"You've got glitter in your hair," Rigel points out as I pull out a receipt from the cash counter and hand it over to the customer with a commercial smile pushed up my cheeks. It was nice, doing something familiar after all this while.
"Yeah, I thought I'd match the aesthetic," I shimmy the uniform white dress, "Making it look all moony." I have been avoiding eye contact from him, ever since I came back after changing, and he seems to have obviously picked that up.
Why are these no-name characters so smart?!
"You don't seem like yourself today," He points out again, leaning over the counter with an arm resting over a register. His body is tilted toward me, keenly observing every motion of my unfamiliar hands. I sigh, still avoiding to look at him directly.
Should I just fess up?
I mean, what can he even do to me?
Right?
I suck in a breath and turn to face him, pushing the same diplomatic smile that I save for my customers. I place my hand on his shoulder and announce in the most serious way possible, "I'm a man now, Rigel, so I would like you to treat me as one. If I knew you before today then I'd like to change that—"
"Woah, woah, woah, slow down a second — What do you mean by IF I knew you...we've been best friends since first grade!" He snaps in exasperation, instantly standing up straight. His curt brown eyes slope with betrayal as I glup, retracting my hand.
Well, this makes things difficult.
"Ah, we're still bestfriends, of course but what I meant was that if you knew me as girl—"
TING TING!
My, what could have been a very ridiculous, monologue is cut short by a customer. I have never been more happier to serve a customer. I pull up my brightest smile as I turn to greet, "Welcome to Moonbucks! What may I help you with?"
"Ah," my shoulders slump and my smile falls off as he says, "You're not at school after all."
"And you're stalking me, after all," I deadpan, narrowing my eyes at his dark hair and dark eyes conspiring against me. The man from the bus stand, standing tall against the counter, sticks out like a sore thumb with his all black outfit.
"I could say the same; with you having the intent of robbing and everything. Did you switch targets?" He pushes his angular brows up in suspicion as I roll my eyes.
"If I had to rob you, I wouldn't be trying to earn a pay by serving an arsehole like you," I scowl at him.
He raises a brow, eyeing me as if he hadn't considered the option of my innocence at all!
"James Smith," he introduces.
"I don't care," I scowl harder than before.
"Owner of the order," he clarifies, full lips barely pushing up in amusement. I supress an urge to flip him off and potentially give him an edge to make me lose my job.
"A Nebula Nitro Cold Brew, a velvety blend, whole milk, with hints of vanilla, pistachio and spice. Caramel syrup and walnuts on the top," he dictates and I type, both at a lightning speed. I smirk up at him, having not missed a word and he glares back, knowing I won him impromptu competition.
"That'll be 60," I declare as the receipt grrs out of the machine.
"I'll be paying with my membership card," he frowns.
"Ah, we don't have any members discount today," I smile, ever so bright, practically crinkling my eyes.
"Have it your way then," he pulls out a black card and places it on the table, craning his head up to make it obvious that he's, yes indeed, showing off.
I purse my lips, the smile drying away, and drag the card over the counter to make the payment. It is his turn now, to push his lips up in a condescending smirk which makes my insides boil. I give him a moon token as he waits for his order over the seating area.
"Ugh, I hate him! Is he a regular?" I turn to ask Rigel. I don't know what his job is, but he looks pretty jobless to me with all the slouching, staring and conversing he's been doing.
"You'd be surprised. I think he's properly addicted," Rigel shrugs as a staff hands him James' order. "Here you go, wreck it," he hands me the coffee and I uncap the black sharpie with an evil glint in my eye.
.
.
.
"James Snitch, really?" He scoffs at the grey moon cup in his hand.
I nod my head, proud at having one upped him. I turn to give Rigel a thumbs up and when I look back, he's gone. James went poof. Disappeared into thin air. Ceased out of existence. Almost as if I hallucinated him again.
"WHERE DID HE GO?!" I shout out loud, backing up and away from this sorcery.
"Where did who go, winster?" Rigel asks, quite calmly, still slouching over the counter. My eyes widen in exasperation.
"WELL, HE— OF COURSE. THAT TALL, DARK HAIRED GUY?! JAMES SMITH?!" I agressively point at the thin air in front of me, "HE JUST ORDERED!"
"Well then he must have left," Rigel shrugs casually. As if he hadn't been beside me, staring, unblinking, all day long.
"LEFT?! WHAT DID MY MAN DO OPEN PORTALS OR SOMETHING?! WHAT IS HE, AN ENDERMAN?!"
"Chill out, he must have walked away when you didn't see."
But I was seeing!
I turned for not even a second, but a split second! And he ceased out of existence?! Now, unless he's a tip-toe Olympic sprinter, there's no way he could have ran away with such efficiency!! Was he a ghost or a spirit or a magician?!
"Hey, keep your damn mind on work," another barista seethes at me, pulling me out of my reverie.
"I'm sorry!" I whisper to her, sheepishly concentrating on serving my other customers instead. Moonbucks got a lot of busy, such an odd detail to pay attention to whilst writing.
Rigel stayed, throughout the afternoon, suspicious of why I was working extra hours and skipping school. We did not continue the conversation though he looked like he would burst if he didn't continue, but he stayed silent and stared, creepily, as the day bled into evening hues of orange and my phone beeped another alarm.
'Celine's Diner! 8 PM!' it read. This girl worked so much!
I excuse myself for a change of clothes and search up the Diner. It's quite close to Moonbucks so I shrug and go decide to go. I mean, why not? To escape, I need a decent pay. I bid my goodbye to Rigel, who still stays, slouching, and that's when I realise that he might be a manager without an office.
Tsk.
The rain had died out as the sky burned orange. It reflected on the water puddles along the street, like a pumpkin juice concoction. I splash in the puddles, necessarily messing up Blaire and Yellow-bed-person's shoes. There's an odd sense of comfort in the air—
When I suddenly halt my steps.
Wait. Hold up real quick...Why did the female lead and the male lead not fight?? Surely it was a cannon event!
I look around, craning my neck to see a bickering couple or a crowd or even loud noises of some disagreement. Nothing. I only catch car noises and a pleasant chatter amongst the birds and the trees.
"What in the world...am I remembering something wrong? No, it cannot be! — This world is messing so much with my head— I was so agreeing with the female lead during that fight. I wanted to witness the slap..."
Why did the fight not happen?
Is it because I skipped school and disrupted the cannon events—
SHIT!
I skipped school! That means I escaped the Plaything System today! Which means it would all come back on the protagonist —!!
I gape as a bird flutters into its nest and cozies itself over its eggs. "Wow, fuck, I did not expect that..." I drag out my words, eyes singling on the wet green leaves covering the street sides. "Was the female lead used as a Plaything today? Did I disrupt the universal timeline of this world — nah.
"Pfft," I scoff, "That cannot be! A single, unmentioned, side character wouldn't be able to do that...right?" I grit my teeth. Should I go back and check?
Nah. Fuck it. The escapers escape.
I nod to myself, speeding in the direction of the diner instead. I still have two hours before reporting time, I realise, as I stand in front of a closed diner.