Peridot. [c.t.]

soy bean wax, peach fuzz, cheek pinches.

"Are you gonna pay up anytime soon?" He refers to my drainage of the strawberry bin, but I stayed lost in the moment.

Our knees are barely a centimeter apart, but he makes a point to keep them that way. I could put money on the fact that his knees were growing numb just like mine were, but I couldn't bring myself to be bothered by it.

I think back to what I brought with me on the drive back from our house. "I got enough to cover a book and maybe a cup of tea, if I'm lucky."

My parents wouldn't notice if I was gone. It wouldn't be the first time I took a leave of absence in the middle of a busy day to go grab some tea, maybe hide in the bookstore to take an impromptu break when it got overwhelming.

He got up first, putting the milk crate down over the table to offer his hands to me. The softness of his touch was not unfamiliar to me, but it always felt new in some ways every single time.

"Consider me the lucky one." I took the crate from him and took off before he had time to catch up and snag it from me, hoisting it over my shoulder instead to help bear the weight better.

I looked back over my vacant shoulder and caught his doting eyes admiring me from a number of steps behind, only putting one foot forward to follow me when I gave him a smile that suggested he moved along.

For once I didn't look back any more knowing he wasn't far behind. I didn't need to when I could feel his presence occupying every one of my senses as he caught up.

I didn't have an ounce of doubt he would always be there.

He always was, after all.

- NOW -

The smacking of my lips made them feel almost too brittle for me to press them together again, but enough to wake me up.

Directly in my line of vision are the glow in the dark stars I refused to tear down even after surpassing that phase of my life when they were a staple in my room. They were blurry at first, but my vision cleared sufficiently for me to notice the shadows casted around them by the light bleeding through the curtain.

I followed the light pooling in, noticing how it was brighter than I expected and turned on my side to check the time on my phone, seeing how I'd missed all seven of my alarms and slept through what was supposed to be a decent time for me to get ready for my first day of work.

"Fuck." I sway my way into a seating position, rushing a text to Barbara apologizing for being late, which she responds seconds later that it's no problem at all

My guilt still drives me to scurry into the bathroom, encountering a sleeping Robyn sitting on the toilet seat with her elbow perched over the counter supporting the weight of her body.

I smack the side of her head, her whole body jolting with a weird noise coming from her as she confusingly looks around the room until her eyes land on me.

"How long have I been here?" She grumbles, her yawn making her limbs shake.

"I should be asking you that." I take my toothbrush and dampen it before loading it up with paste, wetting it again and brushing my teeth.

"What time is it?" She hoarsely asks this time, gathering paper in her hands to wipe herself slowly. "Did I wipe?" She follows with, shrugging and going for the wipe anyways.

"Just past 10." I spit out the toothpaste, giving her a look as if to urge her to move so I can relieve myself.

"I sat here at eight-ish. I think." The freckles on her nose disappear in a scrunch of her face, reaching below the counter to spill two ibuprofen pills and cupping enough water in her hand to swallow them both.