favorite record ; joji

》two - idfc

Tell me that you love me,

Even if it's fake

--

the rest of the day was fairly normal, no run ins with ex-best friends who hated her for reasons she couldn't recall.

the walk home was also fairly normal, until her phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number.

unknown: go out to your balcony when you get home

of course this concerned her, but she did as she was asked nonetheless.

she pulled the bundle of metal out of her pocket, and slid her house key into the door.

there was a click and she pushed her door open, discarding her backpack to the side.

she unlocked the sliding glass door, and stepped out onto the balcony, the same as she'd done the night before.

she closed her eyes and breathed in the smoggy air of the busy place she called home, sparky wrapping herself around her ankle.

"why were you out here last night?" a voice broke the silence, a voice she knew all too well.

"i could ask you the same question." she snorted, still leaning on the railing with her eyes closed.

"couldn't sleep, or something," he mumbled.

"that makes two of us, but im sure if you heard someone singing at 2am, you'd go and investigate it too."

"i havent talked to you in seven years, dont act like you still know me, violet." his words were full of spite.

she just raised her hand up to her mouth to chew a thumb nail and nodded solemnly.

》《

there was this one customer that frequented the thrift shop, and she swore he flirted with her whenever he got the chance.

sure, he was cute, but she wasn't really looking for a relationship.

he caught up with her on her way to work, today.

"hey, violet is it?" she looked over her shoulder at the man walking behind her.

"uh, yeah?" of course she was confused, because how did this stranger on the street know her name.

"uh, hi, my names eric," he stuck his hand out and she hesitated to shake it. "and i see you at kramers a lot," he glanced at what she'd hoped was the logo on her shirt, "and i was wondering if you'd like to get coffee sometime?"

"uh, sure,  i mean if it gets me out of the house," she managed a small smile. he seems nice.

they talked a bit, but parted ways as they approached the thrift shop.

she opened the door, and ethan smiled at her.

"looks like I've got a date," she resumed her spot on the edge of the counter and ethan raised an eyebrow at her.

"with that guy thats always here, yanno, the blond one that always stares at me?"

"him?" she just nodded.

"why not? it gets me out of the house."

"i guess so," ethan stated, resuming whatever he was doing on his phone.

business was slow, as always, people normally gravitated towards goodwill, or the salvation army rather than small family owned places, and she never truly understood it. she always found gems sorting through donations, but at the same time it was a blessing. she got first pick. 

》《

she had no run ins with george since the evening on the balcony, which was strange in a way, because before that she'd see him or his two friends in the halls, but now it was like they'd all dropped off the face of the earth. it made the building seem sort of lonely, as she didn't see many of her other neighbors very often. she knew them, but not very well. she always made it a point to go check on the elderly lady that lived opposite to her, though. she made the best tea. 

it seemed too quiet, almost. normally, you could hear yelling or things falling over and breaking, even with the apartment between us. god only knows what they were doing.

but it brought a false sense of home, to her, and it was good to hear his voice again, whether it be full of spite and anger towards her or not. he felt like home. 

but now it was quiet.

and she didnt like it, one bit.