Do You Know Who You Are? (l.s.)

3

Louis Tomlinson

Standing in the middle of the old store we all stare at each other, not knowing what to do. Liam was taking off his long black coat meaning he doesn't work today, is he going to stay all day? In a way it's great because I won't have to finish the discussion Phil and I were having, but it means I'll have to share food at lunch. Fuck. Phil is used to cook a huge meal for me, so when Liam comes he doesn't cook more, there is always enough.

Food makes me happy. And sad. It depends. But Phil's food, oh my god, it was art.

Liam finally turns around, he hasn't answered his dad yet, what the fuck? He must be destroyed inside. That is exactly why I'm not into human interactions, those are weird and impossible to understand. For fuck's sake what am i supposed to do now?

I was still wondering what my next action will be when Liam broke the unlivable silence. "Goodmorning Lou." He gives me a gentle glance before walking towards the old man. "Hi dad." he leans forward and gives him a little kiss on the cheek. Cute.

Anyway, what was that?

This definitely had to stop: Happy Liam is sad, he said "hi" to me before his father and a coat? Seriously? It feels like the sun has never been this close to the planet and he wears a coat?

"Hi Liam, you good?" Phil finally asks what we both desperately want to know. I step back to sit on the trading post. Phil hates when I do this but why is there no chair in this store? Oh, no, there is a chair, but it's his chair, i'll never even dare to look at it.

A shy smile appeared unexpectedly on the young doctor's face, I think this question made him realise how bad he looks. I know how he works, he is the type of selfless person who is more worried about how people feel than how he feels himself. This new smile is definitely fake. "Oh I'm good thanks, how is your back?".

"Son-"

"You look like shit mate, you sure you're good?" I have a lot of respect for Phil but he is definitely not good with words, so interrupting him has a good idea. I also know he doesn't like talking when someone is sad, it's his weakness.

Liam looks at me but his smile isn't here anymore. "Am I?" He promptly looks at the old mirror on his left, fixing his hair. "I didn't sleep a lot last night, I'm a bit stressed about the party I'm having at my place tomorrow. Shouldn't have started planning that."

Lie.

He laughs at the end of his sentence, what a great sound. I'm sure he is devastated and it wasn't only because of a party. He loves hanging out and having parties, he is definitely used to it. He is also really nice to people, if he needed help for anything I'm sure thousands of people would come to lend a hand.

"Oh ok. Good luck with that then" I don't want to bother him, he keeps standing next to his dad, maybe it was personal and he doesn't want me to know about it. After my words I stay on the counter but I choose to turn around so my back is facing them. He probably thanked me but in my movement I may have not heard it. Anyway. Our conversations are never really long.

I quietly take my phone out of my pocket, Liam and Phil are talking about the old man's back issues and I am desperately waiting for a customer to enter and break this huge awkwardness.

Hopefully, after a few minutes it happened. I have been working in this shop for more than 3 years now, so I know how to help people in their choice and Phil let me do it. Plus, antique stores don't have a lot of customers but they come regularly to find particular items in the new arrivals. Thanks to that it is easy to find what they may want to buy, I know their names, they know mine but most importantly I know which commercial methods work on them. It makes this all job way more enjoyable and kind of funny.