Just Making Things Harder

The next morning I woke up alone, cold, and to loud heaving in my bathroom. I quickly rolled to sit up and rubbed my eyes before getting up and going to check on him. The movement made the waves of pain in my head start, causing me to quietly groan.

Cam was sitting crumpled in the floor, groaning also. I just gave him a look.

“I must have drank more than usual” He said, his voice scratchy. I just sighed and headed downstairs to get something for the headache and some water for him. I quickly went up the stairs, still careful not to make my head hurt even more. As I reached my room again, I heard him losing everything else in the bathroom. I quickly rushed in and held his hair up, not wanting him to get it dirty.

I knew he’s raise hell if something were to happen to his hair.

Finally, he quit and sat back against the wall roughly. “Do you feel like you’re done?” I quietly asked, brushing through his hair with my fingers. He just nodded lightly.

I carefully helped him get to his feet and pulled him back into my room, just for him to collapse on my bed. I held out the pills for his headache and the glass of water and he just eyed them cautiously. I stood there until he took them.

After downing both of them, he spoke a quiet “Thanks”, his voice sounding much better. I just smiled a little and then took both of mine.

I checked the time and decided it was about time for me to get a shower and get to work. Even though we had money, I insisted that I kept a job. I hated using my parents’ money and making them think they had something over me. The only thing they had over me was giving me a place to live.

Although I won’t go through the details of my shower, I will day that I always loved showers. They made me feel good and helped me think. Of course, as of right now, I didn’t have much to really think about. Everything was kind of obvious at this point, no thinking required.

After my shower and getting on my simple outfit, which consisted of some dark, tight jeans and my work shirt, I emerged from the steamy bathroom. It was always impossible to do my hair in there after a shower because the steam made it frizz.

I took note of Cam lounging on my bed, reading something, before heading over to my flat iron. Generally it took me maybe 10 minutes to do my hair, but I was trying to rush, causing it to not all be straightened and leave a few pieces in awkward angles. Cam just stayed where he was, keeping completely quiet.

Having Cam ever be completely quiet around me was really nerve-wracking. When I had finally slipped my shoes and jacket on, because the winter in this little town was harsh, I turned back and looked at him. “I guess I’ll just be going. Let yourself out?” I suggest. He just nodded with a quiet grunt in acknowledgment.

I groaned and walked over to him, sitting on the bed beside him. “What’s wrong?” I asked quietly. For the first time since I had given him his medicine, he looked up into my eyes.

“I just don’t want you to go, that’s all” He murmured before turning back to the magazine that he somehow found interesting.

“Why?” I asked him, putting my hand over his that was holding the flimsy paper, forcing him to set it down. He sighed before answering me.

“I just want to spend all my time with you.”

I stared at him, a little shocked. As much as I wanted to take that as something serious, something a lot deeper than it probably was, I cautiously chuckled a little bit. “I’ll spend time with you tomorrow, okay?”

He looked a little disappointed. Why, I had no idea. Deep down I knew why, I knew exactly what he meant by that, and I knew what he wanted. But my head wasn’t going to let me believe anything else I was trying to come up with and just shrouded it with a joke. I watched him nod slightly and then look away before I launched myself at him, grabbing him up in a hug.

He started to laugh, something he always did when I would throw myself at him.

“Alright, I’ll go now” I stated with a smile. He smiled back this time.

“Alright, just don’t go getting any prettier on me. I’ll have to be fighting the guys off with a stick, then” He said, a huge, cheesy grin on his face. I just stuck my tongue out at him and grabbed my keys, running to the stairs. I took them a few at a time and bolted to my car. I was already late and sitting there talking really didn’t help at all.

I finally made it to the store, barely clocking in before I was late.



Today was probably the absolute most boring day I had, had in the store yet.

