• Chapter Five •

Ariel

"Ariel, dear, why don't you set the table for me while I get dinner ready?" Mom smiles at me from across the living room where I'm sitting with a book, all curled up and away from the world as I get lost within its pages.

"Okay, in a minute," I respond. She nods and goes back into the kitchen. I finish reading the page I'm on and place my bookmark in it, putting that world on pause as I climb back into the real world. I place it on the shelf beside me and throw the blanket off, the cold air instantly attacking my senses and making me shiver. I walk across the living room and into the kitchen, prompting a few protests from my three brothers who are playing a game on the TV. I told Steve I couldn't go into work today, which is why I'm actually home for supper. Brody and Zach haven't said much to me since the incident the other night.

"Hey! C'mon, man, you're gonna get me killed!" The three of them yell out their complaints as I walk across, and I roll my eyes at their childishness.

"Chill. You'll die anyway. I'm just speeding up the process." I laugh as Brody gasps and clutches his chest, clearly offended. Zach glares at me and shakes his head. Matti stares at me blankly, something devious glimmering in his eyes. The pillow smacks me right in the face before I can react. My mouth drops open and I stare at him in astonishment. Boisterous laughter fills the room as the three of them almost fall off the couch from laughing so hard.

While the boys lose their attention to their contagious laughter, I narrow my eyes onto my target and slowly reach down to get the pillow. Like a lioness stalking her prey, I sneak up behind Matti to return fire. He doesn't even see me through all the laughing, making this perfect timing. I throw the pillow. It smacks him right in the head and makes him tumble off the couch. Clutching my stomach, I wipe the tears from my eyes as I watch him get up. Laughter fills the living room again as Brody and Zach enjoy seeing Matti get his due.

"That's it, you're going down!"

"Ariel? Are you coming, sweetie?" Mom's voice cuts him off, making me smirk in victory. Matti narrows his eyes at me, dropping the pillow in defeat. I stick my tongue out at him and skip into the kitchen.

"So, what're we having for dinner, Mom?" I walk over to the cabinet and grab six plates.

"I made meatloaf and some mashed potatoes." She smiles over at me while she mixes the gravy. Mom and I have always been close. Growing up, she has not only been my mom, but my best friend. If I ever had any problems, she was the first I went to. We may not have always agreed on things, and I surely didn't listen as well as I should have, but we were always there for each other. And after all that I've been through, I couldn't be more grateful for her.

With a slight nod and a smile back, I begin setting the table, placing down all six plates, forks, knives, and napkins. Next, I head over to the sink and grab six cups, only filling five with water. A soft sigh escapes my lips as I place them down then take a seat at the end of the table.

"Honey, your brothers told me about what happened. Are you sure you don't want to take your medication?" She gives me a worried look, setting the gravy on the table and turning back around to get the potatoes.

"Yeah, I'm sure." I fiddle with my fingers and gaze down at the table cloth. The medicine is helpful, yes, but it makes me feel different. Mood changes, nausea, severe anxiety. It only seems to make things worse in a way that makes me feel even more weak and vulnerable than before. And I don't want to feel that way ever again.

We tried to get it changed to something else, but the other options were way too expensive for our insurance to cover. My doctor told us to stick with what I have now and if it becomes more of a problem to come back to get a different prescription. Despite how desperately she wanted to help me, the money was too much of an issue.

"Alright, if that's what you want. I'm not going to force you. But if it gets too bad, promise me you'll take them again?" She looks at me again, both worry and love spreading across her features.

"I promise." I smile and walk over to stand next to her. She opens her arms and pulls me into a tight hug, almost like she's squeezing all the pain right out of me. Things have been rough for all of us, Mom especially, but it's moments like these that help me believe that one day I'll be alright. That it'll all fade away and be forgotten. And hopefully that day will be sooner rather than later.

"Good. Now go get your brothers for dinner." She leans back from the hug and smiles. She gives me a soft kiss on the forehead and then pats my shoulder.

Walking over to the doorway, I poke my head into the room and see the boys all tangled up together.

"It's my turn now!" I hear Zach shout from the bottom of the dog pile, Matti and Brody wrestling him to the floor. It's anybody's guess as to what this is about.

"What are you guys? Five?" Walking over to see what they're trying to keep away from each other, I catch a glimpse of the primary game controller to our Xbox amongst their dog-pile. I roll my eyes so hard I think they almost fall out.

"We have four! Why are you guys fighting over that one?"

Brody struggles to maintain his grip on the controller. "It's the best one! The others are worn out!" Zach tears it out of Brody's hand, causing Brody to grunt in frustration. Wide-eyed, I stare at them and lift my hand to cover my mouth that is slightly ajar. How are we related?

