EPISODE: “Grocery Store Glares and Motorbike Flares”
Annie woke up at 3:47 PM.
The sunlight slashed through the slats of the wooden window and fell across her cheek like a warm slap from a mildly annoyed cat. She groaned, not ready to deal with the real world. The cottage smelled like old sea salt, orange peels, and maybe guilt.
She peeled herself out of bed, limbs heavy, stomach empty—no, worse than empty—betrayed. She staggered to the fridge like a half-dead Sims character.
Fridge contents:
• 1 bottle of water
• 2 regretful lemons
• Absolutely no joy
She stared. “Oh. Not again,” she mumbled, head dropping against the fridge door like a melodramatic movie heroine. “I live like this?”
She washed her face, yanked on her oversized brown hoodie—the one that made her look like a sentient sack of laundry—and wrapped her scarf tightly around her neck like she was protecting state secrets. Cap on. Joggers on. Wallet in pocket. Weak but fueled by desperation, she called a cab.
⸻
Walmart. The One and Only.
She pushed her cart slowly, half-leaning on it like it was a walker. She went straight for the ready-made section: instant noodles, frozen mac & cheese, mysterious curry in a plastic bag, rice that promised to be fluffy in 90 seconds.
As she squinted at the expiry date on a suspiciously pale lasagna, she felt it.
A stare.
Not just a glance. A pull.
Like someone reached into her chest and twisted.
She turned, casual.
A group—four or five—stood two aisles away. Masks, caps, hoodies. One of them held a GoPro. Another tossed ramen into a basket with Olympic-level laziness.
Annie blinked. Ah. Just some vlog boys. The internet’s finest generation.
But one of them…
One of them didn’t move.
His cap was low, face hidden, but his gaze? It licked her skin, warm and slow.
There was something too still about him.
She looked away too fast.
⸻
By the time she reached the cashier, her cart looked like a teenager’s survival kit. She dropped her basket on the counter, sighing. The cashier, a guy with a nose ring and vibes that screamed “poetry major,” began scanning her items.
Cashier (raising brow): “You hosting a microwave convention?”
Annie (deadpan): “Just feeding my demons. They like pasta.”
Cashier: “Same. I name mine Kevin.”
Annie snorted.
Behind her, the masked boys lined up with their own pile of chaos. The guy—the one—stood right behind her. She could feel it. His stare. That familiar… scent?
Like pine and citrus.
And summer nights.
A memory she hadn’t made yet.
Just then, her AirPods rang. Billie.
She answered with a half-smile. “Hey.”
Whatever Billie said made her freeze. Then scream.
Annie: “WHAT? SERIOUSLY, BILLIE, I LOVE YOU!”
The store fell silent for a microsecond.
Cashier paused mid-scan, looking at her like she’d just confessed love to the barcode scanner.
Behind her, the boys froze too. The GoPro dropped slightly, capturing awkward confusion in 4K.
Cashier (still deadpan): “Kevin would kill for that kind of passion.”
Annie (whispering): “I am so sorry.”
Cashier: “I’m not. That was the highlight of my shift.”
She turned—yep. The group was staring. The boy… he smiled.
Just slightly.
Then bowed his head, Korean-style apology. She returned it. Half-bow, half-regret, full-blush.
She grabbed her bags and bolted.
⸻
Outside, Billie leaned against a brand-new matte black bike like it was his prom date.
“ANNIEEEE!”
“BILLIEEEEEE!”
They ran.
She dropped her groceries. He caught her. Hugged her. Spun her like a kid on a sugar high. The parking lot was their dance floor. Annie screamed.
Billie: “We did it! She’s ours! She’s beautiful, she’s fast, and she has no mileage!”
Annie: “Like me before tax season!”
They burst out laughing.
Billie: “Let’s ride her till she hates us!”
Annie: “That’s what she said!”
They laughed again.
Behind them, the masked boy stepped out of the store.
And smiled.
The GoPro was off.
But his eyes were recording.
⸻
To be continued…
***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***
Updated 79 Episodes
Download
Like this story? Download the app to keep your reading history.
Comments