I’m going to be honest, I have no idea what will come out of this book. In fact, I’m questioning why I chose to try my hand at this genre in the first place. I have an idea of where I want the story to go, but that’s more like an ending plan. No idea how we will get there. Well, let’s see what happens in Chapter 3 of What Would You Do.
Chapter 3
Davis looked at the time on the bottom of his computer screen. It was almost nine in the evening. He was planning a group call with his friends back in Japan and they told him they would all be on at two in the afternoon, their time. His parents had gone out for the evening to some fundraiser. It was a fashion show, so his mother had received the invite. Davis was glad she only got two tickets. Fashion shows, in his opinion, were boring. At least he would be able to speak Japanese without worrying about his parents overhearing him.
His computer dinged a little after nine and Davis jumped off his bed where he had been playing a game on his phone. Tossing it to the side, he slid into his chair and accepted the call. Three faces popped up on his screen; two girls and a boy. Their faces lit up when they saw him.
“Kon’nichiwa Davis! Amerika wa dōdesu ka?” One of the girls leaned closer to the screen, her dark eyes shining with curiosity. Davis chuckled.
“Tsumaranai.” His friends laughed, and resumed the conversation in English.
“You live in the city of famous people, don’t you? That must be exciting.” Davis shrugged.
“Sure, but I would rather still be in Tokyo. At least I had you guys. I feel so alone here.” The boy spoke up.
“You will make friends fast. You did here. Tsuyoku ikite kudasai.” Davis smiled. His friends always had so much faith in him.
What Would You Do
The next morning came too quickly for Davis. As his alarm went off, he fumbled with his phone, knocking it off his nightstand. It hit the floor with a bang. Groaning, Davis climbed out of bed and searched for it, locating it under his bed. A quick examination of the device showed no damage was done and he sighed with relief, leaning back against his bed. A knock sounded at the door.
“Are you alright?” Maria’s voice came muffled through the door. “I heard a loud noise.”
“I’m fine Maria. I just dropped my phone. Thank you.” When she didn’t say anything, he shrugged, stood up, and headed to his bathroom. Turning on the shower, he looked at himself in the mirror. He looked at his dishevelled hair and chuckled. “I really need to get a haircut.” Shedding his clothes, he stepped into the steaming shower, turning the temperature down. Even though it was early in the day, he could tell it was going to be a scorcher.
What Would You Do
Davis headed downstairs to the dining room. Breakfast was being placed on the table and his father was already there, scrolling through his tablet. Probably reading the news, Davis thought to himself. His mother came in behind him.
“Good morning sweetheart. How was your sleep?” Davis sat in his seat, hungrily eyeing the spread before him. Maria could certainly put on a hearty breakfast.
“It felt short, but could just be the result of jet-lag. Do you mind if I head into the city today? I’m hoping to get a haircut.” Amanda sat down, thanking Maria as she placed a cup of herbal tea in front of her.
“I think that should be fine. I have a few video meetings this morning and then I need to meet with some models this afternoon. William, are you able to take him?” Mr. Steel didn’t even look up from his tablet.
“I’m afraid not. I’ve got back to back meetings all day. I’ll call John.” Davis speared a breakfast sausage with his fork.
“It’s fine. I’ll take my bike. After all, I do need to get used to getting around in this city. Plus, it’s a beautiful day outside. The fresh air will do me good.”
Chapter 3
Davis let his bike glide down the street, techno music blasting in his headphones. Reaching the city, he stopped and pulled out his phone, using Google maps to find hair salons near him. Picking one, he biked over, hoping that they would accept walk-ins. The city was bustling and Davis was glad he took his bike. Rush hour traffic looked brutal. There was no way John would want to drive in it. After ten minutes he pulled up to the salon. It was small, but looked friendly enough. Parking his bike, and using a bike lock to secure it, Davis entered the small salon, a chime above the door announcing his entrance.
“Just a minute.” The voice sounded from somewhere in the back. To Davis’ surprise, the place was rather empty. A woman came to the desk, a smile on her face. “Hello, do you have an appointment?” Davis approached the desk.
“No, I don’t. Any chance you have room for me? I just moved here, so I’m not quite sure how things work.” The woman chuckled.
“We do accept walk-ins. Let me see. What do you need done today?” Davis ran a hand through the mop on his head.
“Just a cut please.” She looked at her computer screen.
“Let me see if Amanda can see you.” Davis nodded as she slipped into the back. He didn’t have long to wait. An older woman came to the front and smiled warmly at him, her curled brown hair framing her delicate features. Even with her makeup on Davis could see the dark circles under her eyes.
“You can come back with me. I am in between clients, so I can see you right now.”
What Would You Do
“Do you need your hair washed?” Davis followed her, shaking his head.
“No thank you. I just washed it. Is it always this quiet, or did I just get lucky?” Amanda smiled as they arrived at her station, turning the chair so Davis could sit down.
“It’s a bit slower right now. Later in the afternoon is when all the appointments are. You got lucky. So, what are we doing today…er, sorry. I never got your name.” Davis smiled at her in the mirror.
“Davis. And anything that will tame this thing on my head would be greatly appreciated.” She laughed, grabbing a barber cape and putting it on him.
“Luckily I am an expert at taming hair. Let me see what we can do. Do you want to keep some of the length? You have great hair – it would be a shame to remove all of it.” Davis watched her run her hands through his hair.
“You know what, I’m not sure what I want. You’re the expert so you decide. I’ll let you know if I like it.” Her blue eyes met his brown ones in the mirror.
“I will do my best.”
Chapter 3
Twenty minutes later, Davis exited the salon. His hair was neatly cut, his curly hair not as wild as it had been. It felt a lot lighter and Davis loved the new cut. He had tipped her generously and thought he saw tears forming in her eyes. Amanda had not spoken much during the cut, except to ask him questions. She seemed amused when Davis told her she had the same name as his mother, but didn’t go into too much detail about her family. The subject seemed to be painful and Davis couldn’t help but wonder what she was going through. He unlocked his bike and headed deeper into the city.
It was late in the afternoon when Davis returned. He had found some places where other teens seemed to hang, but none of them had approached him and he wasn’t sure he wanted to talk to them. Everyone seemed to stick with their own kind of group and Davis wasn’t sure which one he would fit into. Locating a small cafe near the water, he had lunch and watched people swimming, surfing or just laying on the beach. Some teens had been playing beach volleyball and Davis was tempted to join, but remained at his table. After finishing his sandwich and Americano, Davis got back on his bike and headed home. This city seemed to be a whole new world compared to Tokyo. He wasn’t sure how he would fit in.
A Slower Book
Yes, I’m not sure I’m a fan of it either. The book will be slow at the beginning, but I will find a way to get the story going. Again, not my usual area of writing, and right now, I’m not enjoying it. But, I will keep going and see what happens. I hope you enjoyed Chapter 3 and I’ll see you Monday with a brand new blog.
