The next morning, I had woken up thinking about the man that came up to me. Something about him seemed too familiar. I couldn't seem to find the exact reason though. A feeling of me knowing this person or having met them before struck me. It could have been an honest resemblance to someone else, so I shouldn't exactly jump into any conclusions. I might have been reading too much into this whole ordeal--except I wasn't.
Once my classes had finished, I messaged Nora to meet me at the school cafeteria. 'Maybe if I talk about it with her, she might know what to do. Or she might at least be able to help me make sense of things. Who knows, Nora might be the rational one for once.'
Nora soon arrived and immediately began to go on about her day. "Do ya know how horrible my math class is? I know it's a requirement, but still, It seems like too much."
I responded plainly with, "yeah, it is."
Quickly noticing my absence, Nora decided to question me. "Okay, spill it. Usually, you pay attention to my ramblings no matter how moronic they are. Now spill, what's on your mind?"
Surprised by her sudden maturity, I fumbled for words. Gaining my composure after a brief moment, I responded with, "Sorry, I didn't mean to come off as rude. It's just that yesterday after my shift was done, this man came up to me out of nowhere and asked me for directions."
Confused, Nora asked, "What's wrong with that? Maybe he just genuinely needed help getting to wherever." Nora had appeared to be a bit annoyed with my lack of details.
"That's not the point. Of course, if he was genuinely confused about where he was going, then I would have no problem helping him. I found it to be a strange encounter because I felt like that wasn't the first time that I had seen him."
Looking for the right words to say, Nora finally spoke, "Is there anything that stood out? "
"Uh, I don't think so. He was wearing some beige work boots, grey sweatpants, and a black hoodie. I didn't get a good look at his face. It was nighttime and there wasn't good lighting. Plus, he had his hoodie on, so I couldn't see his face even if I wanted to," I responded.
"Hm, that doesn't give us much to work with. You can't say that something about that person seemed familiar if they're wearing a basic outfit like that. It can be anyone, or rather someone who has a blue-collar job. What made you think that you had seen him before?"
"Well, I think he said something about his car not working." As soon as had I said this, I saw that a lightbulb had gone off in Nora's brain. It was exactly like was one of those 'aha!' moments that you see people have on TV.
"Did you see his car anywhere? Did he point to it or faced towards where it might be? Was his car walking distance? If you saw it, what kind of car was it? Was it a van?" Nora had bombarded me with questions, trying her best to analyze the situation. I admit, her questioning was a bit unexpected.
"Now that you mention it, there weren't any cars around us--at least from what I could see. He didn't seem to have any keys on him either," I replied.
Nora's expressions showed that her visible concerns were increasingly growing. "Y'know, I think that you should walk home with someone. It's not a safe neighborhood where you work. What if something happens?"
"It's fine, Nora. Nothing has happened to me so far. We might just be blowing the whole thing out of proportion." I had tried to show that none of it was fazing me, when in fact, I was terrified at the different possibilities.
Nora paused for a moment, waiting to see if I would say anything else. She eyed me for a bit before speaking, "are you sure you haven't seen him anywhere?"
I had thought about her question for a bit, 'why does he seem so familiar,' I questioned myself. "I think that he might have been to the store before. I'm not exactly sure though." If he had been to the store before, it should be on tape. Maybe the cameras caught his face?
Nora had looked at me with a worried expression. I knew that she was concerned about my well-being. At the time, I didn't think that anything bad would happen. Although he could show up again, I doubt that there would be a confrontation of any sort. "Look, the only reason that he seems familiar is that I've seen him before in the store. And yeah, it happened to take place twice during my work shift, but that's merely a coincidence." I had tried to say this with confidence, in an attempt to hide my fright.
Nora appeared to have caught on to me putting on a brave face. Of course, I was trembling at the thought of things being worse than I could currently grasp. I tried masking my fear, but to no avail, Nora saw this. She took my hand and proceeded to try to comfort me. She gave me her best reassuring look, adding that things would be okay.
"Hey Mils?" she spoke softly, looking out the windows of the cafeteria. My gaze met hers, and she continued, "I think that you should get Mason or Eli to walk you home from now on." Her eyes looked like they were about to cry. She must have been thinking about the worst-case scenario.
In the pit of my stomach, I felt my insides churn. The bad feeling I had the day before continued to pester me. "I'll ask them when I see them."
I decided that I would go look for Mason since he was more level-headed than Eli. I looked through different classrooms and rooms that he could have been in. I felt as though I was playing an absurdly complicated game of hide-and-seek. Just when I was about to give up, I spotted him in the lounge area.
"Hey Mace," I gave him a tight hug as I greeted him. I was surprised by myself that I hugged him. Though, I guess it was more that I was relieved to have found him.
Mason had also appeared to have been caught off guard by my arms, faltering on what to do. "Hey Mils, what's up?" he said after deciding to return my embrace.
"Can we go somewhere private to talk?" I pointed to the exit, hoping that he would agree.
