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' Covid x Monkeypox edit!! Love them♡ ', Oh. Another one. Cool. Scroll. ' My theories about- ', I hate theory videos, actually. Scroll. ' Evacuation of Earth has been ordered as detectives work to identify source of AI takeover- ', We all knew that would happen, eventually. We're doomed. Scroll. ' What my boyfriend and I wear to- ', I'm still single. How many times do I have to click not interested??? I'm so tired of hearing about boyfriends and girlfriends. Scroll.
Lunch time always kind of sucks. Every day kind of sucks. I hate this school, I hate all these people. How long have I just been sitting here on TikTok? How much time left before I have to socialize with those animals again???
My life is not hard, not by any means. It's just boring. My parents are rich, so they put me in a fancy boarding school. I've always been given a routine to follow, a structure to complete, a mold to fit. I've always done it without question. There's a roof over my head, food on my plate, clothes on my back... What more could I need?
My biggest problem, I believe, is that I don't actually want anything. Nothing in the world has ever called my name. I don't really care for any art, I study just enough to pass exams. I don't feel anything when I play a sport, and socializing has always felt like ragebait. Everything is just bland. Colorless. I'm not sure how I would even describe myself. Is 'chronically online' a personality trait? For the past few years, my only... 'hobbies' have been studying enough to not flunk and doomscrolling every other hour of the day.
Highschool doesn't last forever. I can't be this version of Miesho Takeda forever. Deep down, I know I have to try new things and find literally anything I like before I graduate. I just can't force myself to care enough. We're all doomed, anyways. AI can do anything I might want to, and there are billions of people in the world who deserve the things I have way more than I do. I don't matter all that much. If I disappeared one day, the only people who would notice are probably teachers during attendance.
"QUILLOOOOO. Yo soy PISSED. OFF."
The stall door right next to me slams shut, and I flinch rather aggressively. I have to juggle my phone a few times so it doesn't fall on the ground— or worse, in the toilet. Right, this... My boredome has actually been a bit disturbed in the past few days.
Jimeno Sanchèz. International model. Foreign exchange student from... I honestly have no idea what it was called. Oh, Gibraltar. AKA: Top 10 places nobody has ever fucking heard of. He speaks in Spanglish that's practically offensive to the ears, and he has an ego the size of the sun. His smile is just as bright.
Part of me is a bit jealous. His ego, as much of a character flaw as it is that I would never want to deal with... it makes his personality rather striking. He's a compelling person to be around. Just a few seconds with him is enough to make you feel like you're also someone special in this crazy, unpredictable world.
(More accurately, his crazy and unpredictable world.)
"Mayo, are tu there!? Yo seriously need to vent!"
He calls me 'Mayo', short for 'Mayonnaise'. He honestly thinks I can't tell that he's Jimeno. He doesn't know who I am... at least, I don't think so. He refers to himself as 'Ketchup', because the first time we talked like this, he squirted ketchup all over the bathroom floor. Before then, I didn't think a person as cool as him could ever be embarrassed about something.
"Uh, yeah. I'm here. Always will be."
He says he needs someone to vent to without them knowing it's him. Sometimes I feel like a priest in a confessional, talking to this guy through a wall. Even so, I'm not a dick. If he needs someone to talk to without feeling judged, I'm not going to tell him 'no'. He's a person, the same as me. Besides... maybe I need some entertainment in my life other than social media.
"Perfecto! Ugh, tu will not BELIEVE what mi familia did this time!"
One small issue. It's not just for entertainment anymore.
"Your family again? They're really on your ass recently, aren't they?"
I've started to actually care about Jimeno. Unfortunately.
"Si!! Kyo, how do ellos honestly expect yo to react when ellos are CONSTANTLY BITCHING at me para mi money!? Eso is MY FUCKING MONEY!!!"
I turned off my phone and slipped it back into my pocket, leaning closer to the wall between us. I don't know why I feel the need to close the distance. Nothing in the world could phase me through this stall, so why am I trying?
"Money? Again? Aren't they supposed to have jobs of their own? Like a normal grown ass adult."
"Eso EXACTLY what yo saying!! Like, these are grown ass adults who keep sending LETTER after LETTER y TEXT after TEXT just BEGGING para all of yo's money!! Ellos act like they weren't super rich BEFORE yo was born. Mi BITCH SISTER is the same age as yo, and ella STILL hasn't had la single job! Ever!"
He has a lot of issues with his family. Once, he told me that they said to his face, 'ever since you were born, we've wanted to throw you into the sea', or something like that. It's probably just basic fucking empathy, but it always hurts hearing him talk about going through that stuff. My parents and I were never particularly close, but... I know they love me. They've never wronged me like that.
