Take Care {Prince Royce Fan Fiction}

4. The Corner

"Que risa fingida, ya no te acuerdas de mi. Cambiaste tu acento, hasta tu forma de vestir."

-Aventura, "Mi Niña Cambió"

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Nothing says home to a northern easter-coaster like a greasy, packed with onions yet somehow delicious sub from your favorite corner store from down the block.

Well, Royce was searching for a little taste of home. He hadn't been in New York for over five months now and he was happy to be back in a familiar place.

He liked that familiar little jingle of the bells as he opened the door and the sound of old school bachata playing in the background. "Voy Pa'lla" by Anthony Santos sounded throughout the little store.

There was a guy singing along, loudly and off key as he was restocking the cigarette counter.

"Ronaldo, if you don't shut up..." , called a girl from the other end of the store.

"Girl, what are you gonna do? You can't even reach the counter with your short ass."  he called back mockingly before continuing his kareoke session.

"If you two both don't shut up and continue to act so unproffesional around customers its gonna affect both your paychecks.", yelled an older woman. She turned to Royce and smiled at him warmly. "Now, how can I help you. mi amor?" She said amor like "amol" and Royce figured she was Dominican.

He appreciated the woman's kindness. "Just a sub. The works." He told her with a smile.

"Y'all heard the man. One sub, the works. I got inventory to take.", she called back. The girl behind the counter took a quick look at Royce and got to work.

"If they give you a problem, lemme know, hun.", said the woman jokingly before going off to the back of the store.

"Vine a decirte adios" by Frank Reyes came on and Royce smiled to himself as he hummed along.

"Excuse me, sir?", called the girl. "You're order's ready."

"Sir?", said Royce with a smirk.

The girl ignored his remark. "Will that be anything else?"

"So, you're not gonna say hi? I mean, it's been a while.", said Royce a little smugly.

The girl looked up at him. She had those falsely innocent eyes. "That's $2.75, sir.", taking his reply as a no. You could tell she lived in New York all her life. You could hear it it the word "two". You could see it in her stare.

Royce stared at her. "Well? You're just gonna act like you don't know me or what?"

"Are you gonna pay for the sandwich?"

Royce raised an amused eyebrow. He was slient. He had nothing against anyone who worked in the cute little corner stores in New York, but this? Now, this was something he wasn't expecting to see. "You don't remember me?

The girl sighed. He wanted to see her suffer, she had concluded that over a year ago. "Hello, Royce.", she said grudgingly, with a forced smile. Make like you're happy, she told herself.

He laughed, a little amused laugh like he was playing a game. "That's better. Now, how are ya? Busy, I see?"

Aralon glared at him. She didn't like the way he was savoring this moment. She didn't like the way he was looking at her with no makeup and in sweats and she didn't like the fact that he hadn't miraculously turned ugly in the the past year or something like that just so he could suffer like she did. "That's gonna be $2.75.", she said coldly.

Royce laughed again and gave her the money as he took his things. He walked slowly to the front door, grabbed something of the shelves and tossed it over to Aralon at the counter.

She caught it gingerly. It was a bag of chips.

"Lightly salted!", Royce called from the front of the store. She heard one last satisfied chuckle as the door opened and shut.

Aralon pushed the back of chips as far away from her as possible, as if they were infected. Who did he think he was, walking up in here like that? Dissing her with a bag of chips, really? He pissed her off, that much was evident. He was nothing but the devil with a dimpled smile as far as she was concerned and she hoped she'd never have to come face to face with that smile again.

But that simply wasn't the case.

And to think, they probably would have never crossed paths again if it wasn't for a sandwich.

-///-

so hey i was up till three writing most of this suck ass chapter and now it's practically like ugh #priorities sorry it was boring :/

so, next chapter i will be switching POVs, just to see how this story is better off.

i hope y'all are liking this so far. pls vote and comment

love yall ❤