Food for the Heart

Clouded Mind

Thunder leapt across the sky, illuminating the splashes of the puddles the girl ran through. Her heels were digging into her toes, and the rain was not doing her hair any favors with it being so tightly tied up.  When she saw the light of the coffee shop not a block ahead, her face lit up for the first time in hours, and she began to run faster, abandoning her caution, and sending her crashing to the ground.

"Ow!" The girl grimaced, pushing herself back up, and continuing forward toward the coffee shop. Once she finally reached the glass doors, stained with the fingerprints and coffee stains of the customers' hands from years past, she pulled them open with the last of her energy, clamoring onto the welcome mat just inside. She was sure that the barista would be looking at her, and with a quick glance, her assumption was proven right.

The barista, a short girl with dark purple hair, was frozen in place with a pot in one hand and a dish towel in the other. Their eyes met for a glance, before the barista's attention was taken downwards.

"Oh my god, are you okay?" The barista yelled. She circled around the counter, grabbing the first aid kit off of the wall behind her.

"Oh no I'm fine, just a bit tired is all! No need to worry!" The girl was now embarassed - she had crashed into a coffee shop and interrupted her work, and now she was being fussed over like a child.

The barista knelt down beside her, "What do you mean? You're bleeding!" She gestured toward the girl's knee, which had bore the brunt of her earlier fall - it was muddy, bruised, and bleeding quite a bit.

"I'm sorry for getting your carpet all dirty like this!" The girl cried, "I mean - thank you - but-"

"Listen, just calm down. It doesn't look that bad up close." The barista sighed, "I was worried that when you fell that your leg was broken." She let out a laugh as she opened the first aid kit, taking out a small towel and a bottle of alcohol. "This is gonna sting like a bitch. I'm Jirou, by the way."

The girl winced - not at the pain, but at the vulgarity. She hadn't heard a word that bad in years, so suddenly hearing it only increased her discomfort. "Yaoyorozu Momo. It's a name - no, my name."

"Yao, you gotta calm down! Take a deep breath or something, seriously." Before long, Momo's knee was bandaged, and she was finally beginning to calm down. "There, good as new!"

Momo struggled to stand up, her heels causing her ankles to bend at an odd angle. "Thank you, I'm sorry for the inconvenience."

Jirou just laughed, "It's been my job to do this kind of thing for years now, don't sweat it! Trust me, it's no trouble. Now, can I get you anything?" She walked back to the counter, stretching her arms above her head. "Maybe just some water for now?"

Momo nodded, "Some water would be nice."