——
'But what if he's waiting for you to start talking to him? And your waiting for him to start talking to you?
~ Just do it, now ~
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A 20 and a 10
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Isabelle
"You're not doing it right!" Milo yells from across the table, and I can't really tell if he's more scared or mad at the moment. "Well I'm not having a very good teacher." I bit back, my anger just barely at bay.
Let's just say this has been a very long morning...and it's still only 8am. Although, I really–really–am trying to think on the bright side. "You broke the cash register Isabelle." He hisses, his breath hitting my check as he leans closer so that nearby customers won't hear.
"How was I supposed to know it was old?"
"It's not." He retorts. I gather all the money that is now all in one pile in the middle. "It's fine, I'll just...fix it?" Milo grunts, and stomps off past the back doors of Mama Hazels.
I ignore his man-child-like state, and start scanning my surroundings for anything that will work.
The cash register is one of those two layered ones, and one of the hinges just broke off, so the top half grew slanted prompting the money to practically slide out.
I guess 'just broke off' isn't very descriptive, but all I did was open it. Ok, maybe I tugged it a little harder because of how rude the customer was being. Stupid pricks need to be thankful for what I'm giving them.
The store has been pretty quiet this morning, so when I don't feel like anyones going to be coming, I walk towards the back of the store. There's a small storage closet, and when I open the door I realize it is indeed small.
This used to be my ultimate hiding spot when playing hide and seek with all my friends. Technically no one is allowed back here, but Mama Hazel always left it open, and nobody ever found me.
It was pretty funny, actually.
Only problem though, I don't remember it being this tiny, or cramped pack for that matter.
I flick on the light switch to my right, and a small bulb begins to buzz above my head. It doesn't do much for light, but it does give enough to where I see a small box of random materials.
When I was in Portland, one thing I took up doing in my spare time was creating things. I remember vividly raiding my aunt's attic and creating just worthless items to pass the time.
The older I got, the bigger my things got. I built a treehouse for my little cousins that were on the way, I built them a crib too actually. My aunt was having twins right before I left.
Besides the point, I shove a couple other things away until I get to the box I'm looking for. I need something that's going to be slidable, like a hinge that can move back and forth. Finding a broken piece of rubber band, and popsicle sticks, I walk back out to the front room–thankful no one came by–and get to work.
First, twisting one of the ends of the string to the stick, and then tieing the other end to the other one, I place one stick in the bottom shelf pocket, and the other in the top shelf pocket.
See, that wasn't so hard.
I finish up re organizing the spilled money, and shut the cash register at the same time someone clears their throat. I jumped, spooked, to look up and see a familiar brown eyed man. It startled me, his eyes. Momentarily stunned me.
"Isabelle? You alright?" I blink a couple of times, and laugh awkwardly. "Sorry, you just looked like someone else I knew. Wait, how do you know my name?" I know this man, that's for sure. I ran into him that day when Mama Hazel convinced me to work here.
"Oh, wait, Blake right?" He laughs softly, and nods his head. "You were ok the other night right? You were pretty hammered, and then just disappeared." Oh, that's right. It finally clicks that I saw him on my birthday.
It's a really faint memory that sweeps over my vision of us re introducing ourselves. "Right, sorry, I was out of it, but I–" My voice gets abruptly cut off as I feel another presence behind me. Warmth against my back. "She was perfectly fine." A voice grumbles from behind.
Milo's voice. I look back at him, giving him a quick 'what the freak?' look, before turning back around to Blake. The thing that confuses me even more is that he's semi glaring at the man behind me.
They seem to be having some silent conversation when I step forward, more or so that I wasn't feeling the warmth Milo was emitting onto me. "Can I get you anything?" He looks back at me, smiles, and nods his head. "Yeah, I'll have–" I huff out a breath of air when my body is jolted quickly.
I don't even have time to process what's happening because I'm being shoved into the back room. I only see the smallest bit of Milo's face as he walks back out to Blake.