Of course, there are secrets I keep from them that might disrupt that. That's not the type of excitement I need in my life, though. It's the last kind.
"Maybe you should just block their numbers. Restraining order or whatever. You're 18, so nobody can stop you. They sent you to Florida to get rid of you, anyways."
It was quiet for a minute. Presumably, his clothes shuffled as he adjusted whatever position he was sitting in. Suddenly, his voice sounded a whole lot closer.
"Eso soy why yo talk to tu, Mayo. Tu have the best advice. Tu're the best."
'Tu're' cannot be a real Spanglish word. Otherwise, I feel my face starting to heat up. I don't socialize with other human beings enough to know if I'm just easily flustered by compliments, or it means something deeper when it's him.
"Yo really hope that works, though. So tired of mi IDIOT BITCH STUPID HOE familia."
I don't think it matters if the Spanglish is real or accurate. He's charming enough. Just picturing what his face must look like as he says that is enough to make me smile. At least nobody can see me. If he were in front of me, I'd be too embarrassed to look at him. He's just got the aura of a model.
"Yeah. Me too."
It's quiet for a minute. The bell to end lunch rings. Dammit, our time it up. He always dashes away so I don't see his face.
"Ah-, later! Bye, Mayo! Gracias para being la best!"
The lock on his stall clicks open and he runs off, slinging his bag off the ground. He patters out of the bathroom, leaving no trace that he was there at all. No trace that he ever spoke to me. No trace that I was ever a part of his life. Because, despite being dormmates, we don't really talk outside of lunch.
I'll see him tonight, even though he won't truly see me.
...
' How to bake cinnamon cookies, quick and easy! ', I've never seen this recipe before. I'll save it, even though I'll never make it. Scroll. ' Trump administration says- ', I don't wanna hear about that right now. Scroll. ' Top 5 EPIC Singing Battles CAUGHT ON CAMERA! ', I haven't gotten caught in a singing battle since I was 13. Lame. Scroll. ' Evelyn out of context, Bi-love ', This stupid dating show about bisexuals has been all over my feed lately. I can't stress enough that I don't fucking care-
The door to the dorm opens swiftly. Victor is out with a girl tonight, Alejandro is in the kitchen making tea. There's only one other person it could be. That thought makes my heart race in the slightest bit. My head tips up from my phone to glance at the entryway. Jimeno stands there, his face resting like stone and his clothes disheveled. His eyes are cold. He's been like this ever since the night that girl went missing. Allison... right? I remember him asking me where she'd gone on the night of the party. That was his date, I'm pretty sure. It must be hard on him.
Maybe he'll open up to me about it, soon.
Awkwardly, I ducked my head back down, unable to look at him with those thoughts in my mind. I shouldn't be so eager to pry into his life, he doesn't even know anything about me... He doesn't know anything about 'Mayo', either. He's never cared to ask. That's just who he his, an ego so large that he needs to be constantly talking about himself to wrap the words all the way around it.
He stumbles through the door, making an overdramatic and obnoxious sigh. The door closes behind him at the nudge of one hand, while the other loosens the tie around his throat. Don't stare, don't stare. No staring. He whips the tie off of his neck and tosses it. It lands on the chandelier. He begins to unbutton his shirt.
"... Another day of la world hating yo para being so effortlessly perfect and handsome."
He flings his shirt into Victor's laundry basket; Victor, who will not be very pleased when he realizes that. Jimeno is quick to unbuckle his belt, and at this point I don't trust myself to keep looking without embarrassing myself. I go back to watching my phone screen, and the TikTok that was looping the whole time I was gazing at him.
What if, tomorrow, I told him something about myself?
Nothing that clearly points to who I am. Nothing that would be too personal. Just enough to open the gates of communication. Who knows... maybe he'll be curious. Maybe we'll have a real conversation someday, instead of him just talking at me. Maybe we could be... friends.
I turned off my phone, looking up to prod at him with my eyes. He'd changed into what he usually wears to bed; some black sweatpants and a sleeveless hoodie. He also let his hair out of it's style. During the day, he keeps his tight curls in a ponytail. They're long enough to drape down his back, now. He rakes a hand through them, unintentionally showing off the heightened definition and lack of frizz. Or, maybe it is intentional. Maybe he knows I'm staring.
I choose to ignore that possibility, being nonchalant and pretending that there's something really interesting going on with the wall behind him. He ducks under Victor's bunk, flopping down onto his bed with another dramatic sigh. Everything he does is done like there's a camera on him; as if he were the star of a box-office-breaking film. Born to be a model, or trained to live like one? It's whatever.