"This is life or death, Ariel!" Zach screams out to me as he somehow shoves Brody and Matti off of him. He then starts running straight towards me. I scream and run away from him and into the kitchen. Brody and Matti charge in after us and soon we're all running around the table trying to get away from one another.

"Enough!" Mom yells at us, her eyes wide with shock and a tinge of amusement.

We all stop mid-run and look at mom as she points for us to sit. "Sorry, Mommy," we all say in perfect unison, a habit we've practiced ever since the day we could all play together.

She scrunches up her nose and says, "That is so creepy, and I'll never understand how you all got that rehearsed so well." She loses the fake disgust and smiles at all of us, taking her seat near Brody. I glance over at the empty plate at the end of the table. We've always set an extra plate, ever since Dad passed away. He passed when I was ten years old due to an unexpected heart attack. He was forty-five when it happened, and we were all so crushed. Brody and Mom most of all.

We were close, and he always made us happy just by being in the room. He was the kindest man I've ever known, and Mom always tells me I should try my best to find myself someone just as special as him to spend my life with. They were deeply in love. He would randomly bring flowers to her after work, then some nights after dinner when all of us kids were settled in the living room they would dance together in the kitchen as they cleaned up. Sometimes I would sneak over to the doorway just to watch them dance. My mom would rest her head on his chest, her eyes closed as a beautiful smile graced her lips. My dad would stare down at her so lovingly with a smile of his own.

Someday I want to find that kind of love too, I quickly look away and focus on my plate, my throat tightening. It's hard to think about his passing. He was our everything, and it hurts every day knowing he's not here to experience all of our life accomplishments with us. When I was a little girl, he would always tell me how much he loved me and about how one day I'd find my own Prince Charming. Knowing he won't be here for that day is rough.

"Ari, are you going to get any food?" Mom calls out to me, holding the potatoes towards me. I snap out of my thoughts and glance up to see that they're all looking at me. Brody and Zach both give me understanding looks.

"Uh, yeah, thank you." I take them from her and scoop some out on my plate. Thankfully, by the time I'm done they have all moved on to talk about their days. Dinner passes by quickly and we all start to clean up. Once we're done, the boys head back into the living room to play their game. Mom stays back in the kitchen and sits to read a book.

"Mom, I'm going up to my room." I call out to her from where I'm standing at the bottom of the steps.

"Okay, hun." She grabs her reading glasses and relaxes back against the chair, getting ready to get lost in her book. Being able to see her relax, even if just for a little bit, gives me a sense of relief. Dealing with the aftermath of what happened was, and is, heavy. Things haven't been easy for any of us. I smile softly at the sight before going up to my room.

"Oh, sweet bed, how I've missed you!" I rush over and jump onto my bed, landing with a loud "oomph!" I grab my blankets and pull them close to my face, cuddling into them so deep that I think I could have found another dimension.

My phone starts to ring and makes me emerge from my cozy, blanket-dimension. I search around on the bed for it and then hit the answer button.

"Hello?" I answer slightly out of breath, my hair a mess from all the searching.

"Hi, Ariel! I hate to ask, but could you come work the night shift again? Maria is feeling really sick and needs me at home," Steve asks, worry prominent in his voice.

I squeeze my eyes shut. I really don't want to, but... "Yeah sure, I'll be there in ten. Just get yourself ready to go and I'll pick up where you left off." I roll off the bed and walk towards the closet, opening it to get a change of clothes and some shoes, along with my nametag.

"Okay, thank you so much, Ariel! Thank you!"

I laugh softly. "No problem, Steve." He thanks me again before we say goodbye and he hangs up. I put on my blue jeans, blue oversized sweater, and my white Vans. I put my nametag on, grab my bag and head downstairs. "Mom, I have to go to work. I'll be back around twelve!" I go out the door, grabbing my coat on the way. The shop is only a few blocks away, so it's not too far of a walk.

"Okay, bye, sweetie. Be careful!" I hear her answer before I shut the door. After about ten minutes I'm walking into the building.
Thankfully, nobody is waiting, which means I can get myself prepared before it gets busy.

Even though it's seven o'clock, you'd be surprised by how many people think they need coffee at this time of night. I'm greeted by the smell of coffee grounds and freshly warmed bagels all mixed together, giving me a warm fuzzy feeling like wearing a sweater on the inside. I take a deep breath and close my eyes with a smile on my face. I open my eyes again and walk behind the counter, setting my bag
in the small cubby hole underneath and hopping onto the stool by the register.

