05. SPICE AND SUGAR
☀☀☀
[hana | liam ]
[The scene opens in a near empty hallway in May Fields High on a cloudy Thursday afternoon. In spite of the weather, the blonde in the lavender sweater standing behind the blue metal door of Locker 3928 is bouncing on her feet with a cheerful tippity-tap. She's hoping to catch the attention of the brown-haired boy in the white hoodie whom the locker belongs to; but alas, he's too busy shoving textbooks into his gray backpack and cursing under his breath about work to notice her. It's not until he places the lock back on its' hook with a click that he realizes she's standing there and jumps back a step. He frowns at the sight of her pastel yellow bag, mismatched socks, and scuffed white tennis shoes.]
❝Hell, Witschire, you scared me for a sec.❞
❝Scared, huh. That's new.❞
[She quirks an eyebrow, apparently amused by his reaction. He shrugs in response, raking a hand through his dark brown locks and throwing her a weary stare.]
❝Have you looked in the mirror lately?❞
❝Ah, there's the Liam I know.❞
❝Wilkes.❞
❝Right, Liam - I brought this for you.❞
❝. . .❞
[He eyes the tall pile of yellow plastic that has suddenly appeared in her outstretched palms.]
❝Since you didn't buy anything yet and you gave me a ride yester-❞
❝Don't mention it. I didn't know Witschire's offered a delivery service though.❞
❝Only for special customers. I thought it would save you the trip down to the store.❞
[He offers a slight nod of appreciation and accepts the candy. She beams at him before rolling her blue eyes upwards in thought and snapping her fingers suddenly.]
❝Do you think people would want candy to arrive at their doorstep? Maybe business would pick up if we offered that sort of thing.❞
❝Maybe. Does it include express shipping to send delivery girls off to somewhere far away from my locker?❞
[Her brow crinkles as she ponders this, and she shakes her head in response.]
❝You can't throw people in a giant box and transport them. Post offices don't work like the Narnia closet.❞
❝It's a wardrobe.❞
❝Huh, so you're also into fantasy stories? That's new.❞
[He rolls his eyes at her but suppresses a smile. She falls into step beside him as he begins taking long strides towards the front of the school. A comfortable silence stretches between them for a few moments in the empty hallways before he speaks up.]
❝So why are you here still?❞
❝Cooking club and Sign Language Society. You?❞
❝Nothing better to do.❞
❝You should try a club or two.❞
❝I've got other things to do after school, sweetheart. I came back to grab my things.❞
❝Ah, do you work in the area?❞
[At this, he offers a nonchalant shrug and a crooked smile. He changes the topic quickly.]
❝It's nothing like selling candy.❞
❝Hey, it's a hard job. I take it very seriously.❞
❝I can see that. But you're not working the register today?❞
❝It's my day off. I like to do other things every now and then.❞
❝Like delivering candy?❞
[At this, she frowns. For a moment, her shoulders seem to droop before she brightens and turns to him again.]
❝I mean, I have a few shifts this weekend. But maybe I'll see you around.❞
❝Nah, I've got plenty of candy now.❞
❝But that won't last long at all.❞
❝Then you don't know me at all.❞
❝That's the magical thing about sugar though: even the sourest people come back to it time and time again-❞
❝-I think that's what you'd call a 'drug'-❞
❝-because they remember the candy store colours and the sticky hands, and the memories, and-❞
❝So you're a part-time salesperson, babe, I get it.❞
❝I mean, why else did you end up visiting two times and spending fifteen dollars and sixty cents?❞
[He doesn't respond. As they exit the school, he begins making his way towards a green van filled with loud jocks and bubblegum-blowing cheerleaders. She takes it as a cue to head for the bike racks but turns to him one last time.]
❝I'll see you around then.❞
❝Maybe in your dreams, sweetheart.❞
[And with a wink, he disappeared around the corner.
But in spite of his words, he found himself at the candy store once again, twenty four hours later. Because after absentmindedly tossing all of the bags of candy to his friends on the car ride home and polishing off a bag of semi-sweet chocolate orange segments that had somehow been included in the mix, he realized that there was some sense to her observation after all.
He couldn't say he liked the candy store in particular, nor the taste of the candy itself. Yet he found himself continuously drawn to Witschire's.
And in spite of his refusal to acknowledge it, he was starting to realize that it was more than just sugar that kept him coming back.]
☀☀☀
a/n: SO THIS WEEK WE HIT 2K READS AND YESTERDAY WE WERE #53 in SHORT STORY??? I found out in the morning and I actually choked on my cereal, goodness - had to pinch myself a few times too :')) I feel like I'm always saying this, but really a huge huge thank you to all of you who continue to read and support and send love to the characters in the comments! <3 It makes me incredibly happy to see all of you pop into my notifications and inbox! <3 And in case anyone hasn't told you this today, remember that:
On another note, there were a few bits of information dropped that will come back later! (And it feels weird to say spice then sugar, but it's the pattern of opposites in the titles ;) I hope everyone's ready for some exciting things coming up! I think the next few updates will show that there's more to this story than just fun in the sun! :'))
If you read this far and enjoyed, be sure to leave a vote! <3 And comment whether you prefer sweet or salty snacks (or neither)! :)) (I shall hunt around for some food emojis and distribute some virtual snacks from Witschire's for you all! <3)
Dedicated to the king of short stories, officialfuryevans!