Tragedy

Chapter 1

Adeline
    
     Where is the gosh darned garlic?!?

     I had been in the grocery store scouring every shelf for at least twenty minutes and still saw no trace of the stupid garlic. My scatter-brained roommate, Johanna, had sent me in search of the stupid vegetable. Or spice. Or whatever it was. I ran my right hand down my face in frustration and huffed.

     "Hi... um... do you need some help?" I turned around at the voice, ready to forcefully deny my helplessness. However, I was nowhere near ready for what I saw.

     Standing before me was a boy. No, no, a man. Yes. Standing before me in the middle of the grocery isle was a man. He stood about 6"3, if my guess was correct, with dirty blonde hair and a light dusting of stubble decorating his otherwise perfect face. Decorating his lean yet muscular body was a tight black t-shirt and dark washed jeans, fraying at the bottom. His converse were old and definitely worn, almost worse than mine. He had one hand holding a grocery basket with the other tucked casually into his pocket. But what got me were his eyes. Looking back at me were the most striking pair of blue, no, cerulean, eyes I had ever seen. But, me being as stubborn as I was, I quickly pulled myself together and acted like this Greek god of a man didn't faze me.

     "Nope. I'm good. Better than good. I'm amazing actually. So freaking amazing."

     Yeah. So that didn't work.

     His piercing eyes found my hazel ones while a chuckle erupted from his lips. I was immediately mesmerized by the intoxicating sound and found myself wanting to hear it again. "Okay. I'm glad you're amazing. You just looked really, ya know, frustrated, so I thought I'd step in. But if you're amazing then..." He began to walk away as I began to panic.

     C'mon Amelia he's just trying to help. This kinda man is not the kinda man you let walk away. Pull it together woman!

     After my self-conscious gave me a thorough scolding, I called out for the man, "Wait! Garlic!"

     He stopped before turning around and just staring at me, the most adorably confused expression adorning his face. "Garlic?"

     "Garlic," I said, still not comprehending his confusion.

     "What about garlic?"

     "I need garlic. See my roommate, Jo, is cooking dinner tonight and she needs some. She's making some kind of chicken dish. Her boyfriend just got back in town from a trip and he thinks it's finally time for her to meet his parents. She's, like, super duper nervous because she totally in love with Beckett, that's her boyfriends name, so she really wants his parents to like... her..." I looked up from my twisting hands to see that the man had left at some point during my pointless rambling. He was nowhere to be seen.

     I sighed, knowing I had run off yet another gorgeous guy with my quirkiness.

     I turned and continue my pointless search before feeling a slight tap on my shoulder. It was the man.

     "Uhh... here. I don't know if she needs cloves or minced so I got both." I looked down to see him holding a grocery bag.

     "Did you already buy them?"

     "Yeah it was no trouble. I'm Joshua by the way, Josh, actually, just Josh."

     I quickly lifted my wallet, trying to dig out some cash while also making a mental note to remember his name. Joshua. It was cute, fitting. "Here... will six bucks cover it? And I'm Adeline."

"No, no, please, keep it."

"Oh... okay," I cram the crinkled bills into my wallet. "Well thanks I guess. It was very nice to meet you." I spin on my heel and begin to walk away, sad that chances are, I'll probably never see Joshua again. I'm about fifteen steps away when I hear his voice.

"Adeline! Wait! I won't let you pay me but you can give me something else," he says with a smirk. I immediately open my mouth to chew him out for ever assuming I would sell my body for garlic. He must see my rage clearly written on my face because his smirk quickly falls and he begins to stutter.

"N-no! No no no no! That is totally not what I meant. Oh god, that sounded awful. God, I'm stupid. I meant your number! But not for like booty calls or anything...," I cocked one eyebrow at him. "Nope. Why did I say booty calls? Ugh. Okay so Adeline I think you are very beautiful and one day, if I ever get over the embarrassment of this conversation, I would like to call you and ask you out on a date."

I stared at him for a good five seconds before reaching in my wallet for one of those foldable pens. Helpful and convenient. "Here. If you ever got over the 'embarrassment of this conversation,' I would love to go on a date with you." I quickly scribble my number on his left arm before turning around and walking out of the grocery store.