Please, with a Cherry on top? | 18+

24 | Cerise

"Someone please take the aux," Alex said from next to Cerise.

"It's Bluetooth," Elliot said matter-of-factly.

"Disconnect." Saint muttered.

Cerise was surprised Saint said anything at all. She hadn't heard him say a word since this morning.

He was being quieter than she was used to now, and she couldn't help but feel like it was all her fault.

There was a small scuffle as Chiaki unbuckled her seatbelt and launched into the front of Elliot's Escalade.

She snatches his phone, swiftly waves it in front of his face carelessly, as he is driving, and unlocks his phone with facial recognition before sitting back in her seat. Saint messes with the infotainment system so that Chiaki can connect her phone instead, and suddenly music that wasn't parody songs began playing.

There was peace in the vehicle once more, and Cerise returned to reading her book on her phone.

Five minutes later, she remembered why it was a bad idea, having to close her eyes and breathe slowly as nausea took over her. A tap on the shoulder had her looking over to see Alex passing her a pack of peppermint gum.

"Here," Alex said, and Cerise gratefully took a piece before passing it back.

She popped it in her mouth, feeling better immediately as the task of chewing took her focus away from her car-sickness, and the mint would help with it too within moments.

Her chewing slowed as the pack of gum was thrown to the front of the vehicle, skimming past Noah's head to be caught by Saint.

She looked down at her lap, popping the corner of her phone case on and off.

He was still being mindful of her even when she was a bitch to him earlier.

Cerise woke up that morning with a searing migraine, and she'd describe it as one of the worst pains she'd ever experienced.

When it faded just long enough for her to stumble to the medicine cabinet, she almost broke the hinges on the door from how hard she closed it when she discovered she had no form of pain medication.

She had to take a seat on the toilet as she nearly cried in frustration and pain. Then, she put on dark sunglasses hoping that they would help on her journey to the store, and walked out to her car.

Just for the front left tire to be flat, and the spare.

Oh and guess what?

Her engine was either too cold to start, or it had just decided to give out on her again.

Cerise wondered for a moment if God was putting her through some sort of trial.

How lucky was she to have car trouble almost immediately after one of the most expensive holidays of the year?

But hey, she got paid again in nearly a week. She would just have to make sure she spent wisely until the direct deposit hit.

And maybe pray that her coworkers split more of their tips with her than they usually did.

The day looked brighter when she called roadside assistance and they informed her that she still had one last free tow.

Surprising, since she already burned through two within the last year. Cute car, but prone to engine failures.

At least hers was.

A part of her wanted to call Saint. To lean on him just a little, and have him handle the task she wasn't really up to bearing by herself.