It's been three days already, and I haven't been able to find any job that opens up for hiring. But whatever, today's weather is quite lovely. The chilly wind with the sunshine on top of my head is hard to have in the middle of this city's high and messy structure. My friend, Ava, has been calling nonstop since yesterday, but I always miss her calls. I got a text to meet up with her at the Grilled Grilly Grill restaurant—our usual hang-out place. The place to eat, to catch up, to chit-chat, to cry, to scream, to hug, and pat each other on the back, or to get drunk, and to celebrate.
I stop strolling, sit on the bench beside the road, and start scrolling on my phone instead. Perhaps I can find a job opportunity on the job-seeking website. I move my right thumb up and down, sliding like crazy.
"Sigh."
I sigh.
'Let me see'
Xin spreads behind me, looks over my head to see my phone, and then moves his big head to the side over my left shoulder.
'Just admit you're jobless.'
Then he comes to sit next to me, and I might find it weird to sit beside the dark shadow figure and look how he's so relaxing, bathing the sun. No one can see him anyway. Why do I have to bother?
Suddenly, there's some old man, who walks straight to where we are and is about to put down his ass. Xin turns his head to look at him.
'Hey, sit somewhere else.'
He can't hear you, Xin.
Then, the old man's ass is on top of Xin's lap, making me almost burst my laugh. Xin spreads himself up and is about to open his mouth.
"STOP!"
I shout at him, and the old man looks at me shockingly.
I shift my eyes to Xin and glare at him hard.
'What?'
"Sorry, I thought I saw some big ass flies floating around you, hehe."
I explain to the old man.
"...Ah."
The old man.
I get up and hurry walk away.
Xin, come back here!
'You no fun.'
You're about to eat an old man's head. What is fun in that!?
'He's oldddd. I do him a favor.'
Shut up.
The Grilled Grilly Grill restaurant
There are so many people tonight. I look inside the restaurant to search for the orange-haired girl. I open the door inside. Some people don't really care, minding the food in front of them, eating in full mouth. Some people look at me while drinking their drinks, and some of the people stare at me too hard, making Xin almost step closer to their bodies.
"Roelle!!! You're here!"
There she is. Ava calls my name and runs to me.
"Ah!"
She jumps on me and squeezes me like a lemon. I cry out softly because her body hits me.
"Yah...yah, You got the table?"
I call her to stop squeezing my bones out.
"Of course! Let's sit. I have something to tell you."
She holds my hand and drags me to the table.
She's about to sit across from me while dragging my hand carelessly. My forehead hits the extractor hood on top of the table.
"Fu--"
I curse out.
"Oh, Uwahh, sorry, Roelle."
She's shocked and cries a little. As I can see from her behavior, she's too excited to see me.
I sit across from her, and she pours me a drink.
"Thug!"
Then, we raise our glasses and hit them, the drink almost splashing out. We drink the whole glass in one go.
"Haaaaa."
We sigh the fresh air together.
"Why didn't you pick up my phone these days?"
Ava asks.
"I'm finding a job."
"Again? why!?"
She raises her eyebrows and gives me a questionable look.
"You know..."
"Not again... What can I say? You're too beautiful... but...Did he do anything to you!?"
Her face is so obvious that she is tired of the same reasons that causing me struggles.
"No, no. He didn't."
"Umm...Then I got some good news for you."
"What is it?"
I ask her and drink another whole glass.
Haaa, freshies, freshies.
'Roelle...slowly. I don't want to carry you again.'
It's fine.
"Here, this is the card..."
Ava gives the tiny black card.
"Card?...Laith Kint?"
I read the name on the black card.
"He would like to offer you a job...he said he saw your potential that day at the gym, so he gave me this...Well, actually, I was the one after him. Aven chased him every time he was there. But I thought it might be a good idea..."
She explains to me while using the automatic scissors that put the sharp side between the meat, it automatically cuts them with precise and neat pieces for us.
"..."
Xin, is this guy the same guy from that night?
'I think so.'
"Don't get mad... I just think...he really just wants you to have this job or whatever position he offered. He saw your talent, Reize..."
"My talent? What talent?"
I question her and more like question myself.
"Maybe he wants you to be a model...or...sports model...Wait, don't tell me he wants you to be a fighter...MMA or boxer or something?"
Ava puts the beautiful cut piece of meat on my plate.
"I don't know. He seemed untrustworthy..."
'Give me some.'
People will be shocked.
'I don't care.'
But I care.
'I'll eat your friend then,'
XIN!! *Sigh...I'll make one for you next time. We'll eat together in our apartment.
'Fine.'
"So you met him?"
Ava asks.
"Yeah…3 days ago. I rejected him and...ran from him."
"What!? hahaha. Why?"
"He's creepy."
Actually, his shadow's creepy.
"No way. He's the most handsome man I have ever met in my entire life."
"...."
