𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐬 ✰ 𝐜.𝐭.𝐡.

3 | cigarettes

《Calum》

I sighed in annoyance as I walked into the corner store downtown. While Luke was lucky enough to work at the music store just down the street, and Michael at pet store not too much farther away than that, I had the wonderful pleasure of working at a grungy 24-hour corner store, meeting a colorful array of people each day.

I clocked in, sliding on my green vest before heading back out to tend the cash register. With a feeling of sadness and self-loathing under the flickering of the fluorescent lights. I had a feeling that my five hour after-school shift would drag out for eternity. Images of what went wrong earlier today flashed though my mind in a cluster. Alex just left me there in the library, shooting me down in every way she possibly could. I felt so stupid for even thinking that it would work. I was making myself lose my own sanity at this point and it was only a couple of minutes into my shift. Figuring that if I kept myself occupied, the feeling would dissipate in its entirety, I turned and began restocking the mass amount of cigarette packs along the wall, dropping nearly every single carton that I handled.

"Shit." I murmured as one slipped from my grasp and onto the floor. I crouched down to pick it up, a woman's voice interrupting me from the other side of the counter.

"Um-hello?" she beckoned. I nearly dropped the pack once more while standing back up to face the voice. Stumbling to my feet, I spun around to meet a very familiar set of blue eyes. I think she was just as shocked as I was with this encounter.

"Oh-um-hi." I stammered, my eyes caught up in hers.

"Hi." she breathed, in attempt to reply. I can tell that she was uneasy too.

"Sorry for earli-"

"It's fine, you're fine. I just had to leave, I guess." she cut me off, shrugging with the end of the sentence. I gave her a soft smile in return as a response.

"So what'll it be?" I asked, a trying not to let a smile tug at the edges of my lips.

"Actually, that." she chuckled, pointing to the small pack of cigarettes in my right hand. I glanced down at its red and white packaging. "Make it two."

"Oh—okay." I paused, ringing it up for her. "That'll be $10.98." She handed me the money and I printed out her receipt, taking a pen in hand. I jotted down a small message on the back of the thin, white paper before giving it to her. It read; 'Hope to hear from you ~Calum' along with my enclosed number. She flipped it over, smiling lightly as she read it and left. My heart fluttered intensely as I watched her fade into the dull September evening.

I just can't get enough of her and I just wish that she knew that.