As we made our way outside, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Mason was confused thinking about all the possible reasons why I would want to talk to him. I'll admit, Mason and I were never exactly close. He had joined our group around the same time that Eli did. Mason took a preference to Eli, even though he would constantly deny it.
"I wanted to ask you if you could walk me home after my work shift?" I fiddled with my fingers, glancing at the ground. This would be an odd request from anyone, especially if it's being asked upon someone who is basically like an acquaintance.
Mason moved his hands inside his pocket, leaving them to rest there. "Sure, I don't mind. Can I ask why though?"
"Well, It's sort of complicated. I don't wanna keep you from anything, but do you have time?"
"Sure, my classes are done for the day."
After I had finished explaining what had happened to Mason, he gave me a worried look, reminding me of Nora's expression. "Mils, maybe you should look for a different job at a safer location?" he suggested.
'Maybe that is the best thing to do. It would save me the trouble, and if I get a job closer to school, I wouldn't need to go back to my apartment. I would have more time to sleep or even work on making my assignments legible, instead of handing in chicken scratch.' Thinking about it for a while, I responded with, "I don't think that I could leave that job. It's the only one that I've found that works with my schedule. I know I could try to apply for a job at the school, but those don't pay as much as this one." I wished that I could leave but I don't have the luxury of quitting or getting a job that pays less.
"Well, that's understandable. Just message me the location and the time you want me to pick you up. Don't worry, I'll be there when your shift is over," Mason said while waving goodbye.
Later that day, it was almost the end of my shift. I had just finished sweeping and mopping, and I was now cleaning the counter where the customers come to pay. The store was rather quiet, seeing as though it was the end of the day. All of a sudden, someone had walked in. 'I don't normally see anybody coming in ten minutes before closing time, especially since this location is a bit secluded.'
I took another glance at who had just entered. To my surprise, it was that same man, the one who had asked me for directions the day before. For a moment, I froze, imagining all the worst possible outcomes. 'If things are worse than I had originally thought, what does it mean for me? Should I consider moving? What if I go back home for a bit? If I do go back home, will I put my family in danger? What if this man isn't after me and just happens to live close by?'
As the man went up to the counter, I avoided eye contact, trying to keep my composure. I felt myself start to tremble when I reached to give him his change. Still keeping my sight down, the man had thanked me, and walked away. I could tell that he was smiling at my submission. The pep in his step blatantly showed his satisfaction.
Once it was closing time, I quickly checked to see that everything was in order. All that I did after was lock up and wait for Mason to arrive.
Mason walked up to me and asked, "Hey Mila, what's wrong? You look troubled?"
"Well, remember the man I told you about? He came to the store. He barely left a few minutes ago, before you got here," as I said this, I tried to make the situation not seem like that big of a deal and continued, "it felt like he had an arm around my neck. And instead of getting a good look at him, all I did was look down." I felt pathetic. 'How could I not get a good look at the guy?'
Mason, being the observant person that he is, saw through me, "you know, you don't have to put on a brave face around me. I know that this is scary and that I couldn't possibly understand because it's never happened to me, but," he wrapped his arm around my shoulder, "don't worry about it, I'll take care of you."
We walked in silence for moments that felt like forever. Mason kept his arm around me, hoping that the small gesture would somehow comfort me. I'll admit, it worked. I felt like nothing could touch me. It was like I was being sheltered by this big shield that was indestructible. 'I wish this feeling could last. I don't want to be afraid because the moment I give in to this fear, that's game over.'
"Mils?" Mason asked, breaking the comforting silence.
"Yeah?" I kept my gaze forward. I still had a look of fear plastered on my face. 'I don't want him to see that,' I thought.
"I'll get Eli to come whenever I can't. I don't want anything to happen to you because I couldn't be there. We'll make this work. You can count on us, alright?"
"I know, Mace." I shifted my sight to my feet, then to the ground.
"We'll never let you down, 'kay?" He smiled gently at me, in the most caring manner possible.
"Thanks, Mace," I continued with a low voice that was barely audible, but enough for him to hear. "I'm glad that I have you guys. I'm sorry to have to put you through this trouble. I just didn't know who else to tell," I said still keeping my eyes focused on the ground.
"Don't worry about it. If a friend needs help, you're supposed to come to their aid, right?" He said, trying to reassure me.
"Yeah," is all I could manage to respond.
I'm honestly thankful that I have Mason as a friend. He's the rational one in our group. He always listens to our problems. I mean, he is trying to become a therapist, so if he didn't have patience, then it wouldn't make sense. He's the glue that holds our group together. Nora likes to say that he's the mom of the group.
"By the way, Mason, has Eli told you about what Nora and I have planned?" I said, shifting the conversation.
"No, I don't think so?" He looked at me, motioning for me to continue.
"Well, we were thinking about having a gathering. I'm trying to get everyone together before we all head home. You know, for winter break."
Mason stared straight ahead, considering the proposal before concluding. "Sure, why not? We haven't been together since Jay went abroad. How is Jay by the way? Have you heard anything?"
