Please Don't Hit Zero ~ IwaOi

~48~

Issei left to make dinner, and Lana didn't want to be in the same room as Iwa any longer. She's not happy with this turn of events, but she's not resisting. I would've been surprised if she got over everything that happened just like that.

The four of us ate together, but nobody said a word. As the person that was keeping this group together, I felt pretty terrible. If I were to start a conversation with any of them, the excluded people would get even more uncomfortable. So I kept my mouth shut.

I tried sending off Iwa as happily as possible, but the tension had already gotten to us. I rushed it, saying I would text him later while quickly pushing him out the back door.

Lana sat down with me and Issei, allowing us to tell the entire story this time. This includes everything that happened in high school, although I left out a lot of awkward details. She had a big scowl on her face the entire time, but didn't interrupt me.

The next day, she admitted that we did indeed need more people to work for us. Somebody had fallen ill and wouldn't be back for at least a month, and someone else had found love while on vacation in Egypt. She looked exhausted, like she had been doubting it all night. I felt bad, but didn't say anything. Asking her for reassurance would only make things worse.

So I called Iwa, telling him it was okay if he wanted to. The three of us agreed that he would come talk the next day, and possibly sign his contract already. It felt surreal, discussing the way he will be by my side for entire days again.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't hide my excitement. I worked during the cafe's opening hours, which is a very calm and slow shift. I found myself holding Issei every free second we had, smiling, looking forward to the future. My best friend returned my hugs contently, even though he didn't share the same happiness.

All was well, until I woke up this morning. Even though I was fully sober, I had a headache and felt a bit feverish. I felt stressed, anxious even, and yet I was extremely tired.

I went to work another morning shift anyways, but it went terrible. My hands were shaking, so I kept dropping and spilling stuff. My mind kept wandering, so I missed a lot of the things people said to me. And I also found that I was very on edge, ready to yell at people if they dared to bother me with anything.

So Lana forced me to stop working. Now I'm sitting at one of the tables as if I'm a customer, with a soy latte in front of me. Unlike alcoholic drinks, we can have those for free. I made it because I want to wake up a little, but I don't think I can drink it and keep it down. I'm not feeling like consuming anything at all right now.

Maybe I should go lay down for a bit. The chattering, the sliding of chairs, the clinking of glass... It amplifies my headache. But I can't keep my legs still, and I feel like I won't be able to rest at all.

Are these all symptoms of suddenly being sober? I kept my word and didn't drink anything yesterday. Twenty-four hours of sobriety and counting, just for Iwa. But this sucks. How long does this last? Damn it. If this goes on, maybe I should just...

Before I can finish those thoughts, the front door opens. Speak of the devil... I can't stop myself from glaring at him a little. If it wasn't for him... Ugh.

He instantly feels my eyes on him. "Good m-- Uh, are you okay?" He frowns. "Are you sick?"

"It's nothing," I sigh.

"Really? You're very pale, and..." He puts his hand on my cheek. I almost give in and nuzzle against it, but remember my annoyance in time.

"Yes. I'm fine." I forcefully remove his hand. "Lana's in the back." I turn my gaze to the table, hoping it'll make him leave.