✦°『THAT 𝘉𝘐𝘛𝘊𝘏 𝐈𝐒 𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞!?』←| 𝙳𝚎𝚊𝚍𝙿𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚎

[31;; But I do.]

Rody turns around and bikes off, leaving Vincent alone.

Rody watches the street being coated with the glazing sun.

As he bikes, he thinks about tomorrow. He has work tomorrow, late tomorrow. As he bikes through something falls. He doesn't know what, but something feels missing. He gets off his bike and looks over his shoulder. Staring at the locket on the ground, he quickly runs over and grabs it off the ground, dusting it off before hanging it around his neck and clutching it tightly.

Then, he gets back on his bike and turns it around as he bikes back to his apartment. Rody makes it back home and brushes his teeth, and changes clothes. Looking out the window of his apartment and out into the city.

He sighs before sitting on the ground and taking off the locket and setting it on the table.

Rody rests the back of his head on the couch as he looks up at the ceiling. Sitting on the ground and grabbing the locket again. Holding it as he stares up.

Why...?

Rody closes his eyes as the day melts away.

Why would you be friends with him?

As he sits there, he feels the sun beaming through the window but slowly sinking away. Waking back up in the morning. The sound of cars and dogs outside. Cars rushing by. And the dogs barking outside faint but loud enough.

Rody rubs the back of his neck, and it feels a bit sore. After he stands up and stretches.

He feels the locket fall out of his hand and bends down to pick it up. Wrapping it back around his neck and then getting ready for the day. Grabbing his coat before heading out since it was a bit cold outside and it might start raining.

Once he was out, he decided to walk since he had forgotten his bike inside. Rody walks down the street and stumbles over a pile of rocks. He stares at it before looking uo to see a small kid standing there while holding a rock with both hands.
"Oh, sorry, sir! I, uhm, was just setting up a pile of rocks." They say, and Rody looks at the kid.

"Hey, uh, you know what time it is?"

Rody asks, and the kid looks down at their wrist with their watch.
"It's.. 5:30."
"Why are you out so early?" Rody asks, thinking about how he had a few hours before work started. The kid shrugged.

"I meet nice people in ths morning! Like this one, dude who really likes pens but always loses them even though their always behind his ear or in his pocket or in his notebook or in his hands! And the nice old lady named Margaret. But the guy with pens is always in a rush, so he doesn't stay for long most of the time."

The kid said, putting the rock down on the pile. They looked about 9-11 or maybe younger. They had some dust and dirt on their face,

"I could help with the pile?"
Rody says, looking down at the pile of rocks.
"Oh dont worry! I bet you're busy!"
"No, I have a few hours before work."

With Vincent, however, he was carrying his sketchbook as he spotted a spot to sit down and start drawing. He looked around to see what he could draw and spotted a small black cat, staring at it for a while before sketching it out in his sketchbook. Then lightly coloring it in. Erasing two spots on its face to make eyes. And then drawing a mouth.

Drawing was kinda like therapy for him ever since the fire.

He liked drawing things into a page. Creating what he wanted. Stuck in a page until the page was destroyed or gotten too messy.

Vincent looked up, and the cat was gone. He drew a flower nearby. And some people passing by and rushing by. Vincent sketches out shadow figures and silhouettes. On one page, he started drawing random people. Lightly using the pencil to shade in or color.

Then suddenly, he realized that most of the page was covered in Rody. The corners had small doodles of Manon. He realized he had covered two pages with Rody and Manon in the corners.

Vincent closes the book and covers his face with his hands. Rubbing his closed eyes and feeling his face get warm.

Back with Rody. The kid and him had moved the rock mound slightly off the street so no one could step on it. They have piled more rocks and were both sitting on opposite ends.

"Why did you wanna make this?"

He asks and looks at the kid.

"I like rocks. I like morning. And I like being creative. It's fun doing random things. Or just imagining them. It's fun."

"Whats your name, kid?"

Rody asks, and the kid looks up.
"My name is Jaimie!"

Rody and the kid chat for a while, and some people pass by before Rody asks what time it is, and the kid says it's 7:20. Rody says he has to go to work and that he might see the kid tomorrow in the morning. He walks off while waving and sees the kid waving back.

As he leaves, he holds the locket in his hand and passes by the fountain. Making it to the restaurant and looking at the clock on the wall.

Vincent was still sitting on the bench sketching out other things, trying to keep his mind off of other things... As he drew, someone passed by with a pen stuck in their hair. And also fidgeting eith another pen with their fingers. They rushed past, and Vincent drew a pen on a page.

Rody had made it to work 2 minutes early 7:28.

"Oh. Rody."
Paxton mumbles as she brushes some hair out of her face. Rody waves and Paxton waves back. The managers working that day were one of the ones that were there for a while and another one that's been there. The new one wasn't there on the shift.

As the morning, noon afternoon fades away. Rody is eventually left with one of the managers and Hans. Rody talks with Hans as they clean down the tables and put some dishes in the sink. Showering them with the sink water. Hans sweeps away at the floor while the manager is in the back, putting the garbage away. Hans ruffles out his hair before looking around.
"My sister always tells me that she would like to work with me. But considering how busy we are. I think she would get too tired halfway through."

He comments, and Rody hums in agreement.
"Anyways, anything happen in your life?" Hans asks, and Rody shrugs.

"I met a kid today, about 10 or 9. Maybe older or younger. We stacked rocks on the side of the street. And I found this locket a few days ago."

Rody says and holds his locket. Hans stares at it and holds out his hand.

"Can I see it?"

Rody nods and takes it off, giving it to Hans. Hans looks at it for a while and stares at the pictures of Rody and Manon.

"Whos the girl?"

"My - ... My friend."

Hans gives it back to Rody, and Rody leaves for the day. Walking down the street as someone passes by with their bike. Someone walks on the other sidewalk across the street, holding a bouquet of flowers. But something feels like it's not for someone else. They look sad as they drag their feet across the sidewalk.

As Rody walks down the street, he sees Vincent up ahead. Rody looks down and crosses the street before Vincent sees him. But he can hear Vincent calling after him. Rody ignores him and pretends he can't hear him as he walks away.

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