Accessory Wars

Chapter 74-Felisa

            "Felisa! I need you to cover the front! Some guy just ralphed in the bathroom," my coworker called. I pulled the fries out of the fryer and doused them in salt. Then I hurried up to the front counter and straightened out my apron. It had been two weeks since I returned home and I returned to work a few days ago. Since I couldn't train for tournaments until October, I filled up my schedule with as many work hours as I could fit in. My coworkers were glad for me picking up shifts. It was August now, meaning school started soon, so everyone wanted to soak in the last few days of summer break.

I swept my eyes over the building, finding no one present at the counter for the moment. A few people sat eating their lunches so I took the moment to familiarize myself with the register again. I worked the front twice before so I never remembered where the buttons were. My finger hovered over the screen as I pointed out the most popular orders to myself. Hopefully, no one came in with a complicated order.

As I tried to memorize the buttons, I found my thoughts drifting again. The last couple weeks felt like I was floating in the void. Going back to my normal routine felt off. Everything felt out of sync and I often felt like I wasn't even in my own body. Ever since I killed Ken, I couldn't look at people the same. I felt dirty. The pressure from the community didn't help either. Praise. Hate. It seemed like people either worshipped the ground I walked on or wanted to rip it out from under my feet. I wanted to blend back in with the shadows and be forgotten.

What kept me from curling up into a ball and fading away into the shadows was the handful of letters I received in the mail. They came from survivors of Ken's assault.

Their kind words and expressions of gratitude helped to keep me grounded. People could say whatever they wanted. It was easy to say you would act a certain way in a desperate situation. Doing it was entirely different. People called me brave. People called me cruel. They didn't understand, or even consider, I was terrified the entire time I battled against Ken. Kami assured me once the media stopped giving the event attention, a lot of people would back off. I hoped she was right.

It was weird to think Ken was gone from the world. I had grown used to worrying about him in the back of my mind. The night we got back to Serenhe, Kami invited me over to her place and we held a small ritual there where we burned Ken's doll within a bowl. Kami muttered words to keep Ken's spirit from coming back to do harm and I watched the fabric burn away into ashy embers. Seeing his tiny form burn solidified what I had done in my mind. What we had done. What we needed to face going forward.

It didn't matter how much I didn't want the attention. I had it now. Tournaments weren't going to be the same, especially now Kami was S-class. Thinking of the S-class fights made my blood run cold and I wanted to faint. A-class was hard enough. I reminded myself I wasn't fighting for me anymore. I was fighting for others. People who couldn't get their voices heard or wanted someone to believe in. Would they, though? Would someone believe in a murderer? My foundation for fighting had been cracked. It was only a matter of time before it either shattered or built up something even I couldn't imagine.

I was so lost in thought I didn't hear the door open. Bracelets clacked against the counter and I jumped. My eyes shot up and my voice locked in my throat.

"If I recall, this is supposed to be the other way around," Benjamin remarked with a smirk as he leaned against the counter. My vocal chords continued to fail me so I gaped at him like a fish. He tucked a stray hair behind his ear. "Fancy meeting you here."

"You're back," I squeaked out. "I mean, you're out. Of the hospital."

"Got out last week. You haven't been by in awhile," he mentioned. His smile slipped away. "I...heard what happened in Liliael." I wanted the floor to swallow me. "They kept it pretty mute around the hospital but I heard pieces from the nurses and my family."

I lowered my eyes to the floor. I wanted to cry. "You know what I did then."

"I do." I sniffed, holding back the tears in my eyes. "You kept your promise."

My head snapped up. "My promise?"

"'I will not hesitate. I will not falter. I will save those who are suppressed'," he recited. My eyes widened. "You saved your friend."

After days of hearing cheap sentiments, his words struck me hard. The tears spilled over my eyes. How did he know the words I needed to hear? I wanted to launch myself over the counter and crush him in a hug. The only reason I didn't was because I was working. Benjamin reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a pack of tissues, handing me the entire bundle. I accepted it, wiping my face clean of moisture. I would have to blow my nose later when I wasn't around food.

"I know a lot of people have offered but if you need to talk, I'm willing to listen. Same goes for Kami and Ki," Benjamin offered.

"I'll be sure to let them know," I said. I took a deep breath and managed to compose myself. "How did you know you'd find me here?"

"I didn't. I just hoped you were." Benjamin chuckled. I managed a weak smile. "I saw you were working here when I came and got my schedule last week."

"Oh. You got your job back?"

"Yeah. I've been working here for awhile so they were understanding."

The hair he tucked back earlier fell out of place again and he brushed it back behind his ear. It gave me a moment to notice his scars almost blended in with his skin now. They still appeared as shimmery, wrinkled lines but those would always remain in some capacity. My staring shifted to his eyes and I found myself lost in the hypnotic sea of caramel. His eyes stayed connected with mine for what felt like an eternity. Then they shifted to the kitchen behind me.

"Think I could get some fries?" he asked.

"Fries?" The sudden change in topics frazzled my brain. Once his words registered, I forgot where the fry button was on the register and spent the next ten seconds scrambling to find it. "What size?" I asked to buy time.

"Your choice."

I managed to find the fries and hit the medium button. "Is that all?"

He nodded and pulled out his wallet. He paid and I scurried off to grab his fries. I made sure to grab the hot ones I pulled out not long ago. He smiled as I handed the box over and he popped one into his mouth.

"Mmm. Just as terrible as I remember then," he joked. He tilted the box towards me. "Want one?"

"We're not supposed to eat at work."

"Has that ever stopped anyone?" he asked, his smirk returning. No. People snuck food all the time, especially at the end of the day when we were supposed to be throwing the food away. I took two chicken sandwiches home myself my first night on the job. I checked to make sure no one else was paying attention and took one of Benjamin's fries. It was salty and tasted like oil.

"They are bad," I remarked and Benjamin burst out laughing. He had a nice laugh.

"Glad you think so too." He popped another fry into his mouth. "Since I got my job back, we'll be seeing a lot more of each other." My brain went blank. Working together? Oh, no. No-no-no. Benjamin took a bite of a fry and winked at me. "See you Monday."

At that point, I wanted to melt into the floor drain and cease to exist. There was no way I could work with him. It took me a moment to remember the employee schedule had all our phone numbers on it. Benjamin would know my cellphone number. I could get his number. By the time my coworker returned from cleaning up the bathroom, they found me standing with my face in my hands silently screaming. In that brief moment, I forgot Liliael. I forgot about Ken. There was only the impending doom I would be working with Benjamin starting Monday.