Bullet Train to Murder | ONC novella

7: cinnamon minxes

'staring at the bottom of the glass,

hoping one day, you'd make a dream last

but dreams come slow, and they go so fast...

well you only need the light when its burning low,'

Mr. Bingo was sitting at his desk, his brows pinched in concentration as he moved his cursor on the screen and typed the next line of code.

Morning light beamed through the windows, waking Molly out of her sweet slumber. Her wavy hair fell to her shoulders and glowed in a bronze shade as it reflected the light.

She yawned as she got out of bed and tied her messy hair in a makeshift bun and walked out of her room.

The laptop screen glowed with various colors glinting off of it.

'What is he doing this early in the morning?' Molly thought to herself and walked to the edge of the room, standing near the door.

Mr. Bingo was so immersed in his code that he didn't realize Molly's presence.

'only need the sun when it starts to snow,
only know you love—'

When he finally did, he unplugged the audio jack from his laptop and kept the headset beside his device before finally turning his attention to her.

The music seemed to have a mind of its own because when he did that, it changed.

'I am begging, begging you!'

Mr. Bingo bit his lip down, wincing at the song playing. He didn't however bother to turn it off but instead, turned the volume down.

"Well?" Molly asked as she raised her brows and leaned against the door, refusing to go in unless she was allowed to.

She figured it would be best to give him space before she steps in. He had done the same for her and it was only fair to return the respect.

"I— uh... I was just listening to music." He grinned sheepishly.

"I can see that," She observed, "Would you like to continue floating in your blues or do you want to talk about it?"

"I could appreciate some company, yes!" He smiled enthusiastically, waving his hands in the air and gesturing her in.

Molly walked into the room and took a seat beside him.

"So, what have you been up to?" She casually asked him like nothing had happened.

She wanted to ask him about what happened but decided that if he needed to talk, she'd have to allow him the chance to bring it up himself.

"Man, I miss Miguel!" Mr. Bingo said with a wistful sigh and stretched his left arm on the table before finally placing his head on it to face Molly.

"Really? You guys fight all the time!" She noted.

"We have our moments," He said as he now propped his head on his palm, resting the elbow on the table for support, "But, I miss being around him."

"He really was a key member in our group, wasn't he?" Molly said as she observed him, "I miss him too. But, he had to go to work as well."

"Why, yes he was." He sighed.

The silence stretched between them like strings on a cello played in a harmonious tune, soothing and comforting.

"Actually, being with him kind of filled a part of me that I didn't quite know existed. We were so in sync and mischievous that my heart ached. It was like living a childhood memory that was locked long away in a buried treasure chest. Now that he isn't quite around, I feel the ache coming back for me."