Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
ADELAINE FELT RESTLESS as she walked to the convenience store, her original job waiting for her. Energy buzzed in her veins as she spotted the bright lights of her workplace, a clear contrast against the darkening blue sky and the sun setting. The sunlight faded as the sun disappeared in the horizon, and was soon replaced by streetlights and the light from infrastructures such as the convenience store.
By the time she arrived, Richie Harvey, her co-worker, was already inside the store, busy placing the items back to their respective places. Her beautiful hair was in a high ponytail, and there was no traces of makeup on her face, but it still looked flawless and beautiful. The color of their uniform highlighted the young girl's dark skin perfectly, making her look like a goddess despite the bland hue of the fabric. Sometimes, Adelaine envied Richie's natural beauty and how her co-worker and friend managed to charm their customers every time she was on cashier duty. But Richie tasted of cotton candies and candy cane, because she was bubbly and optimistic, and that was one of the reasons why Adelaine loved hanging around with her.
"Hey, girl!" Richie called out, a smirk on her lips upon seeing the subtle smile on Adelaine's lips. The ginger waved at her friend who stood up from her position in the stacks of grocery items waiting to be returned to their places, "You look unusually happy today. I wonder why,"
"I'm not," Adelaine tried to deny, but she bit her lips when Richie walked in front of her, raising an eyebrow.
"Spill the beans, Ads," The dark skinned young woman pressured her, placing a hand on shoulder, "It's getting really boring around here and your thriving love life is what will bring back the excitement!"
"It's nothing exciting, trust me," Adelaine turned her back on her friend as she absentmindedly fixed the chocolates and snacks near the cashier area, "I just got a new part-time job. The pay's pretty good,"
"Really?!" Richie's brown eyes twinkled as she jumped a little in excitement, "Hook me up, girl,"
"It's a week-end cleaning job," Adelaine explained as subtle as she can, "And I'm sorry, love. They're not hiring anymore,"
Richie leaned against the counter, "Aww, that's too bad. Is your boss hot anyway?"
Adelaine rolled her eyes playfully as she turned to her co-worker, "My boss is an old woman,"
"I'm pretty sure he has a cute son," Richie shot back. Or cute grandson. The smile that automatically made its way into Adelaine's lips made her friend squeal a little loudly than necessary. "Tell me about him, right now!"
Adelaine knew she didn't like Michael like that. She was just intrigued by him and the energy that buzzed in her veins whenever she was around him. There's something different about him and she didn't need her empathy to figure it out.
After their little chat about Adelaine's non-existent love life, the two workers separated for a while to do their jobs. That night, Richie was manning the cash register while Adelaine was doing inventory, a small clipboard and a pen in her hand as she checked the supplies in the small store.
They talked once in a while, but focused more on their work in case their boss came to check on them. They didn't want a repeat of last time, and she was lucky Richie charmed their way out of losing their jobs. Five hours had passed, the customers dwindling down to three per thirty minutes, usually gunning for the instant coffee or some midnight snacks. Adelaine was wiping under the coffee machine when she heard the bell ring, indicating a new customer. The man headed straight towards the cash register.
"EMPTY THE CASH REGISTER, NOW!" The man's voice echoed in the empty convenience store as he slammed his palm on the counter with a loud thud. Adelaine's heart raced as she slowly put the rug down and approached the man, her hand shivering as she caught sight of the gleam of the metal in his hand – a gun – pointed at her friend. Richie's eyes glistened with unshead tears as she tried to be as calm as possible while pulling out all the money from the cash register. Adelaine's eyes flitted towards the money, pain forming in her heart at the loss of the green paper but her friend's life was more important.
The bitter-salty taste of fear and confusion filled her tongue as she neared the gunman, her heart hammering wildly in her chest.
"I know you're scared," Adelaine told the man calmly, as he turned to face her, "We will give you the money but please put the gun down. You don't want to accidentally pull the trigger and shoot someone,"
The man seemed to calm down as he looked into her brown eyes, slowly putting the gun down. But as soon as the police sirens sounded outside, and the red and blue lights filled the convenience store, the man's demeanor changed.
"You called the police, you bitch!" He backhanded Adelaine, the sheer strength of the blow sending the ginger crashing towards the store products. She was knocked out cold, her lips busted and her cheek tingling with pain. The last thing she saw before she was plunged into the darkness was the arrival of the police, arresting the man who tried to rob them.
۞۞۞
When their boss arrived twenty minutes later, Adelaine was already awake, fighting a bad concussion as Richie fussed over her, worry on her co-worker's beautiful face. Her boss congratulated her on her heroic act, their money for the day saved from the thief. He asked her to go home early to rest. Richie offered to take her to a hospital, but she refused.
"I'm fine, honey," Adelaine assured her friend, as she wore her army jacket, "All I need is a warm shower and a good night's sleep,"
"Cancel your cleaning job tomorrow," Richie advised her, but the suggestion made her feel worse. She needed the distraction from what happened, the fear of almost dying still stuck in her head. Adelaine didn't call the police. She knew it was a stupid move. Whoever did almost cost her – her life. Adelaine groaned as she shut her eyes, trying to push the bad memories away. Another memory flashed in her head, and her lips immediately curled up. She didn't know why just thinking about Michael's angelic face was already making her feel better, but it was an effective way of pushing away the dark thoughts of dying.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
A/N: No Michael in this chapter, but he will be in the next!
