[Discontinued] Self Care

PART 3

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BEA

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I sit outside of a café as I wait for my friends to show up. We are supposed to be talking about our book club meeting coming up and who said they would be coming.

I had already ordered a green tea with honey and a plain croissant.

I looked up at the sky and saw how clear and blue it was. I smiled and closed my eyes, breathing in the air. I began to cough. It was horrible, the scent of overly-priced cologne and self-esteem issues. I stood up.

In my panic, I look around for the source of the unfriendly fragrance. I barely noticed my friends holding me up and bringing an inhaler up to my mouth.

"Breathe, count to ten and breathe. Can you do that for me? I need deep breaths, okay?", a soothing voice told me.

I did as they told me until I calmed down. Then I found my friends standing in front of me in worry. I beamed at them to ease them.

"Thank you.", I spoke cheerfully.

My friend, Amber, smiled at me with sympathy and guided me back to my seat. My other friend, EMZ, sat down as she typed a way on her phone. My phone buzzed and when I checked, it was EMZ updating her social media about what she walked into. I glance at Amber to see her shake her head at her phone before giving EMZ a dirty look.

It went away as soon as I gave her one of my own. She grinned as innocently as she could to cover up. I didn't believe her for a second, so she stuck her tongue at me.

"So, like, do you know what got your asthma to, I don't know, go cray cray?", said EMZ nonchalantly.

"I believe it was that young man right there still spraying his cologne.", said Bea.

EMZ scoffed at him and sneered; She would never spray her personal Brand of hair spray in front of her friends. Neither of us commented that she hadn't said wouldn't spray her personal Brand of hair spray in public at all. She looked at us with a raised eyebrow, delicate and perfectly manicured.

"What?"

I smiled politely and Amber laughed with an awkward strain. A waiter came outside to give me my order. The girls gave their orders as I ate.

"A chocolate mocha with two shots of espresso and a muffin-of-the-day.", said Amber.

"Low-fat milk and a wheat bagel. Oh, and with low-fat cream cheese.", waved EMZ as she stared at her phone.

We started talking about the book club when the waiter left.

"Is Penny coming?"

"No, she said she has secret stuff to do that day, but Colette and Piper can come.", said Amber.

"I just texted Jacky, she said that she, like, needs to check her schedule and then get back to us later.", added EMZ.

"So it's-", I was interrupted by my own coughing.

The young man was spraying himself again. EMZ pinched her nose in disgust. Her nose is more sensitive than mine; I'm worried about her throwing up from the smell.

"Ew, didn't you say he just sprayed that nasty stuff on himself already, like, why is he doing that again?"

"I'm not sure, EMZ", said Bea while coughing.

"Bea, remember your inhaler.", said Amber.

Eventually things calmed down and the waiter came back. We began to eat after EMZ took 40 minutes to take pictures and videos of us and the food.

The guy sprayed himself again.

"Oh, that's it! I'm giving him a piece of my mind!", EMZ stood up.

Amber gently but firmly placed her hand on EMZ's shoulder.

"No, don't make a scene. He isn't worth it. I will go and politely ask him not to spray his cologne in public."

Amber did just that, I watched her walk up to him and he immediately started to flirt with her. She sweated with a twitching smile.

"Actually, I was wondering if I could ask you not to spray your cologne? My friend has asthma and your cologne has made her have a coughing fit three times."

"Oh I'm sorry, sure thing! Maybe later we could-"

"Let me stop you right there.", interrupted EMZ.

"None of us are interested in you with your tacky clothes or out dated one among a million dude bro hair style.", she continued.

"EMZ! That was rude.", said Amber.

"Whatever.", she said as she went back to texting.

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I wondered what I was doing here. I don't remember how I got here this time, but at least know what to do now.

I ran to the side as my teammate took the ball. Right a way, they got clipped by a man with a rocket launcher. I was never one for violence or athletics, but I felt good. I wasn't wheezing or even needed to stop to catch my breath.

I directed my little bee friend in the direction of one of the enemies, a nice-looking woman with a bandana in her hair and an interesting tattoo. She directed her attack to me and I gave my teammate time to shoot the ball. It wasn't enough for a goal.

Suddenly, a robot as round as a barrel rolled right up to me.

Oh no.

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END.