The Gold and the Forest

III

Chapter 3: Things

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"No changes?" Sean exclaimed, then he was quickly shushed by Vivi.

"Yes." Vivi hissed.

"What happened?"

"Things." She answered quickly. "Just leave my schedule be. I—I'll deal with him."

She walked past Carl to the reception desk. Same days, same shifts. She worked through her breathing, in out. Breathe.

"Hello, how may I help you?"

---

"B! Press B! —Awww!"

"I'll press your B." Min hissed under her breath.

"What's that, babe?"

"Don't call me that."

They were playing video games in Kade's family's summer villa. Min just lost a match with Grace. She attacked Grace, complaining about why she was so good. Kade smiled at them, leaning against the back of the sofa the two were resting on. Kristy came in with a microphone.

"We're gonna karaoke!" She announced.

There was a chorus of "yay's" from the other three.

After an hour or so of crazy laughing and singing, the couple was sent on a walk to go buy food while Grace and Kristy went to look for a missing Angel.

"Moby dick."

"Saggy tits."

"Small ass dick—"

"Wheezing fit."

The two were trying to find words that rhymed with "moby dick" and by far it was the funniest thing they have ever done.

"Two-face bitch!" Min screeched, laughing like a banshee.

"What a snitch!" Kade hopped up and down like he had won.

"Chicken shit!"

"Aww!" Kade whined. "That-That's not even funny, stop laughing at your own rhyming ability!"

"Suck my clit—"

"Hey!" Kade shoves her and she stumbled off laughing.

He walks after her, taking her into an embrace, rocking her back and forth. "What is wrong with you, Cent."

"It's funny." Min wheezed. "I—I can't breathe."

He grinned and then lowered his lips to hers. "What's that? I'll show you 'can't breathe'."

"Prince!" She managed to peep out before he broke off her sentence by biting her lip.

By the time he was done, Min was really breathless and she shoved his face away. "We were supposed to buy groceries!" She complained. "Not make out!"

Kade whined like a puppy until she kissed his cheek and took off running, laughing like a madwoman.

---

They did manage to finish shopping and shared the carrying of the bag together.

"I wanna marry you." Kade sang to himself, doing a little dance with his feet. "I'm gonna marry you."

"Please stop it, your highness." Min replied, covering her face with her free hand. "I think I have experienced enough embarrassment with your little comment in the store."

The clerk had said they were cute and asked if they were married. Kade, the absolute genius responded, "Soon! When she comes to love me back and stop cheating!"

Min had to apologize profusely to the stunned clerk and shove him out of the way.

"What, it has many points of truth!"

"This is why every girl eyes you like meat!" Min retorted. "Because you look all heartbroken and they think just because I'm 'cheating', it's okay to hit you up!"

Kade gasped dramatically. "You're cheating on me!?"

"This is what I mean!" Min exclaims, exasperated.

"I think even if I make it clear, they would still eye me, Cent. I'm too yummy to not be eyed."

"Okay, Mr. Model-with-a-big-ego."

"Okay, Ms. Going-to-marry-Model-with-a-big-ego."

Min pouted and looked away from him, muttering curses under her breath while he grinned like an idiot. Suddenly he gasps like he has been stabbed.

Min quickly turned to see what's wrong and he looks into her eyes like he's dying.

"I'm... falling more and more in love with you."

She dropped the bag so fast that he didn't have time to react and started speed-walking away from him.

"Wait—I mean it!"

---

It almost looked like she anticipated his arrival, for a split second. He walked in with his uniform and caught her gaze on him. Quickly, she went back to looking through the orders and humming an off-tune song.

He was sorting through the boxes, looking at the labels. Then, he heard her stop humming.

He looked behind him, and she was behind him, looking awkwardly at anything else but him.

"Here." She muttered, shoving something into his hand. "Thank you for... the other day."

He looked down at what she had hastily pushed into his hand, it was a movie ticket.

"I... I don't—"

"We should talk more, get to know each other, since we're coworkers. Just coworkers." She interrupted him, and she was playing with her earring. She glanced at him briefly, realizing then that she had interrupted him. "Sorry, what were you trying to say?"

"I don't go to movies."

Her mouth dropped in a gasp. Her eyes screaming, "what!?" She quickly regained her composure, looking troubled. She glanced at him again, looking concerned. "Like never? You've never gone?"

He shook his head, glancing back at the boxes.

"I'll take you!" She exclaimed, surprising him. He stared at her, eyes wide. "Like... coworkers!"

He was looking for a way out, she knew it, and she felt her cheeks tint slightly in frustration and embarrassment.

"Vivi!" Sean was calling her, and she felt the job equivalent of "saved by the bell", she jabbed a thumb in Sean's direction and hastily excused herself from the 'conversation' she was having with Carl.

Carl went back to sorting the boxes and produce, seemingly unperturbed. Although, during break, he did look at the ticket to see when the movie started.

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