Ignorance Is Swiss!

5 ♦ Plights, Camera, Action!

5 ♦ Plights, Camera, Action!

Kei and the other boy sat outside, waiting for me to finish up cleaning. Along with the others during that shift, I was cursed with the duty of tidying up after closing time. Luckily, there were more employees that day than usual, so we all diligently worked. I definitely was not the only one who wanted to leave.

My mind was consumed by the thoughts and worries I had in my mind. The regret of making such a rash decision was flowing into my head at a rapid, constant speed. What if they wanted to kidnap me? What if something bad happened to us on the way? What if the movie wasn't even good? I did not think I was overreacting at all. But, the fact that I knew of them from school eased my tension. They seemed - to my tired, groggy self - to be trustworthy people. Besides, I was going for free.

As I tried to scrub off the last mustard stain on a table near the window, an evil, gruesome presence stood behind me. It was too familiar not to know who it was. I rubbed my eyes and stood up from the seat I was sitting in to clean. Hand resting on the circular surface coolly, I narrowed my eyes in disgust.

"Hi, Steve."

His signature five o'clock shadow and messy eyebrows were more prominent than ever. For someone who was only eight years older than me, his haggard appearance made him comparable to someone of my father's age. His lips upturned, revealing his slightly yellow, crooked teeth.

"I saw that you were late today. I couldn't give my input because I was in the kitchen. But don't think I didn't hear the conversation with Joe from the other side of the wall. Everyone did."

Was Joe really that loud? I hadn't noticed from my intense, blanked mind. I flicked my braids behind my shoulders and stared at him with a fiercer expression. "Steve, I really don't have time for your games. I just need to finish working. I have something to go to after." Saying such a thing made me happy, especially since the only time I hung out with Valerie, Desiree, and Sarala outside of school was during parties or going to the mall.

"So, what do you want?" I was too tired to retaliate, so I gave in to his irksome personality. He smiled.

"I just wanted to say thank you."

"For what?"

"For being an incompetent worker. I really thought I was going to lose my streak this month, but you handed it right to me. And to think you did so the second-to-last day of the month."

My eyebrows angled inward, revealing my forehead wrinkles. My teeth began to grit again; I would not have been surprised if all of my teeth were scraped off by the end of the night. "You're welcome. Just leave me alone." With the strength acquired from my anger, I swept the stain right off of the table with ease. I walked past him and stuffed the cloth into a bag full of dirty rags and tablecloths that needed to be washed overnight. He shrugged his bony shoulders.

"Fine. But by the time you come back to work on Monday, or Tuesday, or whenever, you'll see my face on the wall a seventh time." He patted my back, and my spine chilled as he did so. I guess I'll have to burn this shirt later, I decided. "I'll see you then. Oh, and Happy Halloween. Stay spooky."

I had forgotten that the next day was Halloween. Looking at the walls and ceiling, posters of cartoon bats, pumpkins, and witches on brooms decorated the building for the holiday. How did I not even notice the designs? My own lack of awareness even surprised me.

"Same to you," I retorted. As I approached the touch pad in front of me to clock out, Steve slid through the space remaining and did so first. He then grabbed his jacket from the employee coat rack, exiting the building without another word.