Valhalla

Encounters

      It wasn't uncommon to come back after two off days in a row and find a few new people training, delivery drivers or inside workers, at the busiest pizza place in town where I work. New people were always coming and going, sometimes before I could even learn their names. I didn't socialize much as I've always been kind of an oddball and nobody really seemed to like me very much, they thought I was annoying.

        I thought all of my little quirks and such were refreshing, I always kept things interesting. Never a full moment around me. I always made an effort to try and help others through hard times because I knew how much it sucked. I'd been through some tough times myself. I was forced into a marriage at 16, thrown out into the world without knowing how to survive, I was homeless. When I was 17 my husband turned psychotic, he was constantly paranoid and accusing me of things, he was upset over money though he didn't work and I had two jobs. I worked 14 to 16 hours a day to provide for more than just him and I. We'd taken in my old neighbor, her mom, her boyfriend, her three young children, and my brother. She was hooked on hardcore drugs and nobody but myself provided care for the kids. When the family had dissipated and it was just him, my brother, and I left, he got worse. Black eyes, broken mirrors, and even an attempt on my life. I'd had enough and called it quits, moved on, lost the house and moved in with someone new.

       That's when the fun really started. He appeared to be the perfect man, sweet, caring, and gave me all the love and attention I wanted, but in a few months it turned sour, he cheated, more than once, and as time drug on he became more and more hateful, to the point I'd begun to self harm for the first time in years. He was only angry that it'd make him look bad, not concerned that I was immensely depressed. My life had become a monotonous routine of waking up, getting ready, him asking to borrow my car for the day and getting upset that I was taking it to work, going to work, and him getting angry again for my lack of interest in having sex with him. I just couldn't bring myself to enjoy it anymore, he was so verbally abusive, my mental state had spiraled out of control, it was a whirlpool of anxiety and depression, thoughts of exchanging the emotional pain with physical. It was dangerous.

       Back to the subject of the pizza place. I had a few "friends" but not the kind close enough to really keep up with outside of work, but the kind you could talk to about anything while we were closing up late at night. It was somewhat common to see some co-workers at the store and such after work, mainly delivery drivers who had a few things to pick up after getting their tips for the day. Though, just like every cliche romance, one encounter can change everything.

        Enter Joshua, he was a few inches taller than me with long dark brown hair with an undercut, even after work he usually wore a hat, he had bluish hazel eyes and a nice build. He was 29 compared to my 18 years old. His eyebrows had a strong peak, almost making him look like a cartoon devil, but he had a kind face that showed his naturally sweet and quite shy personality. Add a 5 o'clock shadow, goatee and a slight mustache, the goatee adding to the cartoon devil aspect. He was very shy and didn't talk to anyone aside from communicating with the managers at work only when he had to.

       I had been wandering around the store trying to find what I felt like cooking for dinner. I had ended up in the aisle with the toothbrushes somehow, and there he was, standing there browsing the shelves with a large pile of heavy looking items that one person couldn't possibly lug around the store. I had recognized him from around the pizzeria, but had never spoken to him before, but in that moment that fact changed "Hey, you're a driver aren't you?" I spoke, gesturing to the company's logo on my shirt. He looked over at me surprised "Uh, yeah, you work inside right?" He replied with a shy tone "Yeah, yeah I do, I'm Shelby" came my reply " I'm Joshua" that was our very first interaction. There was an awkward air hanging around, but I continued the conversation and he did too, we ended up talking for a few hours, not realizing that we'd been standing in the same spot for hours until our legs started to hurt. I offered him the remaining space in the cart to take his items to the checkout and pushed the cart, casually chatting along the way. After checkout we went to our vehicles, but not before he had me add him on Facebook since I hadn't had my phone activated yet, and we parted ways for the night.

That's how I met the broken man

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