Dear Janet, You're Ugly

Closer To You

Janet's POV

I grabbed him by his long-sleeved shirt and dragged him outside. I walked further away from the glass windows so that no one could look in on us. "What the hell are you doing here"?!  I growled clenching my fists by my side.

He smiled brightly showing off his perfect white teeth. "I was about to start working until someone pulled me outside". He folded his arms across his chest that stupid smirk never leaving his face.

"Why here? Of all places, you could have chosen. You choose this one. Why"? I frowned deeply wondering how quickly things were going to change.

"I thought the place looked cozy and it was hiring so why not? Not everything revolves around you, Janet". Growling internally I turned to head back inside. As long as I kept my distance and he stayed far away from me I would be fine.

At least one could hope, right?

Turned out my prayers were not answered. Ms. Freckles forced me to and I quote to " show him the ropes". And let me tell you he sucked at rolling out dough and kept tearing every time he tried rolling it out.

"Go and take orders. You can at least do that right"? I asked rolling my eyes as I kneaded the dough between my hands. He jokingly saluted me before leaving to go take orders. Time seemed to fly by and soon it was time to close up the shop.

I hated to admit it but today wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Even if Erin did everything in his power to annoy the crap out of me. I somehow felt pretty calm, collecting my things I make my way out of the cafe waving to a shy faced Anthony.

Ms. Freckles wouldn't be home until later so I would head home alone. I was about the cross the street when I heard the thumping of feet running towards me. " Janet wait up! Let's walk home together"! He panted as I slowed down so he could catch his breath.

We walked side by side not saying a word. A burning question sat on the tip of my tongue and the more I pushed it back the more it got even spicier. I suddenly stopped causing him to stop as well.

It was now or never

"Why did you come back, Erin"? I finally asked the burning question. He ran a hand through his tousled hair as if frustrated by the question. But it was something always on my mind. Why would he suddenly come back to a place that could offer him nothing?

He sighed deeply before his brown eyes met my blue ones. " I...its hard to explain why I came back. I guess I just missed home". He shrugged putting his hands inside his pockets.

"When we were kids you said you wanted out. Why come back to the one place you wanted to desperately run away from"? I was genuinely curious because as children we fantasized about it constantly. At least for me, I knew I wanted to escape to another place, one that wouldn't remind me of all my misfortunes.

"If I would have known we were asking questions I would have came prepared" he joked. Rolling my eyes I slowly started to walk again. He never did answer that question but instead asked me something that caught me off guard.

"Why do you hate me? And be honest Janet don't try and get out of this". His voice got deeper causing me to stop again. Should I tell him the truth? Or should I let him figure it out? It wasn't rocket science why I was so angry at him. But I decided to put it in the most astounding words.

"If you were in my shoes and the one person you could trust left you? Wouldn't you feel the same? I questioned pulling my sweater tighter to my frame. He didn't say anything afterward and soon I arrived home leaving a rather hopeless Erin on the front porch.

I grabbed a shower and heated some leftover pasta before heading upstairs. Laying on the soft rug ground I grabbed the one picture of a place I yearned to be. With the hot sun shining brightly reminding me of a new life I could have.

But as I laid there my thoughts drifted to Erin's hopeless expression. That had been the first time I didn't regard him as the angry and pissed off Janet.

No today I realized that my closed walls had tiny cracks in them. They were tiny barely noticeable but all the while still present. If I didn't quickly glue them back together.

I already knew the outcome.