What If?

CHAPTER 2 - Hope

Her boots slapped against the pavement, her pace frantic as she raced against the clock. Hoisting her backpack over her head, Launa tried to shield herself from the drizzle that was quickly turning into sharp, stinging needles of rain.

​Tonight, the streets of Belmont looked completely deserted.

​The clock was already creeping toward nine-thirty, forcing the rows of shops to roll down their metal shutters. In a high-crime city like this, wandering around this close to midnight was basically begging for trouble. Even the police cruisers had already started their rounds, cutting through the darkness with their lightbars flashing in eerie silence.

​Launa’s breath hitched as she finally pulled over, taking cover under the awning of a boarded-up shop.

Clutching her damp backpack tight against her chest, she checked her wrist, staring anxiously at her watch.

​"Please still be open," she muttered under her breath.

​She stared blankly out at the street. The rain was coming down harder now, creating a thick sheet of water that completely blurred her vision. Pressing forward right now felt like a death sentence.

​Bzzz....

​The phone screen in her hand instantly lit up, cutting through the steady drone of the rain. A notification popped up.

​Where are you? Why aren't you home yet?

​Launa read the text from Laura, her little sister, a faint frown creasing her forehead. She stared at the screen for a second. Instead of typing a reply, she locked the phone and slid it deep into her leather jacket pocket. A heavy pang of guilt settled in her chest, but she knew she couldn't turn back now. She had to finish her mission tonight.

​The moment the downpour slacked into a light drizzle, Launa bolted again. Not far from where she’d been sheltering, a warm glow spilling through a glass window caught her eye. A bakery. And by some miracle, the open sign was still flipped.

​Launa stepped closer, pressing her face almost flat against the glass, before her eyes drifted down to scan the rows of price tags inside.

​Her eyes went wide. "A hundred and twenty bucks?!" Launa whispered, her voice cracking in pure disbelief.

​She shifted her gaze to the other cakes, praying for some kind of miracle, but the prices only shot higher.

With a slight tremble in her fingers, Launa reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out a few crumpled bills.

​"I only have fifty dollars left... and this is supposed to last me until next week," she muttered to herself, staring at the meager cash.

​She let out a heavy sigh. Her new job didn't start for another three days. Meanwhile, the clock was ticking down to midnight Laura’s birthday. The thought of going home empty-handed crossed her mind, but she shut it down instantly. Making her sister smile wasn't something she was willing to compromise on.

​Without wasting another second, Launa pivoted. She had no choice but to keep walking, pushing deeper into the freezing night toward a wholesale supermarket on the edge of town, hoping it would be a lot more budget-friendly.

​Ding! Ding!

​The chime above the door rang softly as Launa pushed through the supermarket’s glass entrance. The familiar blast of stale air conditioning mixed with damp air immediately hit her. Behind the checkout counter, an older Black man was busy packing some items into brown paper bags.

​The aisles were completely dead. It made sense; on a night this dark and rainy, no sane person would be out running errands unless they absolutely had to.

​Launa navigated through the rows of shelves until her footsteps stopped dead in front of the bakery display fridge. A second later, a genuine smile finally broke through her exhausted face. Jackpot. There was a cake that wouldn’t completely butcher her dying budget.

​Even though she winced a little at the sight of it—a simple, generic cake smothered in a layer of frosting that looked way too thick and sweet—she still felt a massive wave of relief. At the very least, Laura wouldn't have to ring in her birthday without candles to blow out tonight.

​Launa walked quickly toward the checkout counter, setting the cake box down with fingers that were still trembling slightly. She reached into her leather jacket pocket, pulling out her last few bills.

​The older Black man behind the register looked at the cake, then shifted his gaze up to Launa. "Just this? Nothing else?"

​Launa gave a quick, silent shake of her head. Her mind was already drifting back to the deserted streets waiting for her outside.

​"Sixteen bucks," the man said flatly.

​Launa immediately shoved the cash toward him before he could even think about reaching for change. "Keep it."

​The man deftly slid the cake into a plastic bag, his expression softening with a flicker of genuine concern.

"Alright. Take care of yourself out there."

​"Thanks, you too," Launa replied hurriedly.

​She snatched the bag and spun on her heel, completely determined to make it back home before the clock struck midnight.

​But the second her boots cleared the glass doors, Launa froze dead in her tracks.

​Three burly men, their skin heavily covered in tattoos, stepped out from the shadows of the night, completely cutting off her path. Their eyes crawled up and down her body in a sickening, predatory stare, grotesque smirks spreading across their faces.

​"Woohoo! Look what we got here, boys. Quite a catch, huh?" one of them shouted, his voice shattering the silence of the wet night.

