When I wake up in the morning, I rub my eyes until the walls of my bedroom come into focus. Streaks of light glimmer across the ceiling like sunlight on water. If it wasn't for the thin window curtain, I wouldn't know it was daylight out. I don't know how much time has passed since I fell asleep. I have to check my clock on my phone to orient myself for the day. It's Saturday, 9:14 in the morning. I stay curled in bed until my third alarm goes off. It's been more than a month since that bad dream. I keep on remembering it when I wake up. I remember waking up the next morning, drunk. My dorm mate made me drink soju for the first time, even though I keep refusing on drinking it. I didn't dare to drink another bottle since that day. The dream felt so real that I had to check myself for broken bones. I'm glad it was just a dream. None of this seems right, but there's no point in arguing with it. I have to get up and get ready for the day.
My dorm mate left me half a pot of coffee downstairs. I finished one cup and a bowl of rice and eggs. An hour later, I come through the streets to look for a tricycle. The tricycle arrives at the flower shop that I'm currently working in. We also sell macaroons there. The weather makes me crave for something cold to eat so my mind decides to visit the new ice cream shop just across the street.
"Yvaine, are you going to that shop?" my co-worker, Kael asked. "Buy me a rocky road, if you do!"
I give a thumbs up, telling him I am going. I can see his face complaining about the weather while placing newly arranged bouquets at the front glass. He's also in the same grade as I am. Though we're not in the same class, we became friends because of work.
I start to look both sides as I made my way to the shop. As I am walking on the pedestrian lane, a guy wearing a maroon shirt passes by me. He seems familiar. Before I could reach the other street, I turn to take a look at him again. I was not expecting anything but to my shock, he also turned to look at me. Turns out, he is a schoolmate, Cedric Serrano who is also in the same grade as mine. I once saw him playing his guitar on a school program. Though he was not the vocalist, he stand out the most, said the opinion of the crowd. I also notice him visiting the flower shop every end of the week and that I keep on wondering what was he there for every Saturday.
"Welcome to Sunnyside Cream Shop! We're glad to have you here at our opening!"
I smile at the ice cream mascot giving high fives to the kids as we enter. I guess everybody really came for the ice cream after walking under the heating sun. Some takes their seats but I decide to just stand at the corner, waiting for my turn to order. I turn to look at the flower shop to see Kael wiping off his sweat. He must be tired arranging the flower since the early morning. I told him a few days ago that I wasn't sure if I can be here today since I had plans with Rei, my dorm mate. But it got cancelled. I suddenly feel bad since I should be the one arranging there. I'll pay for his ice cream then. I'm sure he loves free food.
I'm busy thinking about something else when I didn't notice the two lines coming to an end at the counter. My mouth opens to tell my order but I just noticed the guy beside me, it's Cedric. He takes the order first.
"I'll have three scoops of pistachio, hot fudge, some marshmallows, whipped cream on top, rainbow sprinkles, and don't go easy on it," he says to the woman behind the glass. The woman turns to me. "How about you, ma'am? What are you having?"
Cedric notices my stares after his order, so he says, "It's for my cousin."
I turn to the woman immediately, "Uh, two rocky roads, please..."
I take a seat facing the window with a girl beside me. She looks younger than me, or I don't know. Maybe she looks young because of her features. I might just say she's the same age as me. My order comes right away after 3 minutes so I went back to the flower shop. But before I do, I take a look at the girl again and see if she's still looking at me. And yet she did it again. She has been glancing at me while we were waiting for our orders. Though I didn't know why, I just smile at her before going out. Kael runs to me as soon as he hears the crystal wind chime jangles from the door opening. I give the other cup.
"I think you should remove those first," I say, pointing at his dirty gloves. He soon notices and removes them.
"My bad." I give the cup as soon as he finished putting sanitizer on his hands. "Thank you by the way, I needed this."
"No worries.. And oh, you don't need to pay for it." His eyes slowly widens.
"Really?"
"You don't want it?" He immediately put a spoonful of ice cream in his mouth and walks away. I let out a laugh. We talk about how the shop went when I was not here a while ago. He says Mr. Louie came to deliver the newly cooked macaroons and that many kids followed to buy them. Kael suddenly suggests to have more snacks and sweets here at the shop since the people around are giving us good rates about the macaroons and flowers.
"This is a flower shop, El."
"We too have macaroons, Eve."
I frown when he called me the name. He laughs after being hit by a glove that I threw.