It's 1am-while driving, you reach for the volume wheel as you approach the Family Fare parking lot; open 24 hours. It's mid-august and due to the somewhat brisk air you're wearing a light jacket that resembled someone who used to put their roller skates on every Friday night back in the '80s. Although you've been alive for 19, you park as if you've been driving for 28 years. The ignition of your vehicle is turned off and the door is locked-manually-but you soundlessly tug the handle to double check. As you stride toward the entrance of the supermarket, the fluorescent lights create a barrier blocking you from the automatic door like a father shielding his child from a closet monster. Finally, you breach through the door and notice the AC is on as if it wasn't frigid enough outside. You consistently progress within the store; looking at everything that you didn't come for. The air gets fragile as you stroll up to the produce area. It begins to smell like cleaning solvent when you acknowledge "slippery when wet" signs distributed throughout the perimeter. Oranges were on the ground near the overstuffed container that cradled the bulk of them, you begin to pick them up one by one and place them back in, marginally squeezing on the ones you wanted to bring home with you. They aren't your favorite but tonight you had a bizarre taste for them. You meticulously pick a total of 3 oranges and hoard them in your left arm and as you're reaching for the fourth-because it sounds like a good number that will last you the entire work week-it's the most perfect one yet and you anticipate an omnipresence looking upon you. You glance up.
Green eyes.
You become alert and the hair on the back of your neck develops a hygroscopic feel. Completely oblivious to the fact that all of the oranges that were once in your arm are now nestled into the ground of the supermarket, while the last one remained clamped in your palms, the ridges of the orange peel begin to seep into your hand and become one-like fingerprints. Eye contact is constant and a smirk appears upon its face. Temporarily paralyzed-a deep breath is released from your mouth-you regain feeling, look down, and remember the orange in your hand. The premium orange of the night. You reinstall it on top of the mound and the presence departs.
