Im Not An Emotionless Monster - Tumblr Posts
Not My Magical Destiny part 5
Intro <<previous (part 4)
the end :)
A college student dressed in all black walked through the door. His hair brushed his ears, half black and half terrible auburn. Chains and blunt spikes lined the seams of his dress pants. A strained smile pulled at his face, dimple creasing by his temple. I stood from where I was restocking the desserts: roses, poodles, and other puff pastries.
“Welcome to Purebread Pastries, what can I get for you?” I greeted brightly.
I had never seen anyone’s face drop faster. Tears welled in his eyes, which I noticed were already red-rimmed. Empathy flared in my chest, unbidden but welcome.
“Oh, hey. How about a cupcake, on the house?” I suggested, desperate to cheer this person up. “For here or to go?”
He sniffled and nodded, jerking his thumb towards the door before pointing to a blueberry tart sprinkled with edible gold glitter. It was one of my favorites to make and eat. I added it to the box with the pastel cupcake.
Walking over to the cash register, I asked, “Anything else?”
He started to shake his head but stopped with a look in his eye I couldn’t place. He spoke for the first time since setting foot in the bakery. “Would it-” His words rasped to a halt. He cleared his throat, wiped his eyes, and tried again. “Would it be weird to ask for a hug?”
I set the box to the side and stepped around the counter. “Not at all,” I said, stretching my arms out. I twitched my fingers forward.
The force he slammed into me sent me stumbling back. My ribs felt like they were cracking from his warm embrace. Given he didn’t seem to want to let go, I leaned into the hug. He smelled like biblichor, reminding me of an old library with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. Before I closed my eyes, my gaze caught on the wallpaper singed from the kitchen fire not too long ago.
He stepped back, hands lingering on my shoulders for a moment. I let him be the one to continue the retreat.
Finally on the other side of the counter again, he murmured, “Thank you.”
“Of course,” I said brightly. “Here’s the receipt. Have a good one!”
As he stepped away from the counter, he seemed reluctant to leave. He took his desserts to a green-clad woman who seemed to be his companion. The pair seemed to be in their own little world, oblivious to how loud they were in the near-silent bakery. I had nothing better to do, nothing better to think about, so I listened in.
“They don’t remember me, Envy,” he whispered, choked up.
The woman, Envy, placed a hand over his. She said, “It’s for the best. I wouldn’t have wanted the favor I called in to go to waste.”
“There’s nothing I can do, is there?”
Envy shook her head. “You shouldn’t try. Chastity’s magic is not something to be messed with, especially with something as potent as a memory wipe. They were already unstable as it was.”
What a strange conversation. I hoped that the desserts they bought would help. At least the generous tip would go towards my college funds and possibly also the reinvigoration of my ultimate frisbee endeavors.
“I don’t know what I’ll do without them. I’ve never… never done anything…” Some quiet emotion broke off whatever the boy was trying to say.
Stiffly, the woman slung an arm across his shoulders. He curled into her embrace, desperate.
The conversation trailed off, and the boy seemed more lost than ever. If I was to describe heartbreak to someone, I would show his face. He opened the door, letting his companion out first. He paused in the doorway, looking back at me.
“Goodbye, stranger,” I called. “I hope you feel better soon.”
He never introduced himself to me, not when he walked in, not after hugging me.
“Goodbye, Kodi.”
He closed the door behind himself, resting it shut, lingering on the steps. His shoulders rose and fell unsteadily. Every step he took away from the bakery seemed more unsure than the last, but he continued on.
Under my breath, I whispered to the retreating figure, “Goodbye, Gabriel.”
<<previous (part 4)