Since I lived in a small town, there wasn’t much here, but the one store that most people had to come into at least a few times a week was the General Store. It’s kind of like the dollar store, but..not the dollar store. It had everything, was cheap, and easy to go and get little things like milk, eggs, drinks, and anything else really. Because I worked here, I basically knew everyone and was addressed by name when someone came in, just like when I welcomed someone by name when they came in. It wasn’t very often that someone I didn’t know came in, and if I didn’t know them, I made it a priority to learn at least their first name before they left.

I was cut short in my thoughts by the bell over the door ringing, signaling someone was here. I looked over and noticed Jim coming for his daily case of beer and cigarettes. He sauntered over to the refrigerated section and grabbed his drink and then stumbled up to the counter.

“Hey Jim” I greeted, a small smile. He wasn’t my favorite customer, but he certainly wasn't the worst.

“Oh, Hey Kyle” He greeted, not even attempting to smile. “The usual?” I asked casually, already heading back to the cancer stick section. He just grunted out a yes.

I grabbed a new pack of Newport and came back, laying them on the counter.

“You know, all this is going to kill you one of these days” I commented freely as I rang up the total. He just scoffed, “Yeah, that’s what my ex-wife said.”

I chuckled a little and gave him the total, and stood there lazily as he counted out money. I heard the bell go off again, but couldn’t see over Jim to tell who it was. I’d just have to see when they came up.

As he finally gave me the money and I was putting it in, I noticed a figured move behind Jim in line. I attempted to peer around Jim, but it was almost impossible seeing as how fat he was.

When I finally got his changed and dumped it into his hand, he took his time putting it in his pocket. And putting his cigs away. And picking up his beer.

I dropped my head and sighed when he was finally gone.

“What a piece of shit he is” I mumbled to myself.

“Well tha’s not very nice of yeh to say tha’” I heard a strange, accented voice say. Then I remembered the other person in line.

I jerked my head up, only to meet an amused pair of hazel eyes. Now, this boy, I had never seen before in my life. He dressed like someone I would get along with, though.
Tight jeans, V-neck shirt, tattoos everywhere, messy hair, and a piercing.

“Oh, I so forgot you were in line” I mumbled. He set a can of soda and some chips on the counter and I quickly rang it up.

“Tha’s quite alright, missy. ‘E looked like a piece ah shit anyway” He said, grinning at me. Damn, his smile was cute.

“So, who are you? I know basically everyone, but I’ve never met you” I asked, stopping a moment from work, “And you have an accent, so clearly you’re not from here.”

He chuckled a little. “I recently moved ‘ere. From England. Nice place, it is. This small town fing is plain shit.”

I smiled a little. “Well, I kinda like it. I don’t prefer big cities, and I know everyone here. And you still didn’t tell me who you were” I eyed him. He was watching me closely.

“Mah names Oliver. But I ‘onestly prefer Olleh” He said, his accent heavy.

“Well Oli, I have to say, you probably have the thickest English accent I’ve ever heard” I said, then gave him his total.

“I’m from Sheffield, it’s normal for us” I said, pulling out his wallet. About then, the door rang again and someone immediately headed to the counter.

“Dammit Olleh, what the fuck is taking yeh so long, ‘uh?” Another individual, clearly a friend of Oli’s, demanded when he walked up.

“Don’t get yeh knickers in a bunch, Matteh, I was just making ah friend ‘ere” Oli tured and smiled sheepishly at me.

For the first time, this “Matteh” turned and noticed me. “Ah shit, I so didn’t notice yeh there. I’m Matt. But Olleh here calls me Matteh most of the time.”

I nodded, “I’m Kyle. Or Evvie. Either one is fine with me” I said quietly.

“Kyle? Isn’t tha’ a guy’s name?” Oli asked. I smirked and nodded.

“Yeah, I suppose it is.” I handed Oli his change back.

“Well, we’ll be seeing yeh around, Miss Kyle Evvie. I need’a get Olleh ‘ere to band practice” Matt said, grabbing Oli’s shirt and dragging him out.

“Ey, I’ll see yeh around, okey?” He said as he was being yanked. I just nodded and a grin stretched across his face.

I met a cute guy today, and he had an accent. Dear me, I may be in love.

Not literally, of course.