HOLD ME CLOSER (BL/BXB)

Thirteen

"Oh, so you're working here?" Speaking of the girls that I did not want to tell Scott about. Once I set foot on the counter and had done fixing my apron, they made their way towards me and I gave them a smile.

"Can I take your order, Ma'am?" I asked, trying to evade the questions spurting out of her mouth, keeping my tongue tied at what they were about to utter with their curious minds lingering like a cat peeping through yards jumping from a high fence or even on the roof.

"Well, I am not here to order. I am looking for you, actually." She told me and I gave her and her group of friends a look. Not the surprised one but more of a scared one.

"Friends with Scott, right?" She asked as she crossed her arms in front of her and raised a brow.

"Yeah." I nodded and smiled at them.

They all giggled and I raised a brow.

"Are you all looking for him?" I asked, curiously as to why they were asking him on me. "He was probably at the campus or somewhere else."

"Oh. I see. I thought he would be probably here. I knew you like to cling unto him a lot."

"What? No," I brows tied into a knot. "I . . . Ugh . . . We're just. . . " i struggled to find the right word out if my tongue like scrambled jigsaw pieces.

"Had a hard time explaining your situation with him? Does everybody knows?" She asked.

"What are you talking about?"

"That you're you-know." She did the hand-flick thing and I already got what she said. A thief should be aware of his surroundings before from the shadows he emerged. I did that. Scared of being caught. No one really knew about it. Not even Scott. That would be horrifying if he found out.

I stood there silent, gulping the secret like some lump on my throat.

"No one knew right? So, keep your hands to your self and off of him. Before everyone in the campus knew about your lil crush on Scott." She snarled with her threatening eyes and I was taken aback. My eyes went pass through them and scanned through the people behind. Thankfully, they were all busy enough with their businesses to further acknowledge the presence of a commotion happening by the counter.

I could feel my heart hammering against my ribcage. I could feel how bare I was from the cloak that I thought would permanently hide what I was from people.

I knew myself that I was one but I never knew that someone I did not know would come up to me and told me what I was hiding.

Questions popping up inti my head, spinning around and around until it would finally explode. The glass nearly slipped from my grasp but was quick enough to catch it with another hand before it fell.

"What wrong?" My co-part-timer asked.

"I just nearly broke the glass."

"You're lost in your train of thought." She noticed looking around my face, trying to find for some evidences that something was up. Clearly, she got a satisfied look. She knew something was up.

"I will not ask you anything." She sighed. "You can go home now."

"What? No." I refused and continued washing the glass with chocolate frappe stains on its inside walls. I squeezed the sponge, and bubbles spurted out of it that covered my fingers.

"You're not okay."

"I am. I'm just . . ."

"Tired? Thinking of something?" She gave me a raised brow. "Clearly you are."

"I will not ask anything. Just go and take some rest. I cover the rest of your shift." She told me.

She quickly took over the sink, bumping the side of my hips with hers so that I would be out of her way. She smiled then flicked her hands in front of me twice, signaling me to go away.

"Are you sure?" My shoulders fell as a sign of defeat.

"Go. Before I change my mind." She was half screaming and that was enough to keep my legs moving.

I went to the front door and opened it. Chimes rang and she looked at my way before waving a goodbye.

"Take a good night sleep."

"I will."

I told her.

I walked my way towards the house. The door was agape. The frame set an inch from the door before it completely closed. My thoughts still clouded of the girls trying to threaten me to spill gossips about me and Scott. But I shook my head to try to get rid off it. I would just find a way for it tomorrow.

The door creaked open once I pushed it. The darkness inside were slowly engulfed with the bright light from the post.

A shard emerged from the darkness and on the floor it stayed. The concave ceramic whose edges were completely full of cracks. I made a step forward to inspect. But when I did, another bigger shard appeared. This time I made my way to touch it, and tears fell after I realized it was my piggy bank shattered into numerous pieces, murdered on the floor, guilty of being robbed.

I picked up the pieces.

"What's happening?" I whispered to myself. I wiped the tears rushing down my cheeks. I knew myself what had just happened and I knew it was my father who stole the money to suffice his vices.

"What's happening here?" That voice reminded me of home, a safe space, a refuge I seek through thunderous nights and in delight, I looked back.

Thank you so much for waiting. If you don't know I am an accounting major and my internship took place during audit season. I thought I would be able to update as many as possible but unfortunately not. I hope for your understanding. The support was immaculate and would be forever grateful. Hopefully some of y'all would follow me on tiktok, vote here and comment something to motivate me. Thank you once again 💗!!!