"Oh, and believe me, she was well aware of the circumstance in which she had placed herself in. For she knew that her hands were intertwined with the broken boy himself as they pranced, but that was her fault. A fault in which she decided to see the...
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02: A Little Uneasy Act 1, scene 2
As told by Reuben
"DARLING, IF ONLY you had obeyed me, then we wouldn't have been in this predicament. Believe me, I don't enjoy—"
"Reuben, can you close up tonight?"
"Huh?" I questioned, the sound absconding from the tip of my tongue before my thoughts could corner it back into the crevices of my mind. I tore my gaze from the decorative little dots that scattered the counter to meet the orbs of a no other than a concerned Seokjin.
He sighed at my response, the intake of breath lifting his body towards the ceiling for a second before lowering down. His hands were fixated at his hips with his long and slender fingers delicately gripping a light orange rag in which had lost its vibrancy over the course of the years.
"Reuben," he spoke tenderly. I immediately looked down to my worn-out shoes. "You've been acting uneasy all this week, are you okay?"
No.
"Yes," I declared, not only to Seokjin about my well-being but myself. But Seokjin appeared to not deposit his faith into my statement as my vision was still leveled at my shoes. I don't like to express, map out, or present my mental state with words to other people. For I feel like no words can possibly paint out what is occurring inside my head. And if I happen to find those right words, the words I have chosen to luckily profess their crimes, I receive mediocre feedback in return. As if the person horribly attempting to help me out at least understands the position that I've been placed in.
Don't tell me to calm down, I feel like screaming. Don't tell me that it's no big deal, or if I'm being too hard on myself. You won't fully comprehend what lies before me unless you are in that standing point. For if you were me, you would be acting no different.
"What did you say again?" I spit out rapidly in hope to avoid Seokjin taking the sensitive topic down the road. Gathering my courage, I tear my gaze to look up at him, feigning a smile.
From my actions, he gave back a soft smile and tossed the pale orange rag onto the counter. "I asked if you could close up tonight, please. I have to pick up an package."
"Yeah, no problem. I can walk home alone," I stated proudly. Although the minuscule café was located on main street, local drunks and drug dealers littered what lied in the alleys. Though I had resided in the small town for the most part of my whole existence, I had fortunately never crossed paths with one of them, and nor did I plan to. However, I felt somewhat unsafe not walking beside a young man with a stature as powerful as Seokjin before midnight. But I would never admit that to him.
"Yeah, no," he deadpanned, followed by a slight chuckle. His long arms reached behind him to undo the long brown apron swathed around his waist. "A girl like you is not walking home at eleven at night," he stated as he finally pulled it over his head.
"But I have pepper spray," I argued, remembering that my protective older brother had gifted it to me almost a year ago last Christmas.
"I called your brother, actually. He'll be taking you home instead."
"Ugh," I groaned, my eyes creasing so that I can give him a death glare. He giggled while folding his apron. "Since when did you and my brother become friends?"
"You know that I've been friends with him since middle school, actually," he replied, shaking his head. "But Reuben," he suddenly said, turning his head to look at the clock. "I've got to go. Make sure the lights are turned off and that you lock the door."
"Yeah, yeah," I rolled my eyes, once again scrutinizing the clock. From the time that it had stated above the door, I desperately squeezed my eyes, wishing that the positions in which Seokjin and I were held in would be switched. I did not want to be stuck behind the cash register by myself for at least another two hours. Although I was fortunate to be employed here, it was evenings like this where time had lost its energy, and therefore, making time slow down.
While Seokjin was fiddling for his keys in his back pocket, I went to the speckled counter and took the faded orange rag in which he tossed himself and folded it. Then, I put it back where it belonged, only to see Seokjin heading out the door.
"Goodnight," I called out, my head looking over my shoulder with a faint smile. "Drive safely!"
The only response I got, however, was the jingle of the bell suspended above the glass door.
