Accidental Roommate (NEW)

40 v2

The noise in the cafe was almost deafening. With it being lunchtime, the interior was filled to the brim with those working in the nearby office buildings. They were all rushing through their meal or grabbing a quick bite before heading back to work.

In the middle of it all, Sharon wished she was one of them. It would be great if getting lunch was her only concern. Having been one of the first ones there, it was now nearing the end of her lunch hour and she was done with her meal. She even had two cups right in front of her. One of them was the drink that came with the meal while the other another drink she'd ordered. And still, the person she was supposed to meet was still not here.

She wondered how much longer she should wait. This should be enough, right? She had completed her obligation. She was in the cafe at the appointed time and for the appointed duration. There was no need to feel guilty, right? And she could reject any future calls as well, right?

Right.

Nodding with resolve, she grabbed her wallet and was getting up when she finally saw her guest. She was entering the cafe and, as always, her sister was dressed like she was walking down the runway. That was so unnecessary and attention-grabbing. Gritting her teeth, she wondered whether there was room for her to slip away but their eyes met. There was no escape now.

Cursing herself and her need to be nice, she sat down reluctantly. Then, her lips tightened while watching how slowly Amelia was walking towards her. She was sauntering as if there was all the time in the world. She was so slow that a turtle could overtake her. A baby turtle, with their small body and tiny limbs. Put another way, Sharon reckoned the time it took for Amelia to reach her was enough for them to complete this talk. She could even leave by now with no guilt whatsoever. And yet, she waited.

Finally, the queen arrived. Heaving a breath of relief, Sharon was ready. She could take on whatever Amelia had for her. She had been mentally preparing herself since this morning, bracing herself for whatever her sister was going to say. She had steeled her heart and mind, watching her closely, waiting for her to make her opening move. But, then, all the energy left her. She couldn't believe what had happened. She was left speechless.

With a perfunctory greeting, Amelia went right to the counter. She was going to buy a drink. Her eyes followed Amelia in disbelief. Her sister was even engaging the cashier in some small talk. It was all happening right before her and she still couldn't believe it. She, her own sister, hardly garnered much of a reaction but she was more than willing to listen to the sob story of a woman she met five minutes.

Sharon was both mad and hurt. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself. But it was hard. Her naturally high threshold for patience had been slowly shaved off the moment she had rushed to this cafe. As the minutes passed by, chunks had been taken and now, she was approaching her limit. It felt like her head was going to explode.

"Sorry about that. That took longer than expected,"Amelia said as she slipped into the seat across hers. Amelia's calmness made her want to turn to violence. Sharon had to cross her arms, holding them tightly against her chest She had to do that. That was the only way she could restrain herself. Otherwise, her hands would do something she'd regret.

She didn't know what but she just knew it was going to be one of her biggest regrets ever. Not that she'd regret doing it. Instead, it was the consequences that stalled her. Consequences which would be bad. Bad, she repeated reminded herself, her hands gripping her biceps tightly. But it was so tough. Especially when Amelia was more concerned in relating whatever the cashier had told her instead of starting on why they were here in the first place.

This woman had no shame. Sharon was genuinely flabbergasted. Why did she think she could do this to her? Was it because Sharon had always given into her before? Well, no more. With her fingernails digging into her flesh, it was time to get her back on track.