Another Way

Pour, Dull, Effort

Time flew by quicker than expected, as Rody shrieked hearing his alarm clock go off. He sat up from the couch, holding his heart as he peered over towards the time. 4:30 it read. He groaned, laying back into the couch once more. He wasn't ready for another day, he wasn't ready to put on a mask just so he can get some decent tips. He desired the warmth of the blanket around him, closing his eyes slowly. .
slowly. .
slow-

BANG

He got up quickly, looking around frantically before looking out the window. It was, raining? There wasn't supposed to be any rain this week, let alone a thunder storm. He was so tired he hadn't realized it was lightning that struck. With a deep breath, he moved his hair out of his face, walking over to the supposed kitchen. The place was a mess, to the point his whole complex could be considered one room. He grabbed his uniform from the chair, slowly taking off his clothes. The cold air stuck to him like pins, causing a shiver to run up his spine. He quickly put on his uniform, before stepping into the bathroom to take a quick look at himself.

When he walked in, he flipped the switch on. The lights flickered for a second, but once they turned on fully, he glared at his reflection. Imperfections everywhere. He wouldn't even date himself, why was he so puzzled as to why Manon left? The reason was right there, right in front of him, he was the reason she left. A person who treats their life like a sitcom will never get far, and Manon knew this. She knew it was better to leave him, than to stick around and watch his downfall. In all honesty, good for her.

With a quick motion, he flicked off the light, going towards the door. He put on his shoes, and lifted his bike. As lightning struck again, he realized he had no way of getting to work without getting soa-

Vince's umbrella.

He looked at the corner of the doorway, seeing his umbrella resting there; a peaceful umbrella is what it was. He moved towards it, bending down and lifting it up. He examined the umbrella, remembering Vince's words that morning.. 'I'm giving you mine for the ride back so this doesn't happen again.' The words rang through his ears as though he had just heard them for the first time again.

Did.. Did Vince want the umbrella back though? Surely he would, it was his umbrella after all. It was just a one time thing giving him the umbrella.

Once he finished his thoughts, he decided he would give it back today after work. He turned to look at the clock, trying to see how much time he had left. But, the clock looked, stuck? He walked over, and shook it a bit, before smacking the top of it. The handles spun, before the time read...

5:45??? It was that late?? Did he fall asleep before the thunder struck?? He had no time to think, yanking his bike with him as he rushed out of his apartment.

———

Vince looked at the clock, tapping his foot aggressively. The clock read 5:58, as the red haired lad finally busted through the backdoor. He looked at the other, seeing how out of breath he was.

"Hm, barely made it this time Lamoree, remember you told me you'd start making it on time?" Vince crossed his arms against his chest, giving Rody an unamused stare. Rody, on the other hand, rubbed the back of his neck nervously. He didn't get wet thanks to the umbrella, however he did bike through a puddle, which caused his pants to be slightly damp at the bottom. "Sorry Vince-" "Call me Vincent in public." Rody blinked, before scrunching his body. "Sorry, Vincent.." Vince scoffed, walking over to the poor boy. He patted his face, pulling him more into the restaurant before shutting the door. "Don't forget next time, alright? You're always such a mess."

"I wont forget, sorry again.." The red head let out a chuckle, before giving a weak smile. Vince hummed, walking away to his office. "Alright, now get to work Rody." Was all he said before he shut the door. Rody watched as he walked away, sighing as his legs ached. Turns out trying to bike fast took a toll out of people, especially ones who didn't exercise often.