Just Friends

Chapter One: Excuse Me

Oh, damn. I look around in realization as it dawns on me: I have no clue where the grocery store is. I continue to stand outside of my apartment complex, thinking hard. Idiot!, I think to myself, take out your damn phone!
God, I can be such a dork. I slide to unlock and open Safari. A simple search tells me that SilverJo's is just 1/4 mile east! It turns out to be a lovely walk, and there's a bounty of cafes and duplexes around here. I enter a behemoth building, and it's rather like the build of a Whole Foods. I pick up all I think I'll need, and some cookies because why not? I'm back out in a snap. I'm laden with bags and the street is busy now. I feel my heart rate quicken at the prospect of hitting anybody. I've only been here a week, so I can't fuck up now. Even a slight knock and I'll b-
CRASH!
Whilst I was caught up in all my worrying, I ended up running head-on into somebody deeply invested into their phone. Go-fucking-figure. I stand up.
"Oh god, I'm so fucking sorry, are you okay?" I ask. He looks at me strangely, still on the ground, and it takes me all of three seconds to realize I said that in fluent Gaelic. Idiot. "Sorry. Are you okay?" He gives me an understanding look.
"I'm good." He extends a hand to me and I take it, pulling him up. I see my groceries spilled everywhere, and the people trying to make it to work or whatever split to avoid the mess. As I look back at the man, I realize he has the softest almond eyes. They aren't even almond, really. More almond-flavored. Almond-scented.
"Uh... you good there, bud?" I realize he says.
I snap out of my daze and say, probably a tad too loud, "Yeah! I'm great! Fine!" FUCK YOU FUCKING NERD.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you're not from this area, are you?" He says to me. "I like to think I know all the regulars 'round here."
"Yeah, no, I, like, just moved in. Jack," I tell him, extending my hand.
He takes it and shakes it firmly. "Mark," the man named Mark says, "do you, uh, need help with those groceries?"
"Hm? Oh, yeah, I would appreciate that." We both bend down and start packing the supplies best we could. How do the bagboys do this?, I think to myself as I stuff as much as I can into one bag.
"Y'know, I could probably help you with these all the way to your apartment. I mean, if you're down." He asks.
"Sure. As long as it doesn't take away too much of your time!"
"Ah, no, I got nothing to do."
As we walk, we ask each other questions. Apparently, he was born in O'ahu, has a brother, and is a YouTuber, just like me (The YouTube thing, not the O'ahu thing)! Once we get outside of my complex, Mark has an epiphany. "Oh, hey, this is my building, too!"
"Really? That's so cool, dude!" We go up to my room, making small talk, and he sets down his bags on my counter. "Thanks, man."
"It's no problem! Hey, I gotta run, but I'll see you later, cool?"
"Sounds great!" I dive into my couch and hear the door shut behind me as Mark leaves.