VEINS

V3: Always Bad Luck

V-3-Matthew

I completely froze. The look of pain, shock, and anger so much f*****g anger swelled on the man’s red face. We both watch as coffee colors the entire suit brown and drips to the ground.

"O-Oh god." I can't help but stutter as I speak. "I'm sorry! Are you alright? Are...are you burned?"

"Of course I'm burned you punt! That was scalding hot coffee on a $9,000 suit!" He screams.

"I'm so sorry man, I didn't mean to," I said, cringing as he aggressively crushed the styrofoam cup.

"Sorry? Sorry?” He scrunches up his nose. “Do you even know who I am?!" His voice rises in one incredible strike while his forehead veins bulge.

Thoughts are running through my head, among them are: Really? He’s really asking me if I know him? Of course, I don't! Does it look like I've met the hulk before?

“Did you hear me?!” He roars. “I said, do you know who I am?”

My brain carefully processes his words. ‘Do I know who he is?’ The f**k? You’d figure my reaction alone would be enough to clue him in that I have no idea who I’m staring up at. 

I swallow, and for a moment I consider spitting out the truth. But the problem is, I don’t have it in me. "...Look, I'm sorry." Those are the only words I can muster out. “Sorry about the suit, and sorry I don’t recognize you.” 

"Well, you're going to learn today who I am." He snatches me by my shirt collar.

"Woah!" My feet dangle in the air as he lifts me a foot off the ground. "Hey!” I struggle in this boulder of man’s grip. “Hey! Come on man! You'd fight me over this? It was an accident!” 

“I don’t care if it was an accident you messed with the wrong person,” he spat. 

“Hey, hey, hey!” I try to pull his grip off. “What’s your problem? You're an adult man right? I said it was an accident, alright!" 

His eyes nearly burst out his sockets as he breaks down what I've just said.

Fuck. I didn't mean to say that out loud.

"Okay now, that came out wrong," I pleaded, waving my hands around. "Look I can foot the bill for the cleaning and the coffee! I'll pay for everything!"

"You f*****g bet you're going to pay!" He bellows.

Fuck.

This guy just wants to hit me.

Dangling in the air, this reminds me too much of high school.

I'll deal with this just as I used to. There's always only two ways out. Fight or flight. Obviously, the answer is clear.

"Oh, look, is that a police officer?" I pointed to a street corner.

“Police?” His split-second of divided attention gives me just enough time to shove him away and dart off.

My legs are pumping as I dash through the streets.

"Get back here!" I hear stomping and screaming behind me.

Effing hell, just how does my luck work? I'm really hoping not as Nan always warned.

“Get back here and pay for everything!” The guy shouts from behind me.

For goodness sake, what are grown men doing throwing tantrums and threatening to assault people based on a damn suit? My legs pump even further. I don't know how long I was running for, but it was long enough that I lost track of my scenery. 

“This should be a good distance away,” I panted, rubbing sweat off my forehead. Exhausted, I took in the air taking a deep breath.

"9,000, my ass," I scoffed. 

Unbelievable. 

I rolled my eyes. The things people do just because of money. Why should I even pay for an accident? Am I just at fault for everything in my life? How is that even fair? I smack away a strand of hair from my face. How could I even forget? Life isn't supposed to be fair.

It'll never be for me anyways.

Sighing again, I lean back into my chair.

Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait just a second here. I wasn't always sitting in an insanely soft, cushiony, velvet chair. No, before this, I was running around like a madman running through the streets and around parking lots. My eyes are quick to scan my unfamiliar surroundings.

Oh.

Crap.

Here I am.

A growing multi-million dollar company with probably hundreds of branches overseas and around the states.

Yet, here I am, inside the front office lobby of Sollemenia Corporations.

I lean back into my chair staring straight at the wall. A golden royal shimmering looking wall. I guess I do vaguely remember turning into a private courtyard, zipping past security officers who must’ve assumed the suit meant I was running late for a meeting, and pacing around a spacious lobby until I was drawn to a seat.

So I'm inside Sollemnia Corporations.

The sigh comes naturally and so does my facepalm.

Damn it Matthew.

      TO BE CONTINUED IN VEINS!