"Oh, you're back. Thought you were lowkey dead."
Alejandro comes out of the kitchen with his tea, sitting at his desk and opening his laptop. Jimeno tosses over on his mattress to look up at him.
"Yo soy mucho too young and beautiful to be dead. Yo could never... What tea is that?"
Alejandro typed the pass code into his computer and opened up a doc, presumably an overdue assignment. He's got plenty of those.
"It's a rare blend called 'not yours, so don't even try'."
Jimeno groans loudly, yanking a pillow off of his bed to throw his at Alejandro's head.
"Ow-!? Watch it, bitch! This tea is fucking boiling!"
"Yo soy un useless roommate."
Jimeno flings himself out of bed to walk into the kitchen and dig through the fridge. His pillow lay on the floor by Alejandro, stained slightly with a few stray droplets of hot tea. I'm too lazy to get out of bed...
Hesitantly, I pulled one of my own pillows up from behind my head and slid it over to his bunk, only approximately a foot away. I don't need two, I can sleep with just one. However, whenever I see Jimeno as I'm going to the bathroom at midnight, he's got his head on one pillow and he's cuddling with the other. I sunk back into my bed, pretending I hadn't just done that. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Alejandro give me a strange look as he briefly stops typing. Once he realizes I'm not going to react, he looks back to his screen and the clicking of keys resumes.
Jimeno is sulking when he walks out of the kitchen.
"Donde esta all of the food!? We aren't broke..."
"You and Victor already ate it all, dumbass. I'm not buying more until next week."
Alejandro mumbles, receiving a grumble in response.
"Useless roommate."
He ragdolls onto his bed again, not noticing the new pillow. I don't need him to. I don't need him to notice anything...
My heart is fluttering uncontrollably. I need a distraction. Fresh air. Anything. Nobody even blinks when I roll out of bed and grab my wallet. I put on my shoes and a jacket. When I walked out the door without a word, I glanced back at Jimeno. He stared blankly at Victor's bunk, eyes void of any presence.
I shut the door, having only one destination in mind.
...
There's no way to tell what time it is when I get back. I forgot to bring my phone.
I jammed my keys into the door, unlocking it and swinging it open. Everyone here sleeps like a rock, so I don't have to worry about waking anyone up. All of the lights are off, save the faint glow of analog numbers on a clock, somewhere along the wall. I drop my keys on the floor for now, kicking them to the center of the floor. I have to use my ass to shut the door, and my elbow to hit a lamp light. My arms are occupied with two plastic bags each.
Groceries.
I didn't want anyone to go hungry. Not a big deal. I got some fresh air and exercise out of it. My parents always tell me I'm too tall to eat as little as I do, and I need to put some meat on my bones. Maybe I should care more about my health instead of eating one bag of chips and nothing else every day.
I walked into the kitchen and dropped the bags on the counter, digging into them and putting everything in it's place. Jimeno likes these little yogurt cups. Alejandro is running low on tea. Jimeno was talking about pocky sometime earlier this week, snagged it. I found some good spicy chicken ramen for myself. I saw Jimeno eating these little soda candies earlier today. I think they taste like medicine, but it's whatever... Victor eats all of the jerky the moment we buy it. Jimeno kept eyeing these chocolate crackers at the store, but never said anything. I don't think he knows it was obvious.
When all of the bags were empty, I turned around to pick up all of the bags and put them in the recycling. Behind me stood Victor, watching me silently. I nearly toppled onto the ground as I flinched, if it weren't for the countertops for me to grab onto. I muttered once I caught my breath.
"... Is there a problem, dude?"
"You went out for groceries and only got, like, one thing I eat. Why are you even getting groceries at midnight??"
I cleared my throat, picking myself up from the counter.
"Why are you coming to the dorm at midnight? Aren't you supposed to be, y'know... with a girl?"
Victor rolled his eyes, walking past me to pull out the jerky I'd just put in the fridge.
"She stood me up. I waited hours."
He tore open the package, letting the plastic strap drop onto the floor as he digs into the bag and aggressively munches on the jerky. I rolled my own eyes back at him, dropping the bags in the recycling and walking out of the kitchen. Victor can deal with his own mess.
Back in the main room, Alejandro's laptop was shut and the desk was empty. His cup of tea was empty, sitting there. He seriously couldn't even put it in the sink? He was up in his bunk, sleeping. I ignored the cup. That's not my problem...
Against my better judgment, I leaned over to peak at Jimeno. His curls, still flawless despite the rough way he sleeps, were splayed across his pillow. He lay on his side, facing the outside of the bunk. His face was relaxed, for once. He really did look exhausted. His breath suddenly hitches and he hugs my pillow tighter with a furrow of his brow... My pillow... I forced myself away to pick my keys up off the floor and put them back where they belong.
