I walked up the station steps, the morning air biting cold against my face, my hands shoved deep into my jacket pockets, lazy and dragging.
I was already tired, not from the walk, but from knowing who I was about to face. *This weird bitch,* I thought, my gut twisting. Sara. I had no clue what else she’d make me do today.
I let out a long *sighhhh*, my breath puffing white in the chill, my shoulders slumping as I turned the corner.
There she was—sitting on a bench, one leg crossed over the other, scrolling her phone. She wore a maroon one-piece dress that hugged her tight, a black jacket slung over her shoulders, and long boots stretching up to her knees. Her dark hair fell sleek over one side, her lips pursed around a piece of gum—always keeping that sexy demeanor.
She looked up as I stopped in front of her, my hands still in my pockets. "Yo..." I said, my voice flat, bored, staring down at her.
She flicked her eyes up, half-pissed, her brows pinching as she locked her phone with a sharp *click*.
"You made me wait thirty minutes," she said, her tone cold, leaning forward a bit, her boot tapping the ground. "I’m gonna make you pay for that, you know."
"You’ve made me pay for stuff I never even did to you," I said, huffing loud, glancing off at the tracks. "What’s new in that?"
*Pfft*—she laughed, short and sharp, standing up smooth, shoving her phone into her jacket pocket. "True... poor guy," she said.
"Let’s go—the train’s coming soon," she said, turning to walk ahead, her hips swaying like she knew I’d follow.
"Where to?" I asked, my tone bored and tired, dragging my feet as I fell in step beside her, my hands still buried in my pockets.
"Just keep walking, puppy," she said, not even looking at me, her voice all smug and teasing as she popped her gum again, the sound sharp in the air. "I’m free today, so I figured I’d have you as my company." She glanced over her shoulder quick, her eyes catching mine, daring me to argue.
"Why me?" I said, my voice flat, shooting her a tired sideways look as we walked past a flickering sign, the station buzzing soft with people. "Ask Daniel to come—he’s your guy. I might have to go to work later. One call from Jonathan and it will be a goodbye to you." I shrugged, my jacket rustling, hoping she’d bite and let me off the hook.
She laughed light, shaking her head as she popped her gum louder. "Daniel is busy today—wedding prep’s a mess, so I left it all on him," she said, shrugging casual, her boots clicking steady on the platform. "And which work you talking about? Ohh—YOUR WORK AT THE BROTHEL??" She raised her voice on purpose, loud and clear, her smirk twisting wicked as a couple of passersby—a guy in a hoodie and an old lady with a bag—turned their heads sharp, staring at us.
"Oye...!" I stammered, my face heating up fast as I grabbed her by the shoulders, spinning her to face me quick, my hands gripping her jacket tight. "Keep it down, damn it," I hissed, my eyes darting around, the guy’s stare lingering before he walked off.
"Don’t worry," she said, her smirk growing. "I’ll let you go if you get a call or anything—promise."
I let out another *sighhhh*, my mouth hanging open for a sec, my hands dropping from her shoulders as I stared at her, dumbfounded.
*This girl’s unbelievable,* I thought, gulping hard, my throat dry as I turned and walked ahead, my boots thudding heavy on the platform. She laughed behind me—bright, sharp—her steps clicking fast as she caught up, falling in beside me like a shadow I couldn’t shake.
The train doors hissed open, and we stepped inside, the car half-empty, the morning crowd thinning out. I shuffled toward a row of seats, Sara, of course, had other plans—she plopped down right beside me, so close her hip bumped mine, and wrapped her arms around my arm like a damn koala, even though my hands were buried inside my pocket.
Her maroon dress and thighs brushed my jeans, her long boots tapping the floor as she settled in, her black jacket slipping off one shoulder.
"If anyone I know sees us ..." I said, my voice low, my nerves twitching hard in my chest, anger bubbling up as I glared at her. "We’re both dead—you get that, right?" I leaned away a bit, my elbow digging into the seat, my eyes darting around the car—some guy in a cap scrolling his phone, an old lady knitting in the corner—praying no one I knew was on this train.
"Hahaha, such a coward puppy you are," she said, laughing loud, her voice bouncing off the metal walls. She grabbed my chin with her fingers—cold, manicured—turning my head right and left like I was some toy, her gum popping sharp in my ear. "Relax, no one’s gonna see," she teased, her smirk wide.
I yanked my chin free, slumping back in the seat, my hands still in my pockets. "So where are we going exactly?" I asked, my tone flat.
"Shopping," she said, smiling big, her voice all chirpy like it was the best idea ever. She crossed her legs again.
"Really?" I said, my face twisting, disgust dripping off every word. "For fucking shopping, you dragged me out here?" I shook my head, my jaw tight, my breath puffing out loud. "You’ve got to be kidding me."
"You could’ve called literally any of your friends for this," I said, leaning forward a bit, my voice sharp now, my hands finally slipping out of my pockets to gesture at her. "You’ve got a million people in your DMs—pick one of them!" I flopped back again.
"Nah..." she said, curling her lips slow. "I feel the heat from time to time, you know? And I need a guy on my side to... pent it off." She winked, her gum popping again.
"The fuck is that supposed to mean?" I said, my voice rising, exasperation spilling out as I threw my head back, staring up at the metro train ceiling—dull gray, flickering lights.
"Ahhhh..." I exhaled loud *Pent it off? What the hell?*
She laughed shamelessly beside me, her cackle loud and wild, her shoulder shaking against mine as she clutched my arm tighter, not caring who heard.
In my head, I was screaming—I’d left my sweet, cozy morning with Aeri, her humming and her cheek kisses, just to sit here, stuck on a train, getting used by this bitch for shopping?
My goodness... forgive me, Lord, for whatever I did to deserve this, I thought.