One Summer Day (BWWM)

CHAPTER 4

Getting to work, I feel the cool air of the AC hit my neck and sigh in relief. This summer heat is definitely not for the weak. Walking into the backroom, I put my bag into my locker and headed to the register to clock in. After clocking in, I started to clean up the store before we opened up, dusting a couple of albums here and there, restocking some of the empty slots, and before I realize it, it's time to open.

For the next couple of hours, we didn't have a lot of customers coming in, maybe 5 every hour. Now, it;s down to my last 2 hours at work, and I'm more than ready to leave, not that I hated it or anything, I would just rather be anywhere than work right now. 

Hearing a bell ring, I lift my head to greet the next customer, and to my surprise, I see the faces of my newfound friends, Tako and Roman, walking in.

"Hey friend," Tako says, "I didn't know you worked here." He approaches me, and I step out from behind the counter to give me a side hug.

"I only work during the summer, just to save up some money. I can't have a hot girl summer if I'm broke you know," I say, smirking up at him. "But let me not stop you from what you came here for. Go ahead and shop. If you need anything I'll be right here to help," I point behind the counter and go back to rearranging the things on the counter, he wanders into the store, looking at the vinyl collection in the store.

After a couple of minutes of silence, I hear a shallow exhale and I look up to see Roman still standing there. Now, call me petty or whatever you want, but I decided ignore him and pretend he wasn't there. Sue me. I just refuse to give my time and energy to someone who obviously wants nothing to do with me. I continue to ignoring him and go back to cleaning the counter, even though it's spotless. 

" Cléo," he says in a low tone. I pause for a second, glancing around. 

"Are you talking to me?" I ask, still looking around, just in case there's someone who happens to have the same name as mine in close proximity.

 Yes, when I'm petty, I can be really petty.

"Come on Cléo, I'm trying to apologize here," he says running his hands through his curls in frustration.

"Well you're going to have to try harder, I'm not that easy to please," I reply smiling sarcastically at him. 

"Ok, I admit that I was rude to you, and that didn't leave a good first impression, I apologize. I wasn't having the best day and being dragged to a party I didn't want to go to didn't help my situation. But that doesn't excuse the way I treated you and I truly do apologize." He sounds sincere and it's like I'm truly seeing Roman for the first time. 

"I'd like us to restart, a better start," he says hopefully, raising his hand toward me. For a second, I hesitate.

 "My name is Roman Lancaster." 

"Hi, Roman, I'm Cléo Dagwa," I say, shaking his hands and smiling up at him. Maybe Mr. Roman isn't so bad after all.

Walking back to the apartment, I had an extra pep in my step. After Roman and I reconciled, we agreed to grab some food in an hour. Honestly, I didn't take him for the type to apologize, but that's what assumptions do--make you form preconceived notions of people before even knowing them. Clearly, there's a difference between a gut feeling and purely basing your ideas on someone based on how they look. Note to self: stop doing that.

Unlocking my apartment, this time making sure it was empty, I saunter into my room and just flop onto my bean bag, processing everything that has happened in the past week. From completing my junior of school, to working, to figuring out what I want to do after graduation, and managing my mental health and my physical health. Before I can slip in the mess of my thoughts,  I jump up from my bean bag and decided to deep-clean my bathroom. I know completely random, but it's better than wallowing in self-pity and the dreadful future. 

After changing into my cleaning clothes, I start the task of tidying up Yon and I's shared bathroom. Yon and I were lucky to be able to get a shared bathroom instead of using a communal shower. The thought of that in itself gives me the ICK. I'm also very grateful for Yon. At the beginning of freshman year, I communicated to her what I liked and didn't and she did the same and vice versa. Ever since establishing a good communicative relationship, we've been respectful of each other's wants and needs. Speaking of which, I text her and ask if she's okay with me cleaning her side of her bathroom while I start with mine.

A few minutes later, I get a text from Yon asking if I'm okay. She knows  I like to deep-clean when the thoughts in my head become overwhelming. I send her a quick message expressing how I'm feeling and she gives me the go-ahead to clean with her side as well, so I proceed.

I turn on my speaker, and the sound of Kali Uchis fills the dorm while I clean. I start by washing all the makeup tools Yon and I use for our makeup (separately, of course)and putting them in their respective areas. Next, I tackle the sink, wiping away any fallen hair or makeup residue. Before I know it, an hour has passed.

I'm so engrossed in my cleaning that I don't notice time flying until there's a knock on my door.. Scrunching my face in confusion, I walk over, wondering who could possibly be visiting. Yon has a key so she has no reason to knock. 

I open the door slightly, and I'm greeted by none other than the electric blue eyes I saw a couple of hours ago. 

"Roman? What are you doing here?" I asked, confused. 

"Well, are you gonna invite me in? " He says, lifting a bag of food. And not just any food---my favorite.

"You don't have to ask twice," I reply, opening the door a bit wider to let him in. Thank God I just spent an hour cleaning my room, or this would have been embarrassing.