"Mn..."
I turned back, looking to the source of the noise. Jimeno was flustering himself in his sleep, gripping my pillow even more harshly. I ran my eyes over him once again, suddenly catching them on something I hadn't noticed. This idiot seriously left his belt on the bed?? The buckle was stabbing him in the side. I thought about it for a second, knowing full well that I didn't have to. Despite that, my hand reached down to his bed, grazing his hip as I gripped onto the belt. I pulled it out from underneath him, and his face was instantly relieved.
"Weirdo."
Victor whispered behind me, gently shoving me aside from the bunk to climb the ladder up to his bed. I ignored it, opening one of Jimeno's drawers to tuck his belt where it belongs.
I went to bed. No reason to stay awake any longer.
...
"Kyo, I dunno."
I faintly heard him murmur across the tables. Lately, I've been able to pick out his voice in a room that I'm not even paying attention to. Through all the noise, I heard my name called out.
"Miesho?"
I looked at the teacher, then at the board. Vernaferium?? Oh, I know this one. Good thing. I turned off my Block Blast to avoid getting in trouble as I answered.
"Oh-, uh... Elias Krauss."
She nodded with some words I didn't pay any mind to. Then she mumbled something about page 255. I don't really care, I'll do it after class.
"Attention to all students and staff, please remain seated in your classrooms."
My heart dropped to my stomach when I heard the buzz of the PA. Every American kid, especially in the south, knows this feeling all too well. I was completely frozen in my seat with what felt like helium swelling in my chest.
"An individual matching the description of the Corn Killer has been spotted in the hallway and is armed."
At the mention of the Corn Killer, my eyes immediately darted to Jimeno. I knew he had some kind of connection to what was going on from everything that happened with Allison, and how he was excused from class to attend Lucia's funeral. It seemed way too sensitive for him, so I never tried to pry. Part of me wishes I had been more pressing.
"This is not a drill. The police have been called, but everyone please remain in your classrooms."
The PA clicked one final time before I heard the shots.
Everyone erupted into shouting and screaming. The teacher dashed over to lock the door, and students began to cling to eachother. Victor had literally zero reaction, probably desensitized by whatever bullshit happens in Russia. The teacher yelled out in a panic.
"Everyone, keep calm and stay quiet!!"
Everyone kept screaming, completely ignoring her plea. I was stunned, not able to fully process everything as it happened. Even now, my eyes were only locked onto Jimeno. The way his face changed as it was sinking into his skin. I was helpless as he turned from worrisome to scowling passionately.
"Kyo! You all shouldn't be scared!!"
I looked up to him as he stood up, tall and proud, fearless as ever.
"I'm the only one they want, so don't worry, yo got this!!"
He bolted out the door with a confident smirk on his face. My throat closed as I dug my nails into the desk. The girls shouted at him senselessly, but he didn't react. He just kept running right into the open-fire. The teacher commanded that he come back, but he was spouting all this nonsense about saving everyone. I couldn't do anything but sit back and watch him leave. Just like everything else in my life, I couldn't force myself to do anything other than let it happen.
"What the hell is he doing...?"
My mouth was faster than my mind as I watched him. His demeanor, I couldn't decipher it. His words, they fell on deaf ears. It was only when I finally met his eyes that I figured it out. He wasn't just saving people, no... He was provoking the killer. At that point, I tuned the entire world out as I came to a horrible realization.
Jimeno matters way too much for me to lose him like this. I'm not willing to lose him like this. I won't lose him like this. A knife comes flying at his chest, and I don't remember when I knocked my chair over running into the hall. I don't even remember running.
I won't lose you.
All I remember is shouting something at him, and jumping into the air. I shoved him as hard as I could, feeling a sudden pain in the side of my head before everything went numb. The two of us barreled into a classroom, the doors locking behind us. I toppled on top of him, barely able to keep myself up from how badly I was shaking. Not only from fear, but from the rush of adrenaline. I think that was the only thing making the flooding sting in my head survivable.
"Kyo!! What was eso!?!? Yo had it under control!! Soy a master at jujutsu!!"
He was slowly sitting up as I crawled off of him. His expression was agitated, afraid. That overbearingly oblivious ego combined with also having just been stabbed in the head was enough to make me snap. Of course I'm angry. I have a right to be angry.
"Are you serious!? I just saved your life!!"
He rolled his eyes, shifting to stretch his muscles as if he were preparing to go back out there— yeah, not on my fucking watch. He yelled back at me, uncaring of the circumstances.