​"Hell yeah, boss! Best thing we've lined up all week," the man next to him chimed in, a long, jagged scar cutting right across his cheek.

​Launa instinctively took a few steps back, her heart hammering against her ribs so hard it actually hurt.

​"Don't you dare touch me!" Launa threatened, desperately trying to swallow the tremor of sheer terror in her voice. "You come any closer and I swear to God I'll scream!"

​"Hahaha, relax, sweetheart. Scream all you want, nobody’s gonna hear you in a dead place like this," the third guy mocked, his long, greasy hair clinging to his neck. He kept moving forward, closing the distance until Launa was backed completely against the store's glass storefront.

​"Come with us. We’re gonna have ourselves a real good time tonight! Hahaha!" A heavy, tattooed hand lunged forward, reaching to grab Launa’s arm.

​"Help! Help me!" Launa’s scream shattered the night.

​Tears instantly spilled over her cheeks. She thrashed and swung her fists with everything she had, desperately trying to fight off the suffocating trap closing in on her.

​Bugh!

​A brutal kick planted flush against the scarred thug’s chest. The man went flying backward, hitting the wet asphalt hard.

​Before the rest of them could even register what had just happened, a large shadow moved into the light. Launa seized the split second to bolt, ducking behind the broad back of her savior. When she looked up, her eyes went wide it was the older store clerk from earlier.

​"You okay?" the man asked without looking back, his voice steady but carrying a heavy weight of authority.

​"Y-yes... I'm okay," Launa whispered, her breath hitching as she gripped the edge of his jacket like a literal lifeline.

​Klek!

​The sharp, metallic click of a gun being c****d echoed through the cold night air.

​The three thugs' eyes widened in sheer horror as they found themselves staring straight down the barrel of a heavy-caliber handgun. The store clerk's warm, friendly aura from earlier was completely gone, replaced by the icy, detached gaze of a man who looked like he’d stared death in the face more than a few times.

​"I don't want any trouble in front of my store," the Black man hissed, his eyes cutting through them like twin blades. "And I damn sure don't tolerate harassment."

​"Woah, woah, calm down! Chill, bro," the long-haired thug said, throwing his hands in the air and taking a slow step back. But because he was a piece of trash, he still couldn't keep his mouth shut, scoffing, "We were just having a little fun with the girl. Heck, there's enough to share if you want in—"

​"If you let one more disgusting word slip out of your trash mouth..." The man cut him off, and with lightning-fast precision, he snapped the barrel of the gun downward, aiming it dead-center between the thug's thighs. "...I won't hesitate to blow your balls clean off."

​The threat was so cold and absolute that it completely drained whatever liquid courage the thugs had left.

​The long-haired bastard threw a venomous glare at them, as if trying to engrave Launa and the clerk's faces into his memory forever. But right before he backed away to flee into the dark with his crew, his eyes flicked down. There, lying helpless on the wet asphalt, was Launa’s cake box.

​The long-haired thug flashed a wicked smirk, intentionally taking a step toward it.

​"No! No! No! Please, don't!" Launa cried out, hysterical. She lunged forward to save the box, but she was a second too late.

​Cuih!

​The bastard spat right onto the damp cardboard box, then brought his foot down with brutal force, crushing the cake into a messy, flattened ruin. The thick white frosting exploded outward, oozing over the tips of his filthy leather boots. With a mocking laugh that echoed through the dark, wet night, the three thugs finally turned on their heels and vanished down the mouth of the alley.

​Launa let out a shaky gasp, her fingers clenching into tight, trembling fists. Her chest heaved, suffocating under a wave of tears that were begging to burst. The simple, sweet cake she had bought with her very last bucks was now nothing but garbage on the Belmont pavement. She wanted to scream in pure rage, but the damage was done. Her mind went completely blank, she had absolutely no idea what to do next.

​A large shadow drew close. The Black man finally lowered his weapon, turning his head to look down at Launa, who was still frozen in shock.

​"It's okay. I'll replace the cake for you. Go back inside and pick another one," the man said, his voice softening into a warm rumble, a stark contrast to the lethal tone he’d used just moments ago.

​Launa looked up, staring at her savior through a thick veil of tears. "B-but... my money..."

​"It's okay. It’s on the house, don't worry about it," the man cut in, his tone reassuring.

​"T-thank you. I'm sorry... I'm so sorry for causing you all this trouble," Launa whispered, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "If you hadn't been there, I honestly don't know what would've happened to me tonight."

​"Come on, let's get inside. It’s getting freezing out here," the man urged, and Launa gave a grateful, obedient nod.

​The man pushed the glass door open, letting the chime ring out once more to welcome them back. "Why are you still out at this hour anyway? You must know how dangerous this city gets after dark, kid."

