"Man, what am I doing?" I spoke to myself as I followed the path lined with various signs pointing up, which I guess means forward and not directly up, climbing a small stack of stairs. I felt the cool breeze of the autumn weather as the good closed behind me
I tapped my foot and massaged my lips together, gazing around the empty corridor. Maybe it moved, or the signs were wrong. I don't know who or where to ask questions because no one is here.
"Hold on, calm down, Youngboy. Maybe there's an explanation. It's probably lunchtime." I sit here in the eyeline of the door just in case. After what felt like hours but was only 10 minutes, the door opened and closed, but I still didn't see anyone. Hearing shuffling in the distance, I stood up, heading back over to the countertop, still not seeing anyone. I began to tap slowly on the mahogany wood, so smooth and cool against my palm.
"Good Late Morning, Almost Afternoon Sir. How may I assist you today?" A girl about my age spoke, but what threw me off was that greeting; what the fuck was that, and why did it make me feel warm inside? It was so welcoming; maybe that's why she is working at the desk. She is pleasant as fuck.
"Yes, I want to know how to join your school." She leaned against the end of the desk, watching me as I spoke.
"Join in what way, sir." I blinked slowly. I didn't know the answer.
"Um, I don't, I don't know." I looked at her face for some assistance, like she knows what the fuck I want. Only I do.
"Like, okay, I want to be in school. But I want to be in school here. Can you help me?" As though I had hit an imaginary button, she smiled, leaned back off the desk, and began pulling papers and stacks onto the top as I stood back because as the documents hit the desk, it was creating this wind that was a little too cool for me.
She finally stopped pulling papers out and was now organizing them into different piles. When she was done doing that, she pulled out this square blue stack of mini papers, began writing on them, and stuck them to the various piles in front of her. She disappeared, and that's when I started to panic until she emerged from wherever she disappeared with an identical bag to mine, well in color anyway. Hers was over the body and had an excellent Aztec design that matched her all-black ensemble beautifully. She gathered the piles of papers and stuck them into her bag. She faced me,
"Favorite color?"
"Uh, green."
She hummed, "Mmmm." She stood near me, holding the door open, leaning against it, facing me,
"Darling, shall we?"She gestured towards the doorway. I stood up, adjusting my bag on my back, following her hand as I stepped out of the office door first. I stepped aside as she locked it, leaned down, and slid the key underneath the door itself before grabbing my hand to come with her. I pushed myself off the wall and fell in step with her as we ventured down the hallway together.
*~~~~*
Placing the second one, I tried back on the empty hook it was on before moving further and stopping once I saw a bigger one that looked much more durable than the others,
"This should be good."
After finding a mirror, I turned side to side and front ways, happy with what I saw; I slid the bag off my back and headed for the register.
"Say, if it's a bag, do I need a bag for it?" I asked as I finished paying for it and other items I picked up on my way to the counter.
"No, you can pay for these items and place them in the bag if you'd like."
"I do like. Thank you."
*~~~~*
"Thank you, and enjoy the rest of your day, sir."
Sliding the items into the bag and gingerly zipping it closed, I slid it on, loving how comfortable it was on my back. Squinting my sun-filled eyes, I looked for those signs again, hoping they could guide me again.
