Chapter Text
It was hard to feel the painful pangs of loneliness when you could hear the thoughts of everyone around you.
You had no idea how or why you were able to read the minds of others, and by the time you were a teenager, you had learned to stop questioning it. Being tossed from one foster family to another was enough to teach you to keep your mouth shut in order to avoid being labeled as “crazy”. No one ever believed you. No one ever tried to help you. That was when you realized that if you were to get by in this world, you were going to have to do it alone. You made your peace with that a long time ago.
Even still, a girl had to make money somehow. Being a barista in a small-town café was no one’s dream job, but hey, it paid the rent. And being constantly surrounded by people helped you learn how to dull your abilities a little bit. On most days, you didn’t hear the voices as loud and clear in your head as you used to. Instead, the endless chatter became background noise in your head. Some voices were louder than others, and sometimes you couldn’t help but react to what people were thinking.
It was a normal day at work when your life changed forever. You had just started your late-night shift and you decided to make rounds thorough the café with a fresh pot of coffee, topping off anyone who needed it. You grinned and made obligatory small talk for tips, reading the customers’ minds in order to choose conversation topics and eventually made your way to the last booth where two men were seated.
“Hi there,” you started. “Would either of you like a refill?”
The taller of the two smiled up at you. “Yes, please. That would be great.”
He was handsome, you noted as he generously pulled out a couple of bills for you. The muscular build and shaggy hair made him seem intimidating, but his kind eyes and dimples softened his demeanor. You were about to turn to face the other man when you heard his thoughts in your head.
Woah, didn’t I just watch a porn video that started out exactly like this? he asked himself. Maybe today’s my lucky day, this girl looks like she knows how to have a good time.
The remark caught you off guard, so much so that you couldn’t help but react.
“Excuse me?” you snapped at him angrily. There was nothing that you hated more than sleazy men who treated women like crap.
“Uh, I didn’t say anything,” the man said, “but I’d really appreciate a refill too if that’s alright.”
This man was handsome too, with piercing green eyes, pouty lips and a jawline to kill for. But all of that meant nothing to you if the guy was a douche. Of course, one random thought was nothing to go on, so you decided to drop it as you poured him his coffee. The men thanked you and you turned to walk away. Just then, you heard another of the green-eyed man’s thoughts.
Well, her chest could use some work but that ass is pretty nice. Definitely a 7 out of 10.
“Are you kidding me?!” you yelled. You slammed the coffee pot down in front of the now startled man before you continued. “What, do you think that because you’re an attractive man you can just go around rating women’s body parts? I’m so sorry if my chest isn’t as big as my ass!” you scoffed sarcastically.
The taller man stared at you with wide eyes and a highly amused expression. Clearly, he was trying very hard to contain his laughter. His friend, on the other hand, hadn’t even tried to defend himself and just sat there silently; as did the rest of the people in the establishment.
“I am so sick and tired of pigs like you who think that women exist for your entertainment. Newsflash, we don’t! So you’d better learn some damn respect.”
The man lowered his gaze to the tabletop in front of him and nodded twice before mumbling an apology, but you were too angry to listen to both his voice and his thoughts.
“Y/N!” your boss interjected suddenly. “My office. NOW.”
And that was how you got fired from the café.