Chapter 2
1021 Words
I live across a house that’s a total mystery to me. The owner always wore a black hoodie, most of the time concealing his face. What’s weird is that he doesn’t stay the night.
He just comes and go.
Fae drags a yawn with a stretch of her arms. “I’ll pick you up a little early tomorrow. You don’t mind right?”
“Not at all. Thanks.”
Throwing me a salute, she jumps down from the porch of my house and slides back into her car. When she drives off, I notice a familiar black hooded figure entering the house across from ours.
Personally, I don’t think they’re trespassing. Some people from this neighborhood seem to know him too. There’s been a couple of moments where he’d get assured over by the kind old lady a few blocks away.
I never stood around to hear a name slip out though.
Pushing the door open, I’m welcomed by the smell of lasagna floating the air. And what’s this? Turkey? My smelling senses’ proved correct when I enter the kitchen. A golden brown turkey sits in the middle of the counter, and mother circles it to finish it with some salad touches.
“Great, you’re here sweetie. Go change and help me prepare dinner before your father arrives.” She seems to be in a happy mood.
“What’s the occasion?” I can’t help but ask.
“Your father just got a promotion so I thought I’d whip up something for him.”
Oh. That’s why. Dad’s always anticipated for this and I personally think it’s about time he had it.
I nod my head before making my way up stairs to change from my uniform. Dad should be here in about an hour. Ten minutes later, I join my mom in the kitchen. She’s prepared a whole feast by the way. And I’m pretty sure there’s something baking in the oven. As I help mince a few tomatoes, mother looks up like she’s remembered something.
“Oh right. Sweetie, we’ve ran out of energizer for your father. Could you stop by the store and get some? And some crackers too.”
After she hands me money, I make a beeline for the door. The closes convenience store takes about ten minutes to get there from my house by walk. I usually stop by there with Fae after school for some snacks.
I enter an isle, thinking about getting something for myself as well. When it comes to choices of drinks, dad and I aren’t normally on the same boat. He prefers healthy, sometimes bitter ones. I prefer things that are sweet and sugary. Basically things that aren’t good for your health. It might destroy me slowly, but at this rate, I still have a long way to go.
I place a pack of dad’s healthy drinks in the basket and scan the refrigerator for something I can consume on my way back. My gaze lands on a white yellowish juice box and it so happens to be the last one standing.
Just the one I’ve been searching for.
Right as my fingers graze the base of the drink, it gets snatch from my reach. My eyes automatically widens and I whip my head to the side. This guy wearing a hoodie with their cap on just stole my drink.
He’s about to walk away like nothing happened only to stop when I say. “That’s mine.”
He turns back at me but I can’t see his what he looks like. The bottom portion of his feature, where the hoodie isn’t shadowing, permits me to capture what I can of his face. Those neutral thin lips pinch into an even thinner line. I can’t see his eyes, but I’m sure that he’s staring at me through the thickness of the shadow.
“This?” I get the chills hearing his voice. “I don’t see your name on it.”
Oh.
Oh.
So he’s that type of person?
“You saw me reach for it.” I remind with distaste in my tongue. “You stole it from me.”
“Did you pay for it?”
“What?”
The guy tsks under his breath. “It belongs to the store since you didn’t pay for it. So technically, I didn’t steal it from you.”
Dang it.
I poke the inside of my cheek, feeling irritation bubbling within me. He isn’t wrong though.
“Excuse me miss, sir. Is there anything you need?” A staff approaches us with their hands rubbing together.
Just then it dawns in me that I might have been yelling at this stranger the whole time.
The hooded guy lifts the drink beside his face and directs a question towards the staff. “Do you have any more of this?”
“We do sir.”
At that statement, the person dumps the juice box in my basket.
“I’ll take six.” He tells the staff, and casually walks away.
My face flushes with irritation. Did I just get humiliated?
I let out a scoff, glaring at the juice box sitting on my basket. The nerve of that guy.
In the future, I hope our paths never get to cross.
God knows what might happen if I see him again.
I gather the remaining things my mother requested and eventually began making my way back home.
It’s been a long day today. So after a delicious dinner, I’m going straight to bed. I can just copy the homework from Fae first thing in the morning.
- Writer
