‹ Prequel: Savior
All Around Me
Two
This job was boring. That was the only way I could describe it. Boring, boring, boring. I had been sitting there for two hours and there had been two people in, and only one had bought something. I couldn't see anything interesting ever happening here. That's why I was so surprised by what happened next.
I saw that boy again.
I hadn't seen him come into the shop, and the bell hadn't gone off to tell me that someone had entered. One minute he wasn't there, and the next- he just was. He was standing near the bookshelves in a white shirt and red tie, and black skinny jeans. I tried not to stare, but I couldn't help it. There was something about him that was different, but I couldn't place it. I watched him intently for several minutes, but he didn't look at me once. He didn't seem to be looking at anything. He was just wandering around aimlessly, not making a sound. I couldn't even hear his footsteps.
He walked over to the double doors, and I thought he was going to leave again, but he didn't. He just stood there, staring out the glass. Then he made the first sound I heard coming from him.
"FUCK!" He screamed. He ran back to the bookshelf, his face set in an angry snarl, still taking no notice of me. I just watched him, my eyes wide. What the hell was wrong with this kid?
The long haired kid grabbed the bookshelf and knocked it, sending it toppling to the ground, and all the books fell out. Then I acted.
I stood up out of my seat and slammed my hands down on the table.
"Dude! What the fuck is your problem?!" I yelled.
The black haired boy turned to look at me for the first time, his large olive eyes wide. Why did he look so damn familiar? There was something about his face- I was sure I knew him from somewhere. He had the strangest expression on his face- it looked like surprise. Had he actually thought I wouldn't chew him out for knocking over a damn book case?
"Get the fuck out of the shop, dumbass!"
And he did. He disappeared right in front of my eyes. I gasped, taking a step back and almost tripping over my chair.
What the hell? What the hell just happened? He was there- I saw him! He just disappeared how the fuck did he do that?
I heard footsteps running in, and then I heard Vinny's voice.
"Sierra? Are you alright?"
I looked up at Vinny. I could feel all the blood draining out of my face. Vinny looked just as pale as me, despite being part Italian. His eyes were worried and his mouth was set in a hard line.
"I'm fine." I managed to choke out.
Vinny looked at the fallen book case and then back at me. He managed to force a smile on his face.
"I heard a bang. But you look fine. Don't take any notice of this, the book case is real old, it was bound to fall down sooner or later."
"N-no, it-" I started, but Vinny stopped me.
"Sierra, go take your lunch break. I'll clean this up. Don't worry about it, okay?"
I didn't argue. I walked out of the shop in a daze, my breathing shallow. What was going on here?
I only got to the corner before something else made me stop in my tracks.
The boy with the black hair was standing right in front of me, his eyes narrowed, his mouth contorted into a scowl. He looked almost frightened.
"Who are you?" He said. His voice seemed angry but had an edge of fear to it too.
"Can you really see me?"
I saw that boy again.
I hadn't seen him come into the shop, and the bell hadn't gone off to tell me that someone had entered. One minute he wasn't there, and the next- he just was. He was standing near the bookshelves in a white shirt and red tie, and black skinny jeans. I tried not to stare, but I couldn't help it. There was something about him that was different, but I couldn't place it. I watched him intently for several minutes, but he didn't look at me once. He didn't seem to be looking at anything. He was just wandering around aimlessly, not making a sound. I couldn't even hear his footsteps.
He walked over to the double doors, and I thought he was going to leave again, but he didn't. He just stood there, staring out the glass. Then he made the first sound I heard coming from him.
"FUCK!" He screamed. He ran back to the bookshelf, his face set in an angry snarl, still taking no notice of me. I just watched him, my eyes wide. What the hell was wrong with this kid?
The long haired kid grabbed the bookshelf and knocked it, sending it toppling to the ground, and all the books fell out. Then I acted.
I stood up out of my seat and slammed my hands down on the table.
"Dude! What the fuck is your problem?!" I yelled.
The black haired boy turned to look at me for the first time, his large olive eyes wide. Why did he look so damn familiar? There was something about his face- I was sure I knew him from somewhere. He had the strangest expression on his face- it looked like surprise. Had he actually thought I wouldn't chew him out for knocking over a damn book case?
"Get the fuck out of the shop, dumbass!"
And he did. He disappeared right in front of my eyes. I gasped, taking a step back and almost tripping over my chair.
What the hell? What the hell just happened? He was there- I saw him! He just disappeared how the fuck did he do that?
I heard footsteps running in, and then I heard Vinny's voice.
"Sierra? Are you alright?"
I looked up at Vinny. I could feel all the blood draining out of my face. Vinny looked just as pale as me, despite being part Italian. His eyes were worried and his mouth was set in a hard line.
"I'm fine." I managed to choke out.
Vinny looked at the fallen book case and then back at me. He managed to force a smile on his face.
"I heard a bang. But you look fine. Don't take any notice of this, the book case is real old, it was bound to fall down sooner or later."
"N-no, it-" I started, but Vinny stopped me.
"Sierra, go take your lunch break. I'll clean this up. Don't worry about it, okay?"
I didn't argue. I walked out of the shop in a daze, my breathing shallow. What was going on here?
I only got to the corner before something else made me stop in my tracks.
The boy with the black hair was standing right in front of me, his eyes narrowed, his mouth contorted into a scowl. He looked almost frightened.
"Who are you?" He said. His voice seemed angry but had an edge of fear to it too.
"Can you really see me?"