Chapter 32: Misery Needs No Company
Going to work the day after the movies made Rylee feel like Cinderella going back home after the ball. Her body was tired but her mind was still buzzing, replaying the evening with a dreamy feeling. She cleaned her department with a smile on her face, secretly wondering when Evan would reach out to her again. The work was monotonous but bearable, and for the first time she was doing something other than planning role play posts with her free time. This time, she was living the story!
Rylee should have known the fantasy was doomed to end, her dreamlike trance shattered when a figure entered her aisle.
"Hey Runt, we ran into each other after all!"
Despite the anxiety filling her body, Rylee forced her best customer service smile. "Can I help you find anything?"
Shanna prowled forward, looking at the perfectly arranged paint bottles Rylee just finished with. "I don't know, I am already beneath myself coming into this store."
Rylee kept her composure. "If you need help feel free to ask." She secretly hoped Shanna would vanish off the planet and never bother her again.
Rylee turned to a different display, cringing when she heard different items being pushed over.
"Whoops, sorry. Wrong color. Maybe this one? Nope. My bad." This was such a childish attack. Rylee knew Shanna was never creative to begin with, but this?
"Ma'am, is there a color you're trying to match?" Rylee had to stop her before this got out of control, or it would take hours to fix.
Shanna looked at her, a glint in her eyes. "Well its kind of a brown color, like human waste. Actually, I would say it's the color of your hair!"
If Rylee slapped someone would anyone notice?
"I think you've checked all of the colors we have available," Rylee sighed.
"Maybe it's up here," Shanna grabbed the display and used it to hoist herself higher, reaching for the top shelf. The fixture wobbled dangerously and Rylee ran forward in distress.
"Wait, don't stand on that, it's not—"
CRASH!!!
Rylee caught the display, throwing her body into the shelf to push it back into place. The motion was too much for the products, however, and bottles of paint rained down around them like tiny colorful bombs. Shanna shrieked as paint exploded everywhere, violently shoving Rylee aside. Rylee's shoes slid on the paint and she slammed into the floor, holding back tears as Shanna exploded.
"You little idiot! Look what you did! My shoes, my pants! Do you have any idea how much this outfit cost?!"
Rylee ground her teeth and wished she let the display squash the woman like a bug. Other customers were appearing around them, drawn by the noise. As Rylee gingerly got back to her feet, Shanna snapped at her. "I'll sue, you did that on purpose! You horrible little brat!"
"The sign clearly said don't climb—" Rylee started, but Shanna had gone from rage to tears, drawing further attention.
"Look what she did! This whole store is a hazard! I'm never coming in here again!"
Rylee was almost impressed by the acting. Maybe Shanna's tears were real? Rylee doubted she planned to spill so much paint.
"I'm so sorry miss, we can get you cleaned up right away. Ryan! Grab some towels, help her please," the manager had arrived, taking control and ushering Shanna away from the mess. He stopped only to give Rylee an unhappy look.
Her heart sank. This wasn't her fault!
A hand on her shoulder made her jump. It was Zane, holding a mop and looking concerned.
"I just got here. Are you okay?"
"Fine," Rylee sniffed, leaning over to collect broken paint bottles. They mixed into rainbows, oozing slowly across the floor. Her shoes were saturated, her pants destroyed. Worst of all, her side was throbbing, and her hand went to her hip to soothe the pain.
Rylee pressed her side, grimacing. The aisle smelt like acrylic and she could taste it on her tongue too. It was amazing how far the colors carried, dots flecking every shelf. Her coworkers put up caution signs to blockade the situation. Some bottles rolled under shelves, leaving colorful trails behind. They would be finding dried paint for weeks to come! Shanna must be delighted.
Zane scrubbed at the globs of paint aggressively with the mop while Rylee picked at the debris. Her fingers were wet with red paint, and her side felt kinda warm...
There was a clatter as Zane dropped the mop. She looked over in surprise.
"Rylee, stop moving! Someone get the first aid kit!"
"Zane, why are you freaking out?"
"Stand still, damnit!"
She froze, seeing the look on his face. He reached for her, moving her hand out of the way. Rylee slowly realized why he was panicking. It wasn't paint on her side, it was blood.