Finally, alone at last. I take my book out of my bag and run my fingers along the cover, staring down at it lovingly. Just as I open the book, the bell above the door rings, and a group of teenage boys come into the shop. I sigh under my breath and put my precious book back into my bag. I put my bag on the floor and then stand to attend to the pack of teens. They take a seat by the window, laughing loudly and pushing each other. I sigh again and glance longingly at my bag on the floor. I could be at home reading right now.

They don't seem to notice me right away. They are huddled over one boy's phone, watching some video. As I strain my ears to hear, I hear yelling and loud moaning. I don't even want to know what they're watching. My nose crinkles with disgust, and my stomach turns. Their obnoxious laughter vibrates within the small room as they make their way up to the counter.

Pushing away my disgust, I plaster a fake smile on my face and prepare to address their group. I stand like this for a second, but they don't even look at me. Their faces are tipped upwards as they preview the menu boards to decide what they are going to order.

"Hello. Welcome! What can I get started for you?" That seems to get their attention as they turn away from the phone and the menu board to look at me. The boy who was holding the phone looks me up and down, a smirk creeping across his face.

"Sure, sweet thing. How about a bagel and umm..." He taps his chin in thought, taking a few seconds to respond.

"Oh! And your number, that would be great." He winks, and his buddies start laughing and patting his shoulder, cheering him on. Wow, he must have burnt out a few brain cells with that one. My fake smile instantly drops and my lips purse as I glance down at the register. Regaining my composure and clenching my jaw, I respond with such sweetness that one would think my veins were running with sugar.

"So, one bagel. Anyone else?" I ring up his order and glance around at the other three boys. They actually give me their orders without any sappy pick-up lines before turning back to watch the video. "I'll have your orders up in just a few minutes." I give them a fake smile once more and walk away, immediately rolling my eyes when I turn around.
I get their orders ready in under five minutes, quickly walking them over to the table of boys. I just want to read my book.

"Alrighty. Here you go! Two coffees, black. One hot chocolate, and one bagel." I smile towards the Bagel Boy, silently sending daggers toward him with my eyes. His eyes light up and his smirk comes back full-blown, making me take a slight step back out of concern.

"Thanks, sweet cheeks." He winks and then takes a bite from his bagel, a sideways smirk forming as he chews his food. I turn away quickly and hurry back to the counter. Was that supposed to be attractive? I feel like I'm gonna puke. My butt barely touches the seat when I see the Hoodie Boy from the other night sitting in the corner again, leaning over his phone. A feeling of apprehension and dread washes over me as I take in his brooding appearance. Begrudgingly, I walk over to his table to see if he wants a drink. He may have been rude last time, but perhaps he'll be different this time around.

"Welcome back. Can I get you anything?" I nervously rock back and forth on my heels as I await his response.

"Those idiots were checking you out earlier, you know." My expression morphs into shock. He didn't even look up at me when he said it.

"Wh-what?" I stutter embarrassingly, fiddling with the cap of my pen.

"They're looking at you now, too." He glances up at me and then nods his head towards the boys, looking back down at his phone in boredom. I glance over my shoulder and sure enough, they are all greedily staring at me. I catch Bagel Boy's eyes, my own widening in surprise when he smirks, winks again, and then licks his lips. I turn back around and swallow past the disgusted lump in my throat. Yuck.

"Um, well, I guess that's something I can't control." I bite my lip and look down at my shoes, awkwardly nudging them against the tile.

"You might not be able to do anything, but I can." He looks up at me. A slight smirk creeps out on the corner of his mouth, his eyes glinting.

"Wh-what? What are you going to do?" I stare at him with wide eyes, glancing back towards the boys and then him.

"Stay here and watch." He gets out of his seat and moves past me, walking toward the boys. The boys look at him with arrogance, smirks covering all of their faces. He walks right up to Bagel Boy and pulls him up out of his seat by his shirt. My eyes widen as I rush over and try to pull him off, but stop halfway. The other boys shout at him to get off, but none of them make a move to help their friend.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but were you just taking pictures of that girl?" Mystery Hoodie Boy glares down at Bagel Boy.

"I- I-..." Bagel Boy stutters and looks at him with wide eyes full of fear.

"That's what I thought." Hoodie Boy, whose name I really need to get, drops Bagel Boy back into his seat and then leans down to his level again. He whispers something and then turns back around to me, his smirk full blown as he passes me. The other boys quickly gather their things and exit the shop, rushing down the street out of view. I walk over to Hoodie Boy's table, where he's leaning back against his chair and smirking up at me, our eyes locking for the first time.