​Launa went quiet for a moment, staring down at the clean supermarket floor before finally answering softly.

"I've... I've been looking for a job for a month now. Dropping off resumes at dozens of companies, just hoping for a chance."

​The man walked back over to the display fridge. "And? How did that go?"

​"Thankfully, one company finally accepted me today," Launa explained, a tiny glimmer of relief breaking through her tear-stained eyes. "But I have to go through an internship period first."

​The man grabbed a cold bottle of soda, twisting the cap until it released a sharp hiss of carbonation, and held it out to her.

​"Oh? No, it's okay, Sir. Please, I—"

​"It's fine. Consider it my treat," the man cut in with a faint smile. "Besides, I own this wholesale shop anyway."

​Honestly, Launa didn't even know how to respond anymore. A wave of awkwardness washed over her standing there between the grocery aisles, but the man's kindness was simply too genuine to shoot down.

​"Thank you so much, Sir," Launa said, taking the bottle. She took a slow sip, the cold, sweet sting of the soda doing wonders to soothe her frayed nerves.

​"Joe," the man said suddenly, breaking the silence. "My name is Joe."

​"Launa," she replied softly. The man named Joe gave an understanding nod.

​Joe leaned his weight against the edge of the checkout counter, crossing his arms over his chest. "I've got a kid around your age. Yeah... always stressing out over the job hunt, too."

​Hearing that, Launa snapped her head up, the sudden sense of shared struggle instantly chipping away at her awkwardness. "Really? Have they managed to land a permanent position yet?" she asked, genuine curiosity in her voice.

​Joe shook his head slowly, a wry, bittersweet smile forming on his weathered face. "Nope. It's rough out there these days. Unless... you happen to know someone on the inside," Joe said, letting out a soft, cynical chuckle.

​True. Launa couldn't agree more. The reality of the corporate world was just that brutal. Even for the internship she had just landed, she still had to bust her ass to survive the fierce competition. If her performance checked out, they’d keep her.

If not? She’d be right back to pounding the pavement of Belmont's harsh streets, just another unemployed face in the crowd.

​Bzzz... Bzzz...

​The phone inside Launa’s jacket pocket vibrated with another long buzz. She pulled it out quickly, glancing at the screen. 10:30 PM. It was already half past ten. Without even unlocking it, Launa knew exactly what it was a barrage of worried texts from Laura waiting for her back home.

​"Sir, I... I have to get going," Launa said urgently, slipping her phone back into her pocket. "My sister and my grandmother are waiting for me at home."

​"Oh, hold on a second," Joe stopped her.

​Launa stood frozen, watching the older man stride purposefully toward a larger display fridge in the corner of the shop. A second later, Launa’s eyes went wide as Joe pulled out a whole, beautiful cake one that looked a hundred times better than the generic one from before.

​"No, Sir! That's... that's way too much," Launa protested, panicking as she instinctively took a step back.

​"It's fine. You can enjoy this cake with your sister and your grandmother back home," Joe replied casually, a warm, low chuckle vibrating in his chest. "That tiny thing from earlier wouldn't have been enough anyway."

​Launa gripped the strap of her backpack, a sudden wave of guilt washing over her. To be completely honest, she absolutely hated owing favors to strangers.

A deep-seated emotional fear sparked in her mind she was terrified of being accused of taking advantage of the situation, terrified of people looking at her with pity and sorrow. She just wanted to stand on her own two feet.

​"Here, take it," Joe said, his voice gentle but firm. He reached out and placed the handles of the cake bag into her palm. "Stop overthinking it. I just hope your internship and your new job go smoothly."

​Hearing the pure sincerity in Joe's words, the defensive walls Launa had built up completely crumbled. She gave a firm nod, her eyes turning warm and watery once more. "Thank you so much..."

​"If you ever have some free time, drop by again. I'd be more than happy to have you," Joe said, giving Launa’s shoulder a reassuring pat. "Now, off you go. It's getting late. The streets of Belmont are only going to get crazier the longer you stall."

​"Thank you, Joe," Launa said from the bottom of her heart.

​She turned on her heel and walked quickly toward the glass doors. But right before pushing her way out, Launa paused for a brief second. She looked back over her shoulder, a determined spark in her eyes. "I promise, Joe. I’ll find a way to pay you back for everything."

​Joe didn't say a word. The older man simply offered a gentle nod, a warm, fatherly smile spreading across his face.

​The moment Launa burst through the doors and started running through the fading drizzle, Joe walked over to the glass. He stood there, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared straight out into the night, keeping his eyes on her retreating figure until she was completely swallowed by the shadows of Belmont.

​"You're a good kid," Joe muttered softly to the empty room, the faint smile still lingering on his lips.

"Someone like you... damn sure deserves a little kindness."

*****