You Know He Loves You

The Third Chapter

        Everything was set. The noise of banter still echoed off the walls of the shop. Every time Charis would enter, a calm and happy feeling would wash over him. His store was to be opened the next day.

       Already amazing things happened and he could see everything going right. Even with some trouble of finances, he found that everything would be okay. Nothing could stop him now, he would fight for this store with everything in his being.

       His best friends' first kiss was here, the playful conversations while painting their sections. Everything was going right before opening.

       The paintings gleamed on the wall, light reflected colors all over the floor. The only thing left was to bake everything for tomorrow. It took no time for Charis to run to the back and start baking. He wanted to start right away as the store already felt like a second home. The comfort of the area was enough to fuel all his artistic ideas.

       The cute designs he had planned for food and unique bubbles for coffee. He wanted to serve some lunch foods as well, even if they were seen as small. The ideas building up for years started to flood him as he decorated pastries and ground coffee. He started experimenting more with other flavors and combinations of coffee.

        Everything made a huge mess, but Charis was so jitty for opening day that he didn't clean until everything was done. Between the experiments he would perform while waiting for something to cool/cook, he would clean.

        The area was clean and everything was now lined in the spare cooler. He set aside some of the weird coffees he was making and wrote down the recipes for each. Reviewing how to change up a few things. It was still only about noon when he deemed himself done. The sun was high in the sky, blasting heat down onto the dark sidewalk just outside.

       Charis decided that right now would be a good time to leave and do something else. He spent the last couple of weeks either inside his apartment or inside the shop. He worked the entire time, thinking of ideas at home and placing those ideas down in the shop.

      He dinged the bell right before he left and locked the door. Turning to a random side and walking. He figured going on a walk to the park around someplace would be good for his pre-jitters.

       He walked for a while before landing in front of the school park. Considering it was Sunday, no school was in session, so he continued his walk around the park.

       He started fast, walking around anxiously. What if he wasn't allowed on this land because it was owned by the school? But then slowed down to admire the area. The school was quite similar to the one he attended as a teenager. It was big and proud standing tall compared to the surrounding areas.

       The school's symbol was shown as a brain and a heart linking arms. The banner holding this symbol was large inside the building, seen perfectly through the window.

        "Warthog High School," Charis muttered out the name, snickering a bit.

         Then the doors opened slowly, creaking into the silence. Charis stood frozen on the track he was walking around and stared at the door. The person was now headed towards their area and he didn't know what to do.

        Out of sheer kindness, he waved. Oddly... At a stranger as he continued to walk around the track. The stranger waved back, his hand stiff and his face confused.

         He wore nice dark blue pants, a blue polo shirt, and a tie. Holding a notebook and a computer in his arm. Square glasses placed gently on his face, holding a pencil unstably behind his ear.