Call It What You Want (to be revamped & restarted soon)

Track 1.06 | cry tears of mascara in the bathroom

It all dawned on him, one by one. Maybe it was never about the café but about how that girl who looked familiar but wasn't had made him feel. It wasn't the roller coaster kind of rush or sparks flying whenever she smiled at him. Or the sweet sound of her voice when she would ask for his order in spite of knowing he always ordered the same thing.

The new barista kept staring at him, waiting for him to speak now. And it was this silence that cut him to the core. It had never been this awkward before. Not with her. Never with her. Another thought entered his head and this one didn't seem to go away anytime soon. The fact that she wasn't here, the reason the owner had to appoint another barista... It could all mean just one thing. The one thing that had haunted Oliver in his nightmares for the past few nights. She was not alright. Something had happened to her.

It was this thought that made Oliver want to run away from the scrutinising eyes, not just of this new barista but also the world's. So he did. Without opening his mouth to order something, he immediately ran towards the washroom and groaned in annoyance when he found it occupied. He wanted to knock, ask the person to vacate it but his hands froze on the spot and a thrilling shiver ran through his veins. He shook once, quite visibly but thankfully, nobody seemed to notice.

Sighing loudly in defeat, he settled on the sofa nearby and recollected the amount of times he had wanted to spend time in this very spot, a cup in his hand and a book in another. But now, he didn't think he could manage to bring himself to this place anymore. Not without thinking about her.

Seconds later, he could hear a very soft, almost missable sob.

For a moment, he was convinced he was crying and sprang to the sink and mirrors, observing his face. But it nicely covered his emotions and showed the same indifference as always. The fact that over half his face was covered by a very thick mask helped his case a lot more than he'd imagined. He was too close to the washroom door now, he realised, but before he could back away, he heard it again. Once more, definitely a sob. Within mere seconds, the cries got more discernible and he could picture the person on the other hand clutching a tight hand over their mouth to avoid making a loud noise. He badly wanted to help, comfort the stranger but he was clueless. How do you really comfort someone who's crying but trying not to show it, he wondered.

Before he could process the sound of a door unlocking, the person on the other end came outside and flinched a bit on finding Oliver standing there. A ton of apologies made its way to Oliver's lips but he was paralyzed, to say the least. Especially when he saw who the person behind the door was.

The plethora of emotions threatening to drown him made no sense. It felt like a bunch of random colourful confetti thrown together which would feel like chaos unleashed, unless seen in its individuality. A wave of relief that she was alive. A relenting urge to wipe away her tears and destroy the one who had caused them. An impolite instinct to ask her tons of questions. What was that accident thing? What had happened? Was she alright? Why was she crying? Who was the reason behind her tears-

As if sensing his concern from within the depth of his eyes, she smiled at him and waved. "Hey, you." She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and went to the sink to wash her face, her tears away with bubbly soap. He handed her a box of tissues from the other end and she thanked him, her voice still scratchy and raw from the discreet crying.

It felt like zero relevance when the pain in her voice caused him to frown. But maybe it did make sense. Just to Oliver. He was someone who found solace in routines and somehow, unintentionally, she had become a part of his. That could possibly explain why he was so bothered by her sudden disappearance or by the way she was crying tears of mascara in the bathroom.

"I'm sorry you had to see this." She spoke, her voice low and her head hanging in shame. Her nose was still red and a flush rose through her cheeks when she sniffed in embarrassment. It took him a moment to realise this was the first time he was seeing her. The only time her face wasn't covered with a mask. He didn't get long to remember her face because she turned soon enough but she was easily one of the most beautiful people he had ever met.

It wasn't merely because her eyes were exactly the shade of his favourite coffee or the colours of her skin reminded him of a sweet chocolate dessert he often craved or her pink lips that felt like cherry blossoms. It was her smile - simple yet enchanting in its own way. And for him, that was enough.

Before he could somehow convince her he was a creep, he quickly cleared his throat to voice his thoughts, if nothing. "Are you okay?" Was all he managed to ask and if not for her staring at him, he would have definitely facepalmed himself then and there for saying something so obviously stupid.

But it all paid off the next moment when she laughed, a sound so merry that his thoughts were definitely going to echo and replay it. "I will be." She shrugged, the fragments of laughter still evident in her voice now. "Soon enough."

The words sounded familiar and he didn't need to ask her to know she was the one who had written that note and prepared the makeshift station outside the closed shop. He didn't need to ask her to realise she was not the one who had been in an accident that day. And she didn't need to ask him his order because moments later when he walked towards the counter, his favourite iced Americano was already placed in his hands. "On the house," she said. "For being a loyal and caring customer." And he didn't need her to tell him what she meant by that. The unsaid that lingered between them spoke volumes.

This was the happiest Oliver had been in years, all thanks to the mysterious coffee girl whose name he had forgotten to ask. Yet again.

If you're reading and liking this story thus far, please consider leaving a vote (and / or comment/s) on this and the previous chapters as well since that really motivates me. Thank you <3

Random Question: Which is your favourite season?

This was one of my most favourite chapters to write in this story so far! Theory time. Is Dio going to a supportive character or more of an antagonist? Comment and let me know what you think *_*