Bab 2: Chapter 2
There was a slight layer of excitement lurking in the hallways, I could feel it whenever I stepped on the floors. My classes had just come to an end and I was heading out to meet Max, apparently Kira had decided to stay back for a while, according to the deceitful text she had sent me, she had an art project to complete. I pretended to believe her.
Max was waiting for me outside the exit, and with each step I took I felt that tension in my muscles. And there was a feeling of unease that didn't sit well with me. Like a heavy rock on my gut. The same feeling I usually got whenever the results were released and I was nervous as to how I had performed because I knew my entire future relied on those grades.
It was not a feeling I liked, and I wondered why it was there in the first place. Why was I even experiencing it? I didn't like the dread, the apprehension that came out of nowhere in particular. I didn't like that feeling in my brain that told me something was up and I wasn't even aware of it.
I didn't like it when I breathed in and caught subtle hints of the cologne he had once stolen from his dad while we were kids.
I didn't like any of those things.
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Max accompanied me to the record store, then he went to the park to skateboard as was his routine after classes, or when something was on his mind and he didn't want to talk about it.
I knew the something, I also knew that if I ever brought it up he would just deny it.
I took over the shift from Chelsea, she was a college student but for some reason she took her classes online. We exchanged the normal, " Hey, " before she packed up and left. I occupied the seat behind the counter. Taking out a Biology textbook to study some diagrams, lately I felt as if each second I spent not studying was wasted. I needed to get away from that place immediately after graduation. I needed a life that was outside my mother's cage of drinking and irrational behavior. She had always been like that, she had always liked drinking, but things had been escalating over the years, she was getting a lot worse. I doubted I had it in me to keep up with her anymore, she always got so..angry whenever she was drank, I was used to her being mean. I had grown up with her being that way, but I didn't fancy how her anger increased whenever she wasn't herself.
A few customers walked in, and they looked through the albums on the shelves, some were more into exploring their options rather than actually buying anything. I helped out the ones who needed help, letting the others take their time to decide on what they wanted to buy. I was really hungry, and I was certain there was nothing to eat back at the house since I hadn't bought groceries yet. I took out my phone and looked at the time, deciding to wait till the current customers left before I went over to Trenny's, the fast food joint across the street and grabbed something to eat. They finished up, deciding on their preference, and once I packed up their albums and handed them to them, I waited till the left. Stalling for a few minutes to make sure that therr were no more customers coming in. It was already six, and I had once again failed to bring along a jacket. But it wasn't that cold, I was used to the weather there after five years. I crossed the street, went over to Trenny's and bought a burger, the place was packed as usual. And I was glad it was situated that close to the store.
Taking out my phone, I started heading back to the store, checking whether my mom had texted me. I don't know why I bothered. Actually I doubted whether she had my number saved. But I had been serious, if she wasn't back by tomorrow then I'd go to the cops, my mom didn't hang around a nice group of people. I had called the laundromat where she worked countless times and they had told me that she hadn't been to work that entire week, that she had taken a three day leave but had failed to return after those days ended. And that I ought to tell her that she was fired.
Tale as old as time.
I had been in the process of tucking my phone back into my pocket when a motorcycle drove right by me at full speed. Literally right by me, a few more inches and it would have run over my feet. I cursed as I stumbled back, holding tightly onto my phone when it would have fallen to the ground, but the burger in my left hand wasn't that lucky. I dropped the bag, then I turned towards the direction the bike had gone and I watched as the rider stopped, then he turned to face me, a helmet on his head.
" Dude! What the hell?" I shouted just loud enough for him to hear. He didn't move, he didn't talk, he just stayed there, stagnant, staring at me from underneath his helmet.
I shook my head, then I bent down and picked up the burger, checking inside to confirm it's state, sighing in relief when I saw that it was still intact.
I frowned when I looked up and found the guy still glancing at my direction. And because the entire situation was creeping me out, I immediately looked away and made my way back to the store. And I was just in time since a few seconds later more customers walked in. I directed them to the pop section before returning to my seat. I needed to make some flashcards for the quiz next week, and then I'd force Kira and Max to go through them with me because otherwise those two would never study. I placed the burger on the surface and walked around to sit, then halfway there I stopped and narrowed my gaze, reaching over the counter, I picked up the foreign item I was certain hadn't been there before.
The white, neatly folded piece of paper. The confusion grew within me as I glanced at it, and when I unfolded it, it only became worse. It intensified. The paper was completely blank, I glanced around as I wondered whether I had actually placed it there and forgotten. I did forget things a lot lately, but I doubted it.
Perhaps one of the customers had left it there by mistake. But why?
I folded it once more, and as I was placing it back down it came back to me. For no apparent reason I thought about something I hadn't bother to think about in ages.
" Here Stevens, take this. "
" What is it?"
" I can't tell you that, you'll have to read it to find out, but promise me that you won't try and read it till after you get home. "
" Umm, oookay. It's not a love poem is it?" The younger me playfully asked,but the humorous tone was an attempt to hide how awkward I felt. He scoffed, shook his head and laughed. Then he held me by my nape and led me to class.
" You wish! Just keep it safely and don't ask me anything. "
I had done that, and as I stood there I recalled how eager I had been to get home and read whatever he had written. His mom had as usual, picked us up and dropped me off,and I had run all the way to my room and locked the door, the same way one would do when trying to conceal something from others. I recalled how anxious I had been, my hand had been shaking and I had been filled with apprehension. Throwing my backpack on the floor, this young and naive version of me had gotten on the bed and taken in a few deep breaths, then I had slowly unfolded the paper.
My face fell as blank as the paper itself. There had been nothing written there.
The customer's voice as he asked me how much the album cost drew me back to the present. I looked around the store, wondering what had just happened, why I had let myself get pulled back into the distant past. I glanced back down at the paper, then I crumpled it in my hand and threw it in the bin. I had no wish to remember anything, so I resolved to trying my best to focus on the present.
He was nothing more than a blur in my past!
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone