(Written August 9, 2014)
The manager leaves, and I look curiously at my new coworker as he comes down the ladder. "Um, hi Jason, what are you doing here?" He looks embarrassed but speaks up.
"Well, this is my part-time gig so I can have enough money for the apartment rent. In the rest of my time, I try to find modeling gigs. Anyway, forget all this, let's teach my new coworker the basics of Payless today."
By the end of our shift, it's 5 pm, and the store is closing. Jason taught me everything I need to know as a rookie, and the manager congratulates me on my first day at work.
As Jason begins to lock the store doors, I start to walk away to the bus stop. I'm about to cross the street when I hear my name, so I turn around to see Jason waving at me to come back. Taking a deep breath, I walk back and stand quietly, waiting for an explanation.
"I was wondering if I drove you home, I would be doing you a favor. So can I do you a favor in order to ask you for a favor?" He pauses. "Then we'll cancel out."
I think for a second. "Well, ok, I'd love to help you out. What's the favor?" He looks down and finally speaks up after a few seconds.
"Well, my friend Kiara is having a party today. It's her birthday, and she's celebrating it at her place by the beach. My problem is that I'm not too good when it comes to gift choices, especially for girls, so I was wondering if you could help me buy her a present."
I smile at his concern and say, "Okay, good sir, let's go buy some presents." With cheesy smiles, Jason leads me to his car so we can drive to the mall, a place I haven't been to in forever.
As we are driving, it's really quiet, so he puts on the radio, and "Summer" by Calvin Harris is playing. Everything feels very movie-like. The song is playing, our windows are all the way down, and we are driving really fast on the highway. The song continues to play:
"When I met ya in the summer, to my heartbeat sound. We fell in love, as the leaves turned brown."
I glance at Jason and giggle as he's singing along with the song. "Hey, don't judge me!" he says jokingly. I put my hands up as if I have been caught in a crime and hum along.
"And we could be together, baby, as long as skies are blue. You act so innocent now, but you light so soon."
Then comes the best part: "WHEN I MET YA IN THE SUMMER!"
Instrumentals play as Jason and I shake our heads like crazy while laughing. I realize this is the first time I've enjoyed a ride to the mall.
YOU ARE READING
Tuning Heartstrings
Short StoryLiz knows loneliness all too well. Haunted by the shadow of her brother's tragic death and engulfed in the ocean of her parents' grief and guilt, Liz struggles to find a reason to live and distances herself from the world. As she navigates a life fu...
