His Obsession

09

 It is impossible to begin to learn that,

                                                                           which one thinks one already knows.

- Epictetus

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The rest of the time went by and I hadn't seen Evan for quite a long while, though I was a little disappointed, part of me was really thankful for it. Seeing him continuously and everywhere was taking a toll on me and my work, so not seeing him was good for me, at least it made me feel at ease and helped me concentrate only, and only on my work.

Business at the store was doing great, anyone with two working eyes could see that sales were going considerably high and I was proud to be part of such a successful store with such loving and kind-hearted people working in it. Even with its huge success, Mr. Rick was humble as ever and wasn't the least bit arrogant about it. Speaking of him...

''Ava, sweetie, did you arrange the screwdrivers and clean up the shelves a bit?'' He questioned, with kind, warm eyes.

I smiled, ''yes, I did Mr. Rick, though I had to use a ladder for it, I still managed to do it.''

''Thank you, darling, be careful with those things, they can be dangerous, handle them with care and precaution.''

Mr. Rick had become more cautious of the store and the workers inside ever since an incident that took place a few days ago. Jack, my co-employee, was cleaning the storage room and checking for items that could be used inside the store when one of the screws holding the hammers became unhinged and fell on top of him.

Even though there weren't any major injuries, Jack still had to get a couple of stitches on his back, shoulders, and head. I still remember that day when he came out, covered in blood and barely conscious, all of us-including Mr. Rick- were so scared, we decided to take extra precaution after that and Mr. Rick made sure to double-check and repair anything that needed to be fixed.

I shuddered internally, remembering his bruised and bloodied face.

''I will, Mr. Rick, don't worry.''

He smiled at me before sending me to help Jen, who, Mr. Rick, told me was looking for me for quite a while now.

Jen hadn't bothered me with the subject of Evan after that night, despite the obvious curious glances that she was throwing at me here and there, I was more than happy that she hadn't mentioned or asked me about him. So, it made me slightly curious as to why she was looking for me. How odd I wondered, instead of approaching me herself, she had told Mr. Rick to tell me that she was searching for me.

I made my way towards Jen, who was standing in one corner of the store, chewing gum noisily and tapping away on her phone almost brutally to the point where I thought the screen would crack.

''Who are you texting and what have they done to make you viciously attack your phone?" I asked as I made my way towards her and sat on top of the desk that was behind her.

''My stupid brother who wants to throw a party this weekend,'' she exclaimed, scowling and typing a response to her brother as her phone chimed with another incoming text.

Max, Jen's little brother- who was only sixteen-, was the epitome of trouble and a huge party animal, throwing parties every chance he could get, even when Jen didn't allow him to throw one, he would pack his bags and stay at a friend's house and not speak to her for her days. Despite her brothers' reckless behavior, Jen adored him dearly.