[ 24 ]

III

[   E L L I O T   ]

             Today was nothing special.  Just an ordinary day.  As if there will be something new.  I was never good in socializing. I always end up stuttering or making a fool out of myself to anyone.  This is why, I'm always behind everyone trying to disappear and just be invisible.  

              Nobody ever knew me.  Like literally. Either they don't think I exist or I was known for being the book-ish and utterly introvert person.  I liked books. There's no denying that.  I just wish to feel how it is to be important and to find new things.

               I was sitting outside a diner, taking occasional sips from my mug full of coffee.  It was my daily thing.  I was outside sitting in a metal chair with rust forming in them as I watch the cars drive by the streets.  

                  I wondered what it's like to have a car.  I wonder what it's like to be able to visit someone dear to you and to use it to do something new.  It was 7:32 pm and I can see the sign of the diner starting to flicker above me.  I was able to see the street lit up by incandescent light with streaks of green, red and orange that came from the stoplights.  

               After a few minutes I finished my coffee and I looked at my watch, only to see that it was already 7:54 pm.  I had five minutes to be at work by 8.  Even though it's not that far, it's a long walk.  I work at TRAX, it's a record vinyl shop.  

               It wasn't that known but many used to come inside.  I work there with Alexa Davis.  We take different shifts that's why we don't talk much. Which is also okay since I wasn't really the conversationalist one.  She gets the morning shifts and I get the late shifts.  

               Alexa was very alternative and edgy. She always wore black everyday.  Seriously, no shit.  She always wore a black t-shirt paired with black pants and a leather jacket tied around her waist with her old black boots.  

               She wore her makeup that only consisted of black thick eyeliner and mascara that made her eyes look a lot smaller and she put on dark purple-ish lipstick that normal girls would only wear in the autumn season.

                 I was very keen of what I see around me.  I was very observant of the little things that may have seem no relevance.  I guess it was already normal for me considering I have no personal life and I shut myself out.  I finally arrived in front of the store and went inside. 

                     I heard the chimes make sound above me as I leaned the door forward to open it.  As I go inside, I was already greeted by Alexa with a bored look in her face and she was carrying a box of vinyl records in her hands.  

    "Thalia said you need to sort this out."  She said dully as she shoved the box to me.  

               She said nothing else as she headed towards the door and left without another say.  I breathed out a sigh and placed the box in the counter.  My shift was from 8 pm until 3 am.  I took the job because it was the least required to associate with other people.  No one ever entered the shop beyond 11 pm and they were very few.

               I went behind the counter and started to arrange the records alphabetically.  The bands were from 90's to present and some of which I was very familiar to.  The Rembrandts was there and I liked their song that was used in F.R.I.E.N.D.S.  

                 After sorting the records alphabetically, I placed them in their racks.   I was putting some records in stacks as I heard the door open.  Some guy probably in his mid-thirties entered and gave me a slight smile in recognition.  I politely smiled back and continued to what I was doing. 

                I went back to the counter, in case the man wanted to purchase something.  He just browsed and eventually left.  I roamed around the store to see if things were in place and I saw a record on the floor.  

                 I picked it up and I saw that I was familiar with the song; It was songs by Vance Joy and I decided to listen to them.  I played it and the first song that came on was "Riptide" and I can't help but to sing along to it.

I was scared of dentists and the dark 

I was scared of pretty girls and starting conversations

Oh, all my friends are turning green 

You're the magician's assistant in their dream

Oh, oh, and they come unstuck

Lady, running down to the riptide

Taken away to the dark side

I wanna be your left hand man

I love you when you're singing that song and I got a lump in my throat 'cause 

You're gonna sing the words wrong

                 I sang quietly to myself as I looked around and continued to do my work. 

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I KNOW IT'S SUPER SHORT BUT I'M NOT RUSHING IT SO, YEAH. 

IT'S GREAT IF YOU LISTEN TO THE SONG WHILE READING. :))

- previously Ella_101 [