Unlike Any Other (formerly SomeDayDream)

Kabanata 4

SomeDayDream

FOUR

The drive home was as slow as usual, given the traffic that seemed to define the busy streets of the city of East Teotco. To fill in the rather silent ride, I turned up the radio to its max.

My head was pounding with the drums. Grating, but bearable.

Thud, thud, thud...

Heavy metal music wasn’t my normal thing. Specifically-speaking, listening to music was not my normal thing. But I couldn’t stand the empty silence, the feeling of being alone even for a few minutes. Unless I start talking to myself, and that would be one helluva of a joke.

I casually turned the car towards the grocery store that caught my eye. It’s around seven in the evening and I hadn’t had my dinner yet. I knew that food would be waiting for me at home, but I think I need my comfort food – a girl and a beer.

I entered the store wearing a sober face, leisurely checking out the girl behind the counter. Blonde, probably in college, had a dimple on her right cheek, had a nose too cute for her face.

Wasn’t there someone better?

My eyes roamed to a pair of girls near the entrance sitting on a stool, but they have guys with them. There was an elderly couple in the fruit corner, a few boys browsing through the magazine rack, women hurrying from one alley to another with baskets and carts on their hands.

Oh, well.

“Hello, cupcake,” I greeted the girl behind the counter as I threw in two cans of beer and a handful of bills.

She eyed me from head to chest – her eyes lingered there for a moment – and then up again. She met my grey-green eyes as she swallowed nervously. “Hi?”

I smirked. She deliberately fluttered her lashes.

Girls.

I cocked my head to the side. “You’re pretty when you smile. Brightens my night… by the way I’m Tyler, what’s your name?”

I already saw from her nameplate that she’s Vivian, but from my experiences, girls liked it more if you asked them yourself. As if on cue, she blushed and her smile widened.

“V-Vivian. That’s Vivi for you.”

“What a beautiful name.”

“Thank you.”

“Do you know that your name means ‘full of life’?”

Her eyes widened a bit, impressed. “How did you know?”

Because I’m amazing.

“ ‘Coz you make me feel alive.”

She giggled, “Quit flirting, Ty. My manager’s gonna hear us –“

I watched her red-painted lips as she spoke, but for some reasons I felt disappointed because it didn’t give me the kind of urge I had when I stared at Nikki’s naturally pink full lips. And her smile… it couldn’t compare to the shy smile that Nikki had.

Nikki, Nikki, Nikki…

I groaned. Here I go again.

This was the reason why Hayley left me in the middle of a hot make-out session. While we’re at it, I accidentally called her Nikki. Her expression was vile and vicious as she stormed out of my car, leaving me with an arm full of scratches. She tried to slap me, but I managed to stop her before she did. Angrily, she shouted every expletive the English language had to offer. I only gave her a flat look, and it shut her up. I didn’t know what got into me. It was terrible.