass?”

“It’s from Tokyo Ghoul, my favorite anime,” I explained. “The guy’s name is Kaneki.”

Conversation with Taylor never felt strained. The discussion flowed without seeming forced. Long after we finished our drinks, we sat at the table and talked. An hour passed as he talked about things he and Rich used to do while in high school, then the topic shifted to the paranormal.

“Did you know there’s a mystic shop here?” Taylor asked.

“I think I’ve seen it a few times, but I’ve never gone inside.”

“Well, I went the other day just to look around,” Taylor said, and his cheeks became a little flushed. “I got a tarot card reading.”

“Oh yeah? What did it say? A gloomy death awaits you, but if you pay two hundred dollars, they can give you the answer to escaping it?”

“Actually…” He shifted in his seat, looking a bit uncomfortable. “It said a chance encounter will change the course of my life and to look for the white raven. Kinda weird, right?”

“And cryptic. I hope you didn’t pay much.”

Taylor laughed. “Oh! Do you like ghost hunter shows?”

“Kind of. I’ll watch them if they come on TV, but I don’t seek them out. Why?”

“I found an online vlog for a group of ghost hunters who go around to the most haunted places in America and do live recordings and shit. It’s fuckin’ awesome.” He pulled out his phone and scrolled through it before handing it over. “Check that out.”

I clicked on the video he pointed to and watched as a really hot guy talked into the camera. I didn’t care what he was saying. His face alone was worth the million views the video had gotten.

“That’s when they went to the Winchester mansion,” Taylor explained. “Some freaky shit happens later on.”

“Do you subscribe to them?” I asked, handing his phone back to him. The coffee shop was too noisy to actually hear anything going on in the video.

“Yep,” Taylor answered. “Their content is top notch. Not just that overexaggerated fake shit, you know?”

We talked for a while longer, and I bought us each another coffee and pastry to share. All of that caffeine and sugar was going to make me bounce off the walls later. When we finally exited the coffeehouse, we hesitated in front of it.

“Guess I better go,” Taylor said. “I have to be at work by five. But we should hang out again soon.”