I stare, in both shock and confusion. How the heck did he just get me back here, and why did he put me back here? I groan out in annoyance and start stomping out the swinging doors when they swing open on their own.
I run straight into Milo's chest, but don't bounce off. I just stand there, breathing heavily as does he. His eyebrows are once again furrowed, and it looks as if he has an expression of pain on his face.
The doors are clearly open to the world to see us standing in between them, but I can't move. I can't physically get my feet to cooperate with my brain.
Either Milo get's this, or he just wants me to move but he starts moving forward, causing me to walk backwards so that I don't fall. He only stops when we hear the doors behind him swing shut.
The little noise that was being made out in the other room is now replaced with a deafening silence. It's silent, yet so many thoughts and words are being spoken through the air.
"What the heck was that for? You just push me away from my job and start talking for me to an actually nice guy who is possibly my friend? Are you trying to ruin my life?" My words hang in the air for seconds after with him just staring at me.
It takes me a minute for my words to catch up with my brain–and boy do they–which then has me clamping a hand around my mouth, eyes wide. "Oh gosh, I'm sorry. That was so mean–"
"Stop, talking." Milo sighs, no anger at all in his voice. "It's fine, you don't have to apologize, but that dude is a prick and whether you like it or not, I know him better than you; therefore, I get to say what type of person he is." I just blink at him, not believing one word coming out of his mouth.
"Milo, he's done nothing but be nice to me." Except for the weird, bad gut feelings I get when I'm only around him, and the sense of an eerie remembrance. I leave that part out though. "You're going to listen to me when I tell you to stay away from him." My eyebrows shoot up at his command, and then drop into a glare.
"Why am I listening to you? Give me one good reason why I should do what you're saying." I ask slowly. He grunts and looks up at the ceiling. When his face lowers, a look of pure worry is etched onto his face. "Because I'm asking you, Isabelle." His words are hard, but somehow soft at the same time.
I sigh and look down at my feet. "Ok." I finally whisper. He exhales loudly, and walks around me, towards the tables with pastries on them. "I'm being serious Isabelle." He tells me again when I walk over to him. "Yeah, so am I." He glances over at me, his eyebrows furrowed in a confused/glare kinda look. It's confusing me.
"Are you?" My eyes narrow in a confused look because what the heck else am I supposed to do? I am beyond the land of understanding what's going on. "You're really confusing me." I admit. "You're confusing me." He admits back, his voice going pitchy. I snort a giggle and look down at the tray of food he's got in his hands.
I then glance around the busy kitchen that holds 4 other people all doing different jobs. "Stay away from him." He whispers staring back at the pastries, scowling at them like he's ready to take them on. "Yeah, ok, but you're going to poison those poor treats if you keep looking at them like that." His eyes snap up to me set in a glare before he sees me sporting a smile on my lips. Then his eyes somehow soften.
I swipe the tray from around him, and push the swinging doors with my hips to walk out. I leave Milo behind when the doors shut, and I'm off delivering food to people. I do, fortunately, avoid seeing Blake. I'm not looking for him or anything, but I don't see him anywhere when my eyes sweep the café, making me slightly worried about what Milo could've said to him when they were alone.
Ignoring the past, I focus on the present and work the newly fixed cash register, watching the small breakfast rush hour run through, and then die down when noon circles around. People come in, buying books, and reading here. I watch people work, and drink coffee. Dates, phone calls. Basically intrude on everyone's personal lives and not feel a single bit of shame about it.
What surprises me is when Milo walks back out the doors, and leans against the counters next to me, just reaching my height with his hunch over the table. No one has come by the counter in a while, and everyone seems to be content so I lean next to him.
His eyes search the tables of people, until they lock on one particular table in the back and he finally speaks. "What date do you think there on?" I look at the boy and girl, probably around our age, give or take a few years. "What makes you think they're dating? They could be siblings." I glance over at him, but he's looking at them.
