My Starbucks Boy

19 Δ Marketed to the bone

Nervousness wracked through my bones as I waited for Jasmine to get home.

During the wait I talked to Mikey until he slept off, ate some dry biscuits, and drank probably five litres of water.

My parents were coming to visit in two days, and it didn't feel right at all. Something was seriously up.

I paced all around the living room, made a list of all the things to do before they came, to make it look like my life was in order, and then ate a few more biscuits. As dry as they were, the crunchy-snappy sound they made when I bit into and chewed them, calmed me.

By midnight, exhaustion had taken over me. I dozed into a restless sleep on the couch, hanging off it halfway but too tired to move.

• • •

"Oh God" I moaned to myself after seeing how late I had woken up.
After replying Mikey's sweet morning message, my sister's goofy one, and Olivia's jibberish (probably from falling asleep on her phone), I took the quickest shower, dressed in my warmest clothes, and bolted out the door.

"Thanks for following me Olivia, only God knows how much I need a galpal with me. Especially someone who knows how to do stuff like markets and all that"

"mhm" she hummed, twisting her hair into a top bun and securing it with pins from her mouth.

"You ever been on a train before?" She finally spoke real words for the first time since we'd gotten together.

• • •

"Oh my God" I mumbled for the second time since I woke up, after we got down from the train.

Going downtown London was something I'd always wanted to do. But Jasmine never really showed any real interest in it, and I couldn't do anything without Jasmine by my side. Almost all of my firsts had been with her, and that felt like such a sacred part of our best friendship.

"I love the smell of giant markets in the morning" Olivia grinned, looking as if she was in her element, while sge pulled my hand into the bustle of people with her.

The lanky blonde picked things from every stall she stopped at, haggling prices and dragging me off again before I could remove my list from my bag.

"Ah, Livvy darling, I get some new things from Italy dear, some friends of my son bring them. He say they good quality"

I watched as a pale old man, with red ears, a shiny bald head and a strong Jamaican accent, put his hands around Olivia, gently taking her into his own. slightly bigger kiosk. Unlike with the other vendors, she didn't act impatient or in a hurry to leave. She looked almost too comfortable with him, more than I'd ever seen her, and as much as it warmed my heart, it angered me.
We came to this market because of me, she couldn't go about being all nicey-nice with some strange old man.

Waiting impatiently outside the kiosk, i looked around the gigantic market. There was literally no ground space, but people moved freely in throes, not even minding the next person; so disorganised, yet orderly.

Another five or so minutes passed, and I couldn't take it anymore. Olivia could sleep in the kiosk for all I cared, I had more important things to worry about.

Stepping down from the elevated slab of stone that held old man red's kiosk, I braced myself; it was time to face the market.

• • •

"Oh my God, Adrien!!"
Four hours later and I couldn't separate my sweat from my tears.

Olivia and old man red pulled me upwards into his kiosk, forced me down onto a worn chair and forced about a gallon of water into my body.