CHAPTER 1.1
Cinderella left her rubber shoes
On my way to the mall, there… I was caught off guard, and one of my greatest enemies occurred!
Tik. Tap. Tik. Tap.
Yes, it began to rain. I hurriedly run towards an empty alley and get under the roof of a stationery store that I haven't noticed even after passing by this street for four years already.
"What the heck is wrong with you Sunny? We were so good a while ago! And you? Yeah, you forecaster my ass! You are more than a scammer in Knockturn Alley*!"
In my head, I'm screaming at the top of my lungs scolding the weather forecaster as well as this mischievous sun.
In the vast of people, I am the only one who seek refuge under the store's roof. I have reacted faster than the raindrops falling on the busy road.
I had opened my bright yellow backpack with the face of a duck on its surface. I pulled out my yellow overall raincoat and put it on while people were giving me the strange stares that I have been enduring for five years now.
They must be asking themselves what is wrong with me. It is not actually a heavy rain but there are already small trickles of raindrops here I am- with my red umbrella opened above my head, a heavy waterproof hoodie long-sleeved raincoat with my below-the-knee boots both the same color as my bag—I am a living ducky armored thoroughly ready to face the light drops of the rain.
Oh! I have not told you right?! I am ALLERGIC to WATER.
Yeah, it is not a big deal, right? I am a twenty-year-old girl named Alicia, Sia for short. Nothing out of the ordinary. For five years now, I have been just a girl enjoying myself and guarding myself against a scary gigantic monster called H2O! No sweat. No to tears. No to swimming. My biggest regret, I can't be a mermaid anymore (insert sarcasm here).
Kidding aside, only my family knows about my condition. I tried telling it to one of the closest friends I had but her initial reaction was a thunderous laugh as if I was the biggest joke ever. Since then, I have kept it inside. Well, actually, along with my condition, I kept myself away from other people as well. I wanted to be a secret to be kept as tightly as possible as well.
Sensing that the rain will not become a drizzle, I continue walking towards the mall, in the middle of the journey, there you go Mr. Sun. It shone above me triumphantly as he ruined my day again by hiding for a minute.
I took off everything hurriedly. I can't sweat. It will become a disaster. A few minutes after keeping everything inside my backpack, I arrived at the mall entrance. Finally, I can be at ease. Cool air from the AC had been my greatest relief to this stressful day.
After several minutes of circling the grocery, I had boxes of milk and diet sodas. Well, I have been drinking water normally, if using straw all the time is normal, but just recently I had to cut it off a bit because I can sometimes feel some irritation in my throat. My doctor said it can get worse, wow, lucky me, right?
Then, I went to a stall offering organic products where I got some of the low-water content fruits. After getting a few more supplies, because I was held up by sudden rain, the line at the cashier had been too long that I needed to wait for so long.
The line had been holding up more than usual. As I waited for my turn with my shopping cart in front of me, I fully regretted my decision to go out today.
"Willpower, be patient with me! Please give me more patience," This is what I have been repeatedly saying to myself for about five minutes already.
I have been stopping myself from pulling the ears of this little rascal by my side who cannot stop pulling my dearest duckie keychain on my backpack.
"Hey, kid. You are a good boy, right? Don't touch others' belongings casually. Go back to your mom. Go! Go!," I gritted my teeth tightly as I told the boy in my gentlest voice ever that even Luca would have trouble listening for its far different from my real personality.
The little nuisance stared at me intently as if I were a monster ready to throw him outside the mall's window. Then I count to three. One, two, two and a half... and there he cried as loud as he could. Finally, his mom comes rushing to aid his precious son who a minute ago had been neglected by her because of some phone call.
"Hey, little pumpkin, what's the matter?" The mother soothed the crying kid who is now acting as if he is an innocent victim.
The lady with oversized round earrings on her skimpy shorts and crop top had to face me suddenly while pointing fingers and blabbering about so many things that I didn't intend to try to understand. I just stared at her and I kept reminding myself. 'Ok, let her be. Hold your horses. Just decide now what brand of paint you will look for later.'
My thoughts had finished wandering around also the nagging of the lady in front of me. Maybe she had noticed that I would not give any reaction at all and just swallowed her displeasure and just walked out with his son in tow still trying to reach for my precious little ducky. The matured side of me kicked in and I just stuck my tongue while making a face to him as if saying, 'My Ducky is mine and mine alone, you nuisance!'
I just continued watching the mother-son tandem. I smirked but deep inside, I sympathized with the child. Is it a basic characteristic of humans? To act as if they really care even in reality they don't?
Maybe my facial expression annoyed this nagging lady big time. Out of nowhere, cause I am not really paying attention to her, I haven't had time to dodge the cup of iced coffee that is about to be spilled on my head. Thanks to the adrenaline rush, I quickly somehow dodged it but it still somehow spilled into my shirt and rubber shoes.
"I am doomed!"
I cursed inside my head as I quickly removed my shoes and not paying attention to the mother and son duo or people around me, I also removed my top as my reflexes dictate. Thankfully, I always wear a tube inner whenever I have to go out. You know, this kind of misfortune might happen.
Here we go again, ignoring all the strange stares, which I think I don't deserve, I pulled out my boots from my bag, put it on, and left my top and shoes as I hurriedly went away from that annoying place leaving everyone dumbfounded.
Third Person POV
Unknowingly, the innocent Sia has no idea that there was a soul who witnessed all the things unfolding like a movie in front of this stranger's eyes ever since she had to fight her way toward the mall because of the rain.
'What an interesting situation!'
The stranger thought to himself while picking up the shoes left behind by Sia.
'This doesn't fit you anyway.' He continued as he put away the shoes inside the trash can nearby. He just walked away, still having that amusing expression in his cold eyes.