With Your Heart Wide Open

Food Stains

Twenty-one-year-old Jeremy Foster was spending the weekend at his great-aunt's house. After hanging out at some local band's outdoor concert. He chose to walk home. His car was at the garage, and he thought that the exercise would do him good. He stopped when he heard his stomach rumble. He hasn't eaten much, and he was sure that there wasn't food in the house since his great-aunt worked overnight. So he walked to the nearest restaurant and went out with some rice and Teriyaki chicken.

He was a few blocks away from his house when he noticed some movement in a deserted alley. Jeremy stopped and hugged his food close to his chest. He saw a man, tall and bulky. He was dragging someone by their feet behind a huge dumpster. Curious, Jeremy came closer. The big man touched the person's face. By now, Jeremy could tell that it was a young girl, and he gasped when he saw the man unzipping her hoodie. Without thinking, he came close to them and yelled, "Stop it!"

The big guy raised his head, startled. "Come on, dude. She's my girl, you know,"

"Yeah, right! Either way, she's drunk or unconscious, and you're not going to put your hands on her,"

He smirked, "Or what?"

Jeremy didn't answer, but quickly and impulsively, he opened the plastic container and threw the food at his face. The guy yelled as the thick and hot sauce burned his eyes.

"Leave her alone!" Jeremy commanded.

"Damn it, man! Can't you just mind your own business?" he was getting up and getting closer to Jeremy.

However, Jeremy already had his phone in his ears, "You wanna say hi to the 911 operator and leave a recording of your voice?" he said, trying to sound fearless despite his feet trembling.

Luckily, the criminal wasn't a professional. He cursed and ran away. Jeremy then realized that the girl was awake. He got closer to help her up, but she jerked away from his touch.

"It's okay, miss. He's gone. Do you want me to call the cops?"

She didn't seem to hear him. She was shaking so hard. Finally, when she got up, Jeremy could see her face clearly. She looked so young. Even much younger than him. She had dark eyes, a round face with skin that he guessed would feel smooth if he ran his palm against her temple, and hair so wild yet so soft-looking. She was lovely despite looking tired and scared and anything painful he could imagine. Questions multiply in his head when he saw her wearing... pajamas? Her clothes were stained with some of the Teriyaki sauce, and she was barefoot. She looked so fragile.

Before he could say anything, she ran away, limping and disoriented. He called after her. She kept going. He panicked. What could he do? Run after her and hold her until she calmed down? Not a good idea. But, how could he let her go away? So, he kept calling after her until she disappeared.

He never forgot her face.

After their meeting at the library, he prayed that she would accept his job offer. He went to the store every Tuesday and Thursday when the interviews were conducted.  The day of her interview, he came late and only saw her walking out and getting into the passenger seat of a car. He rushed to the store and spotted his grandpa.

"The young woman with the black and white blouse? Did she come in for an interview?"

He made a dismissive gesture, "Yeah, yeah."

"Are you going to hire her?"

"No way!" he says while checking the shelves.

"Why not?"