Down The Highway

Chapter Forty

Still, here's my brain thinking of the things I confessed, he confessed and we both heard from each other in the game at the party. We sounded like we were old people who once knew each other in the past and were reincarnated in the younger ones' bodies. I guess nothing will last longer than the waiting line in this store. I've been standing for almost half an hour now but I am yet bored and frustrated about this long line.

I regret that I left my phone at our house. My dad asked me to buy tomato sauce and meatballs for the pasta he would be making tonight. Why can't he just do it by himself? But honestly, my dad makes the best pizza in the world. Even better than any other popular pizza maker in the world.

My mom said that dad's skills in cooking are the reason why she fell in love with him. Their love was almost perfect as a fairy tale. Happy ending, cliché flow, and sweet days. Seems like they both have been gifted in love. They fight sometimes but fix all their issues easily.

But unlike me, I have zero luck in love. I have seen how they loved each other so much and how their happy love life went. Now here's me still searching for my happy ever after. When will my knight and shining armor come? Can he still make it out to me? Alive?

From staring in the air, I was relieved when I saw that the line was moving. I was a few meters away from the cashier. I sighed and looked at the pack of meatballs and tomato sauce in my hands for no reason. I sighed, still waiting for my turn in line. I was almost feeling good, calmed, relaxed.

Almost.

Not until one rude boy went in front of me. I tried to control myself and not be rude but I just couldn't do it. "Mr. Well if you mind, I have been here for almost an hour. Can't you go back there in line and wait for your own turn?" An unfamiliar face got caught by my eyes as he looked at me. I can't believe that these types of people still exist.

The ones who will put themselves up first before anyone else. Can't even wait. "Oh, umm, sorry. My bad" he immediately apologized as he went back in line. I guess I have just mistaken him as a rude boy because of that behavior. Truth was that he was pretty nice, maybe was just in a hurry. But I am not that short for him to not see me at the end of the long line.

Finally, I reached it. My turn at the cashier. I placed the tomato sauce and the pack of meatballs on top of the cashier table as the girl with purple hair punched them one by one. "Ten dollars" so that is ten dollars already? Really that expensive? How is that possible? I mean, just a few months ago, I bought the same ingredients and it was only five dollars.

Did everything increase by five dollars? I ignored it, pretended like everything was being alright even if there was this side of me saying that I should go fight with the cashier girl. Dad didn't even give me money to buy these things so now I am the one to pay for them with my money. "Thank you" I grabbed the paper bag and wrapped it around my arms as I walked past the store.

I reached it down the highway. The same old St. John Street where I used to walk. The store wasn't that far from our house so instead of taking a taxi, I just decided to walk. To save up some more money as well. The wind blew my hair again, my lips got dried so I licked it. "Hey" I heard a nice voice from my back. My mind was telling me not to look back but I already did even before I thought about it.

Without even looking before, I already recognized his voice. It was Shawn. My prediction was right. I looked at him while he smiled at me. How can I recognize his voice that easily? My mind came again to say that I shouldn't smile and say hi but I already did. "Hi"

But I immediately looked away and held all my attention to the road and focus on my way home even if Shawn was trying to grab some of it. "What brings you here, again?" I know I should have not asked him that or paid attention to him. This just proves that my head and my heart don't align. "I'm going to my friend's house today, you?" I thought I already told him the reason before.

That I live near St. John Street where his feet are located right now. "I already told you the reason before, I live near here and I am almost there" I was trying to be as nice as I could since I figured out he was doing the same thing. With his friendly smiles, I can tell that he was being one.

It would be so awkward if I wouldn't be nice. I am when I am with people who are nice especially when they do nice things to me. But I get triggered to be mad when they're not being nice. I mean, when they are insulting me. Like what Shawn did before when he was pointing out that I was the one who was wrong for believing the letters I have received from him before when he was hiding by the name of Xanny.

Why am I even thinking of that thing right now?

"Okay?" He was such a fast walker that he even made it to the intersection line of the street faster than I did. "Travis" he froze but didn't look back. "Shawn"

I called again.

And this time, he finally looked back but the smile on his face is now gone. It is replaced by a serious expression but not mad. "Can we talk?" I don't know what has gotten into me that I wanted to talk to him.