"Rylee, look away. I don't want you to pass out."
Zane seemed to feel her swoon, the sight of her own blood making her stomach turn. He forced her to sit, yanking his apron off and pressing it against her side. "I have to take you to the ER. You split your side back open, fuck!"
"I'm still scheduled for another hour..." Rylee squeaked, flinching as Zane put more pressure on her side.
"For once can you not worry about a job?" Someone reappeared, carrying the first aid kit. They tore through it until getting a wad of gauze to work with. Zane handed it to Rylee, a stern expression on his face.
"Put that where you see the most blood."
Rylee understood his hesitation. She would have died of embarrassment if he went reaching into her pants to do it for her. "Look away," she instructed. She quickly pushed the gauze in place, then reapplied the apron.
"I'll pull my truck to the front," a girl named Tammy volunteered, leaving Zane to follow with Rylee. He yanked her up in his arms, and hurried toward the entrance.
"Do you have your phone with you?" He asked as he walked, breath labored.
"No, it's in my locker..."
"I'll have you use mine then. Let Evan know where we're taking you."
Heat flooded her face. "Do I—"
"Yes," he snapped. "I'll cover things here. Have him take you home."
Zane set her down in the open seat, and handed her the phone. Reluctantly she dialed Evan's number.
"Hey, I thought you were working?" He answered on the second ring.
"It's Rylee," she explained. "Sorry for bothering you, I'm heading to urgent care on Broadway. I just need to see if you can get me a ride—"
"I'll meet you there. Tell Zane I'll take care of it."
Evan hung up and Rylee was left staring at the phone. She handed it back to Zane. "He'll meet us there," she relayed. The abrupt conversation made her heart sink. Was he mad? The day felt like it was turning into a fiasco.
The rest of the drive passed quickly, and Rylee shut her eyes, nausea coming in waves. At urgent care, Zane carried her in, and they were quickly taken to a room. Once she was settled, her coworkers retreated, leaving her alone. Since Evan was coming, they had done what they could. She just had to endure a little longer.
Rylee lost track of time between the paperwork and the treatment. She needed 6 new stitches, all along her hip, the torn tissue threatening to leave a hideous scar. Because her clothes were such a wreck, she was forced to leave wearing the hospital gown. She met Evan in the lobby, feeling humiliated.
"How bad is it?" He asked, eyes scanning her appearance.
"Split my side back open. They'll let me use crutches this time, as long as I'm careful," Rylee tried to smile, but felt exhausted. Evan led her to his car and helped her inside. It was painful to even sit at this point.
Exhibiting tact she hadn't expected, Evan was silent while they drove. When they got to her apartment he helped her inside, Bandit's barks greeting them at the door.
"I met Tara for the key," he explained, noticing her confusion when they got to the living room. Bandit whimpered unhappily when Rylee didn't pet him. Evan knelt down and scratched him behind the ears to keep the peace.
"You probably can't get the stitches wet, but I can get a washcloth to help get some of the paint off... Do you want to sit in the couch or the bed?"
Rylee considered and sighed, "Bed I guess. Do I have any in my hair? I just don't want to ruin my sheets."
Evan came over and pulled her head down. Rylee's nose was near his shirt while he inspected her. His fingers traced her scalp, and checked her braid. "You're fine. You have some on your arms still, but we can get that off."
When Rylee looked up he hadn't stepped back. Instead his hand moved to her back and pulled her into a gentle hug. She could feel how fast his heart was beating, wondering if her own sounded that erratic. "You need to stop scaring me," he whispered against her hair.
Tears pricked her eyes and Rylee buried herself deeper into his hold. She didn't care if the hospital outfit was flimsy, she just wanted to be close to him. Quietly, he helped her to the bed and sat down beside her. He rearranged her blankets, wrapping her up and she let her head rest against his thigh. With his back against the wall he was near her but still maintaining a respectful boundary. They didn't need to say words. Being together was enough.
Her eyes closed as his hands moved through her hair. He stroked her scalp gently until her eyes fluttered shut. Bandit jumped up next to them and curled up against her leg. She didn't sleep, they didn't talk, but the silence held its own meaning.
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
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