Heart Buffs, Coffees & Cats

o1

the thing about summer that i - along with everyone else i knew - hated, was the scorching heat right above our heads; and people who had darker hair, for example, me, who probably had the blackest shade of black hair color in the world, suffered the most under it.

Still, there'd be at least one such example that would stick on saying that summer is the best, because of the unlimited pool parties and most importantly, the beach. well, as much as they weren't wrong to love summer, it was annoying, especially the sun at exact noon.

Good it was ending soon.

i should've thought about the bigger picture when i decided not to wear a hat before getting out of the house. instead, i had thought about the momentary comfort of not overheating my head - which happened anyway, as im walking to my workplace. perhaps, overheating was better than feeling my hair could catch fire anytime.

placing my hand on top of my head, i winced and shoved my hand away involuntarily as if my hand was burnt. if no one knew how it felt to be inside a microwave, this would be the best way. i could physically feel my brain either melting or being cooked, which did nothing but add more oil to the already burning fire.

id rather die due to hypothermia in winter, than melt under the sun or heat each time i stepped out of the house. however, i guess, cold wasn't much of a great idea either, considering i didn't wear anything heavy today.

because now, i was shivering due to a sudden blow of cold air over me.

"You okay, Ocean?" a concerned voice rang through the air making me put an end to my inner TED talk. focusing on my surroundings i found myself standing inside a well-lit and beautiful cafe.

oh.

i was already standing at the entrance door of the "Dreamer's Land", the place i worked at for i-dont-know-how-many-hours a week in the breaks and yes- it was summer break now.

"Uh... yes," i smiled, putting aside my anger as the cool air from AC swept all the irritations away by 70 percent, because the sun wasn't the only culprit for this mood. "Just the heat, you know. it's awful."

"I understand. a while ago when i came here... i wasn't any better than you-" she coughed, which was recognizably fake, "but fortunately no one saw me." the last bit she smiled, an absurd one, and rolled her eyes at the floor. my tummy twitched inside, a wave of embarrassment rushing over my entire body.

"did anyone else see me other than you, Stacey?" i batted my eyelids, pleading her visibly, "Please say no."

her emerald green gaze met my honey-brown eyes which then moved behind me and i got my answer.

Not again.

"make sure you wear masks next time." the expected male human walked past me and i pressed my lips in a grim line while nodding. Before he left, he didn't forget to add, "you look like an urban legend from horror stories."

what? never. i didn't look that bad. "Hey, it's too hot outside, okay?" i shouted back in lower case, trying to defend myself, but when looking at Stacey for a stronger confirmation, i only found her busy trying her best to not laugh. "Am i not right?"

her eyes jerked back to mine with the realisation that i had asked her the question. she nodded rapidly, failed at her attempts, she gave me a smile that had more than one meaning in her vast yet small dictionary of expressions. "yes, yes. i agree." i didn't like that smile.

i sulked, letting out a puff of air. My period that came yesterday wouldn't be any helpful with my mood today, and i knew it very well. when i saw the bedsheets having red stains, it alone made me have a mental breakdown while simultaneously making me want to burn the whole bed. i didn't like when i ruined my favourite bedsheets with my period blood, every time, i set it on the bed.