sweet tooth - karl jacobs

chapter 17- sour patch

the next morning is monday, which means i have work. i wake up annoyed and moving slowly, considering work is the last place i want to go to right now. i throw on a tight fitted black t-shirt, dark blue jeans, and black high tops, brush my hair, then put on light makeup. i make myself a bowl of cereal for breakfast, quickly heading out the door when i finish.

once i arrive at work, i clock in, then head to the back room to get my apron and name tag. i'm the only one in the room, considering i got to work five minutes early. i immediately grab the sanitizing spray and a cloth, ready to clean every nook and cranny of this place before my manager can scold me for anything.

about an hour in, it seems that my shift is going fine for the most part. garrett isn't here today, so i mostly keep to myself. i half hope that karl walks in at some point, because it's getting rather boring here without him.

i mentally slap myself. what am i thinking? am i seriously waiting on this boy? do i actually miss him? am i getting attached to him?

i can't let myself do that.

i shake these thoughts out of my head. and anyway, karl's not coming today. he has no reason to come ever again. the video is done. why would he show up?

around 12:20, i start getting excited for my hour lunch break. i packed a sandwich and a couple of snacks from home, and my stomach is starting to loudly grumble after looking at all this candy.

once my lunch break rolls around, i quickly clock into my break and sit down in the back room to eat. as soon as i open up a bag of chips, a girl named mallory that i rarely see walks in. she heads towards the table i'm at and points at an empty chair.

"is this seat taken?" she asks in a meek voice, her curly brown hair falling in front of her face.

"it's not. feel free to sit," i respond. mallory nods graciously and sits down, pulling a thermos out of her bag.

i want to ask why she's sat down with me, considering we've never spoken before, but decide against it. maybe she just doesn't want to sit alone. and hey, i don't mind her company much.

"your name is haven, right?" she asks suddenly. i look up from my chips and nod.

"and you're mallory," i state, rather than ask. she also nods, but has a weird expression on her face.

"how'd you know?"

"your name tag," i quickly cover up.

"oh yeah, that makes sense. anyway, i know we've never talked, but i just wanted to ask you something if that's okay."

"sure, ask away."

"are you and karl jacobs friends?"

my eyebrows pinch together at the sudden question. i tend to forget that karl is famous, and it's normal for people to recognize him. and it's also normal to be a fan of him.

i'm about to answer no, until i remember me and karl's conversation from two nights ago.

"we can be friends."

"that's not enough. i don't want to be 'just friends,' haven. you know that."

"i know. but i can't give you anything more, so this is my compromise. i'm willing to give us a shot at being friends, but nothing more."

"you say that now. but i'll figure out a way. i'll figure out a way to convince you that we are meant to be."

"yeah. we're friends. why?" i respond once i'm done reminiscing our conversation.

"do you think you could talk to him for me? i really like him, and he's really cute." mallory turns a bright shade of red, and it takes everything in me to keep myself from gagging.