"Well, I haven't heard anything directly from him, but based on what Nora tells me, he's doing great. Nora says that he'll be coming back in time for our get-together."
Mason chuckled to himself. I couldn't help but take a glance at him. His light-tan skin glistened in the streetlight that illuminated our pathway. If I hadn't already deemed him a friend, I do not doubt that I would get flustered by his unbelievably good looks. His eyes were slightly scrunched up as he shook his head, "those two are still having their little secrets, huh?"
Smiling at his remark, I couldn't help but forget my troubles. "Thanks again for walking me home, Mace." I turned to face him, leaving my back towards the door of my apartment.
"Don't mention it! I'll see ya later Mils." With that, Mason left me at the front of my doorstep.
A few days had passed since I've seen that man. Mason had continued to walk me home. He was also constantly checking up on me to make sure that I'm okay. I think I'm getting closer to Mason--at least I hope so. I don't feel as awkward talking to him, and he seems to have also loosened up a bit. He's even started to tell me a few stories about the dumb things that Eli doesn't want the rest of us to know.
It was currently one in the afternoon on a Saturday. I hadn't been doing much except for my assignments. Other than that, I had taken to the couch to relax with my adorable feline, Puki. Of course, Puki doesn't mind spending the day lazing about.
As I reached for the TV remote, I heard my phone start ringing. "Hey, Nora... what?... really? Jay's coming back in a few hours?... I honestly can't believe how excited you are... it's nice to see such a precious 'friendship' come back... stop calling me Eli 2.0 when I'm being genuine here! ... yeah yeah... talk to ya later." I was a bit annoyed that I was interrupted from watching my favorite show. 'I swear Nora can be a bit much sometimes.' I was happy about Jay coming back, but I was nowhere near as ecstatic as Nora was. It had only been a few months, but it did feel like forever.
About an hour later, I hear a knock on the door. "Hey, Mils! Whatcha doin' in your pajamas, huh?" Nora had somehow stumbled upon my apartment door. What was even worse was that I could feel her judging me for still being in my pajamas, despite it being so late in the day.
"Whad'ya mean what am I doing? It's the weekend meaning that I don't have to be all dressed up."
"Didn't I tell you? We're gonna go meet Jay at the airport. C'mon put on something presentable and let's go!" It's kind of adorable how happy Nora is to see Jay.
"No, you didn't tell me! Why can't you go with Alicia? Or even Savannah?" I said, clearly irritable about having to leave the comfort of my home.
"Alicia's no fun! When she talks, she uses these big words--and I know she does that on purpose! And Savannah would bum me out with her incessant stories about her plans for the break." Nora was practically sulking about me turning her down.
"Then ask Mason or Eli to go with you and let me sleep," I said, grumpily.
"No, because then they'd all talk about guy stuff with each other. I thought you liked Jay?"
"Well, yeah I like Jay, but I feel like being lazy today."
At the mere mention of me wanting to stay home, Nora gave me her classic puppy dog eyes. Eventually, I ended up giving in, "fine! I'll go, but you owe me an iced coffee."
"I'll buy you whatever you want once we pick Jay up. Now hurry up! I parked illegally!" She had a smug grin, feeling accomplished. 'Typical Nora.'
Upon arriving at the airport, I glanced at Nora to see that her eyes were searching everywhere in the crowds, trying to catch even a hint of Jay being there. "Ya know Nora, I haven't seen you this happy since you lost you-" before I could finish my sentence, I was cut off by Nora covering my mouth.
"S-stop it. I'm happy to see a friend ya know?" Visibly embarrassed, Nora looked away, continuing her search for Jay. "Look, Look! Right there!" Nora nearly jumped out of her shoes as soon as she caught a glimpse of wavy, dirty-blonde hair.
Nora ran up to Jay at the speed of light, and I was left to slowly trail behind. It was refreshing to see Nora even happier than she normally is.
Nora and Jay appeared to be in a loving embrace not noticing that I was there. She barely met up to his shoulder, her arms being around his stomach, with his around her upper back.
"Hey Jay," I said while crossing my arms, breaking their 'moment.' Both Nora and Jay quickly separated, surprised by my sudden presence. I looked at Nora, internally thinking, 'why are you shocked to see me? We came here together.'
"H-hey Mila. Long time no see huh?" Jay said, scratching the back of his head bashfully.
"Yeah, it's been a while. Don't mind me, I didn't see anything remember," I said smirking, and giving Jay a wink.
"Oh no, don't tell me that Eli got to you too?" he said playfully.
"See Mils, I told you hanging around him was rubbing off on you! That guys' tricks don't suit you." Nora nodded, in agreement with Jay.
"C'mon Nora, you owe me my coffee, remember? We should hurry and go to the nearest cafe before they close." I spoke quickly, clearly flustered by their comments, I took the lead trying to avoid any more teasing. 'Geez. And she says I'm the one who resembles Eli.' Looking back, I saw both of them laugh together, enjoying their reunion. I smiled to myself, knowing that our group would finally be whole again. Everyone would smile with one another again, just like we used to.