"What did you say to him?" I stare at him, bewildered, anxiety now crawling up my spine at the thought of what those boys might say. What if they report me to Steve? I could get fired!

"Oh, nothing, really. I just told him to take his sorry self out of here before I beat him to a pulp for taking pictures of you. Oh, and I may or may not have told him to leave you a big tip as well." He winks and crosses his arms, clearly proud of what he said to the Bagel Boy. My eyes widen and my mouth falls open slightly.
"You really said that?" I close my mouth as I take one step closer to his table, glancing over my shoulder at the table that was just vacated. Oh my word, I am so getting fired.

He shrugs and leans forward, taking his phone out and opening the Flappy Bird app again as if nothing happened. Turning my gaze back to him, I quickly cross my arms and glare down at him. "I didn't need you to do that, you know." My own voice surprises me with its brashness, sending a shock of adrenaline down my spine as I stand up for myself.

He stops dead in his seat, slowly swiveling to face me fully. A nervous feeling claws at my chest as his cold eyes stare right back into mine, not a sign of remorse in sight.

I take a nervous step back and quickly rephrase. "I mean, I would have handled it." My voice shakes awkwardly, and I quickly swallow the lump in my throat and lift my chin back up to feign confidence. "I don't need you fighting my battles for me."

He scoffs loudly then turns back to his game, mumbling something incoherent under his breath.

"What was that?" I cock my hip and raise an eyebrow, my own sass surprising me. But I'll be darned if I let another guy treat me like a damsel in distress.

He shoots a glare at me then snips back, "I said, apparently you do. You were just going to let them do it, so I stepped in." He finally looks at me fully, then rolls his eyes at my defensive stance. "I did you a favor."

"You put me at risk of getting fired for assault!" I exclaim, flinging my arms out as if to add, "What the heck, dude?" to the end of my sentence.

He snorts back a sarcastic laugh. "Please. You know you wouldn't get fired for that." His tone emphasizes his sarcasm, and he continues, "This is the part where you quit being dramatic and just say 'thank you.'" I remain silent, both of us glaring at the other until one of us breaks.

Finally, I can't take it anymore and let out a frustrated growl along with, "Fine! You win!" I break my gaze from his by looking away, only to turn back to find his eyebrow arched expectantly. I roll my eyes and mutter under my breath, "Thank you."

He leans forward and puts his hand up to his ear, feigning confusion as he asks, "I'm sorry, what was that? Would you mind repeating that for me? I didn't quite catch it the first time." He has a stupid smirk on his face as he stares at me. He knows he's getting under my skin, and he obviously enjoys it. I scowl at him then stand up straight, tilting my chin up and crossing my arms.

"I said," my voice is crystal clear this time, and I harden my glare as I continue, "Thank you."

"Ahh, see?" He leans back in his seat and crosses his arms, his arrogant smirk still in place. "Was that so hard, princess?"

My lips flatten as I press them together and bite my tongue, willing myself not to reply. I spin to walk away, blood boiling as I decide I no longer want to be anywhere near him. I head back behind the counter and pull my phone out to shoot Steve a text and explain what happened. Just in case. My once-happy mood has turned into one of pure irritation. He's so infuriating! Why does this guy bother me so much?

The bell above the door abruptly rings, jerking my attention towards it. Hoodie Boy walks out into the night, leaving the shop feeling desolate and empty. Suddenly, I'm painfully aware of how alone I am, and I can't help but to glance over at the table where he once was. My mind replays our exchange, and I begin to feel somewhat guilty about how I reacted. Just because he is rude doesn't mean I have to be.

I glance up at the time and gasp when I see how close I am to the end of my shift. Hoodie Boy had distracted me so much that I'm now going to be behind in doing my closing shift tasks. As I hurry to close up shop, I make a silent vow with myself to not act that way anymore. Especially if I ever do see him again. No boy is worth losing myself over. Never again.

~•~
• Author's Note. •

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Another Friday, another chapter! Is it just me or did this week go by really fast?? I hope y'all are doing well! I can't wait to hear your feedback on this chapter!!

My mom's birthday is coming up and I can't wait to make her a Cheesecake!! ❤️❤️ Any other October birthdays here? Happy belated/early birthday to y'all if there are!! ❤️❤️❤️

My plans for today: Get a warm sweater on, clean, then relax and watch The Office! (I have an obsession, okay) 😂❤️

Song added: Skyscraper
By: Demi Lovato ❤️

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                             Much Love,
                                ~Molly

Written 10/25/2016