"Why don't you try to contact him first and ask more about the job? If you don't like it, you still can deny it... He seems legit... Nothing to lose, right? You're finding a new job anyway."
"...Yeah."
To be honest, I really want to know as well. His job, his shadow, and What the hell is my talent that he refers to?
The girls' night is over, and we are drunk. especially Ava, who can't even walk. I am trying to hold on to her to keep her balance. My eyes are blurry, seeing nothing but gleaming watercolor paints before me.
How can I bring her to the gym? It's a long walk, but my apartment is way more far from here.
Xinnnn.
'Nope.'
Carry her for me.
'No way.'
Pleaseee, I can't even walk straight.
'I don't carry anybody else.'
She's my friend, you know her.
'I don't carry anybody else.'
"Fine...I drag her...like this...all the way...to the...I need to stop talking."
I was panting, dragging her home while Xin's floating around on the walking path.
The Gym
"Ava...Can you just wake up?"
"..."
"You're here.. can you just lift up your legs..."
"Ummm."
"If not, I'll let you sleep here."
"Ummmm."
"Sigh*"
Damn it, Ava!
I put her left arm over my shoulder and grab her waist on her right. And leave her both legs hanging loose like that, then drag her up the stairs.
"Thug Thug Thug."
The sound of her feet hitting the stairs step by step.
Finally, I bring her to the second floor. I pass Aven's room. His room is slightly a tiny bit ajar. But my eyes are too sharp, even if I'm a little drunk. I see him sitting on the edge of his bed topless with a woman who is sitting on his lap naked.
"Ha...Ahhh."
The sound of the woman moans out. She's probably his girlfriend.
Oh god, I see nothing, I see nothing…
"!"
And then his eyes shift to mine. I quickly drag Ava away but lose all the energy after bringing her up here, so it's not that quick.
"Roelle..."
Aven calls me from behind.
"..."
I tilt my head without stopping my feet.
"I'll help."
Aven approaches me and puts his hand over me to hold his sister. He's topless with only one boxer-short on his body.
"It's okay... I'll do it."
I tell him and am about to head to Ava's room. But he grabs Ava's left hand which is on my shoulder.
"How much did she drink?"
He asks.
"You know, but... I'll do it. You don't have to worry."
I explain and try not to make eye contact with him or his body.
"What about you?"
He asks.
"Um, no."
And Then I lose my balance. Then, Aven grabs my body instead.
"You're drunk."
"I'll take her to bed, then I'll leave."
I try to get away from him while holding his sister, and I'm about to scold her later.
"Why don't you sleep here with her?"
He suggests.
"No, it's okay...I don't want to bother you, please...just go."
"How come? You don't even walk properly."
He bends his body to look at me.
"I managed to get here, so it's okay, Aven."
I try to smile for him so he will not be worried too much.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
And his girlfriend steps out, wearing his shirt and her panties. I glance at her and quickly turn away.
"Please, just go."
I face up to look at Aven and put my hand on his hard stomach, precisely muscular, to push him away from me before everything gets more tangled.
Avan was an athlete. Seeing him with those single muscles that pop up doesn't surprise me.
"..."
He looks me in the eyes. And his girlfriend holds his arm and drags him away.
Damn it Ava.
I quickly take myself out of that place and head home. I am a bit sober after that situation and all the sweat I lost because of Ava.
Ava is my best friend, the sassy and sexy one. I met her in my first year in college, and the same year, I met his brother, Aven. I get along with her very well, or too well, actually. Since she's very fun to hang around with without me feeling forced to do so. She's a very honest person who understands the facts of society and is equally manners, which means she says what she thinks and gets what others say to her. Like, you scold me, I scold you. I can do that, and you can do it, too. That's why we totally get along because I can speak my mind to her, and she can handle it very well as I do for her.
Aven, he's quite protective of me, more than of his own sister. After their parent's death, we aren't as close as we used to be, but he still helps and supports me in his own way.
'What are you thinking?'
You don't know?
'Sometimes I can't get into your head, Roelle.'
"..."
I'm trying to walk straight while I'm on my way to my apartment
'Because of him?'
No.
'Because of her?... Ignore her. Your body is the most appealing.'
"What?"
I accidentally say it out loud.
'It's true.'
And how many girl's bodies have you seen?
'I see as much as you.'
Pervert.
'I don't even care about them. I don't feel anything anyway.'
"..."
'I prefer yours…'
Stop looking at my body.
'I'm your shadow. I follow you everywhere…I see everything.'
Whatever, I'm used to it now.
Then I put my hand into my pocket, touch something inside, and take it out. It's a paper card.
Laith Kint.
Then I decided to take out my phone and press the digit following the number on the card.
'Really?'
Yeah. I know you're curious about it, too.
'Heh.'
"Hello, Is this Mr. Laith Kint's number?... I'm the one from the gym."