The Mess We've Made | Minsung

chapter twenty

• two weeks later •

"Okay, it's not like that-,"

"No, it's definitely like that!" Veronica exclaimed.

"I think he might have a point," Nelson said, tossing a hacky sack back and forth between his hands.

"I'm with Han!" Avalon exclaimed excitedly, Veronica looking over at her with a smile.

There's no way in hell she doesn't have a crush on her.

"Nah, nah, y'all are just siding with him because you know evals are coming up," Niyah said, laughing.

"He's got a point and you're mad," Kimi smirked at her.

Nearby I saw Dylan lingering and leaned in to whisper to everyone, "Do you guys think he wants to be invited over here? I feel bad for him, he hasn't made any friends here yet."

"He just mopes around, it's kind of sad," Nelson whispered.

"No, he's weird. You guys didn't see the way he started fanboying when he met Han during his job interview," Avalon whispered.

"I just started last week, I can't say shit," Veronica whispered to us, then leaning back in her seat and getting on her phone.

"I feel like we're in middle school," Veronica whispered.

I cleared my throat and called out to Dylan, "Hey, are you in burnout mode too?"

He turned around, "What?"

"We're all running on autopilot, that's what this room is for. A break. What's on your mind? That's your sixth cup of coffee, it's barely noon."

"Mr. Han, I can assure you that I'm fine. How are you? Do you need anything?"

What the fuck is up with this guy?"

I gagged, "Don't suck up to me."

"I'm not sure what you're talking about."

By this point everyone was trying to hold back laughter and I said to him, "Cut the shit, man. You've been working here for two weeks. This is getting annoying."

Dylan's smile fell and he walked over to us in annoyance and sat down in the free seat next to me. He ran a hand through his hair and said, "I am having the worst fucking day and I need to vent about it to someone so I'm just gonna do it here."

"The floor's yours," I said, crossing my arms and looking over at him.

"Today has been the worst day of this year. I wake up to a cramp in my neck because I fell asleep on my couch on accident. I had no alarm to wake me up because my phone was in my room so I was late as fuck. I get to work and I can't even keep my goddamn eyes open when all of a sudden I'm getting another cramp in my neck. I'm sitting at my desk looking like an absolute moron as I look like I'm having a mental breakdown massaging my own neck and occasionally spouting profanities because of how painful it was. You're right, I am on my sixth cup of coffee. I'm shaking and I also drank like three Redbull's so I think I'm about to touch God."

Everyone burst into laughter at this as he frowned. I slapped his shoulder playfully and asked him, "What the fuck were you thinking?"

"Do you want to be buried or cremated?" Veronica asked him, only causing us to laugh even harder.