"No way, he's got his hand on top of hers, and he looks nervous." Milo points out. I stare at the two people more, and notice their faces looking very similar. "But look at their physical features. They are practically identical." We both stay silent for a few minutes, giving me time to absorb the fact that Milo is talking to me–willingly–and not fusing or glaring.
Change of heart?
"20 bucks there dating." He finally states. I stay silent, staring at them. "30 they're siblings." I challenge him. His eyes widen only slightly, for a second, then fall back into place. "Ok, you're on Everest."
I'm not sure how we are supposed to find out if they're dating or siblings in general, but being so friendly with Milo, and talking like it's normal is really doing something to me. Is this what we would be like if things had never changed between us? Would they be better than this?
My thoughts are interrupted by another set of elbows sitting themselves on the counter. I jerk backwards, clutching my chest at the surprise. "What are we staring at?" Violet questions, her big golden eyes blinking up innocently at me, then switching to Milo who has yet to acknowledge her presence.
He's so focused on the pair that I don't even think he realizes she's here. "Jesus cornflakes, you scared the nut sack off of me." I breathe, smoothing my hair back.
Two pairs of eyes slowly turn to look at me, giving me weird looks. Milo of disbelief, and amusement. Violet of..horror? "What?" I ask slowly, switching my eyes between them. "Scared the nut sack off of you? Isabelle, what the heck does that even mean." I feel my face glow red, but I don't get a chance to answer because Milo's head is snapping back to the two unknown people pair. "We need to work on your phrasing." I hear Violet murmuring while her eyes finally follow where mine and Milo's are attached.
"Why are you looking at the Montgomery twins?" She asks curiously. Although I barely hear her statement over the high squeal that leaves my lips. "Haha, I was right! Pay up mister." I beam with excitement, my face forming a huge smile as I hold my hand out extended for my money.
I've never seen a girl more confused in my life, but I don't even care anymore because all I can see is the pure look of shock on Milo's face. He watches them, slack jawed, walk up to the counter while the girl starts pulling her wallet out. "It's on the house." I tell her.
They both look at my ecstatic expression with a funny look, smiling slightly as if they can't help it. "Oh, are you sure?" The guy askes. I nod, giggling and looking back at Milo.
His expression hasn't changed one bit. "Of course. You two enjoy your day." I wave them off, and when I look back Violets sitting on the counter swinging her legs while Milo's standing crosses armed, leaning with his back against the counter.
I bit down on my lip to suppress another squeal in fear of scaring off any customers, and just held my hand out for him to put money in. I don't even want his money, I just want to gloat about the fact that I was right and he was wrong.
As petty and childish as that sounds, it's so freaking fun seeing his embarrassed and confused face as he fishes for a twenty and ten from his wallet. After slapping the money in my hand, I know I see him suppressing a smile as well. I laugh evilly, and stuff the money into my wallet as I take my apron off. "Will someone please explain what happened?" Violet askes, breaking the care free, light, silence. "He thought they were dating, and I said they were siblings." I reply slyly, snickering to myself. "Ya'll bet on it." She asked in disbelief. I shrug, glancing back at Milo with a smirk.
He's got a normal Milo glare set onto his face, and looks like it could also pass as a pout. "He started it." Violet takes a few cautious looks between us before bursting into a fit of giggles. "Oh man, you got your balls tied there didn't ya?" His glare shifts towards her slowly, his jaw ticking in annoyance. His ears ting a light shade of pink.
She slaps his back, rather harshly, and then jumps off the table. "Come on Izzy, we gotta get going. Our parents are getting a little hangry." He starts pulling me towards the door, but I stop her. "Wait, are you gonna be ok without me?" I ask Milo, right before exiting the door. He looks surprised by my question, but hides it with a cough.
"Yep." I take one extra long look at him before finally just exiting the doors.
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AN:Truly love this chapter