"Yo was trying to be heroic!!"
"You were trying to get yourself killed!!"
He relaxed his shoulders, looking anywhere but my eyes.
"Que cojone, why do you even care...? We barely know eachother..."
Ah, right... How could I let myself forget? He's my roommate, Jimeno; and I'm his roommate, Miehso. This isn't the boys bathrooms during lunch; he's not Ketchup, and I'm not Mayo. We don't know eachother like that.
Except, I do. I do know him, he just doesn't know me.
I could barely cough the words out through my frustration.
"Yeah, sure, whatever. We barely know eachother."
I was speechless afterwards. He's so stupid, so selfish, so ignorant, so dense, so... So important to me that it hurts.
His eyes finally find the courage to look back at me. Jimeno suddenly loses all of the annoyance and tension on his face. Looking scared, he leaps forward on his knees to grab me by the face. I couldn't even appreciate it because of how hurt I was by his words, and my own feelings.
"Kyo!! Oh my god, your ear!! Shit, are you okay!?!? Kyo, we need to call un ambulance!!"
He pulled one of his hands back, and I regret to inform that even in my rage I chased it. His palm was smeared with blood, presumably from my ear. The expression he made as he looked down at the dripping liquid shook me out of my anger. I can't help feeling worried about him, even when he's such a dickhead. He wiped the blood on my clothes, of course, before returning his hand to my cheek to stroke my skin.
I don't get it... Why is he being so soft all of a sudden? He's halfway right, at least... He doesn't know me. I've never seen him act this way. When Allison went missing, he was calling her a bitch the whole night. When Lucia was murdered, the first thought he had was about winning the talent show... It's just an ear, and I'm a stranger to him... Why?
"Uhh, are we interrupting something?"
Two kids I hadn't even noticed were sitting on desks deeper into the room. They held a mocking tone as they looked down at us, snickering. I couldn't help the embarrassment showing on my face. Jimeno awkwardly takes his hands back, wiping them on my clothes again. He clears his throat before leaning back to get comfortable against the wall.
"Quillo, let's just wait this out until la police get here."
Anxiously, he picked at his nails for a moment before forcing himself to stop. He probably didn't want them ruined, even though he seemed perfectly fine taking a soaring blade to the chest five minutes ago. Whatever, man. I copied him, proping myself up into a more desireable seating. Warm liquid sensations on my cheek slowly began to form. Great, the adrenaline is wearing off. This is gonna hurt like a bitch in, like, two minutes.
I don't regret it, though.
...
The bright lights were enough to blind me. I chose to keep my eyes closed for a few moments more. Faintly, I heard the voices of my parents. Strangers chimed in. I could feel the lights of the room dimming as my eyes adjusted to the different shades of darkness behind their lids.
Finally, I formally awakened myself to the rest of the room. My parents stood in the corner with defeated postures. When my father noticed my open eyes, he tapped my mother on her shoulder to make her look at me. The two of them both walked over to my bedside. A doctor I hadn't noticed trailed behind them.
They used words like 'i'm proud of you', and 'you did a good thing'. They even had the gall to call me a 'hero'. In the back of my mind, I was vaguely aware that if they knew the truth about why I did it, they would be a lot less approbatory. I'm not that type of person. I had selfish motivations. I wouldn't have done it for just anyone.
Only him, unfortunately.
...
Hearing is completely gone in my left ear; I don't even have a left ear anymore. They had to remove all of the cartilage. The knife also damaged the actual inside of my ear, so, I'll most likely never hear from that side again. Wonderful start to my senior year. These crowded hallways sound almost flat, the noises all just piled onto eachother in lines with no depth. I just stay buried in a corner against the wall. The last thing I want to do right now is talk to people.
I haven't seen Jimeno since the ambulance arrived to carry me away. Thinking about what he said, that we barely know eachother... Maybe it's better that way. Maybe it's better that I don't insert myself into his crazy, wayward life. That look in his eyes that said he was finally starting to care about someone other than himself... It terrified me, for some reason. I can't put my finger on it.
Perhaps I know, deep down, that I'm a target now. This 'corn killer' has only gone after people who have been close in proximity to Jimeno. I live with him, I know his secrets, I saved his life. If Jimeno actually pulled his head out of his own ass and started to care about me, and then the killer...
I would hate to be the reason he's hurting.
Also, I just don't wanna get killed???
But... does this mean I have to lose him completely? I'll still live with him, we just don't talk. I'll still be in his class, we just don't talk. What about lunch? He doesn't know that I'm 'Mayo'. If I were to get killed and then Mayo suddenly disappeared at the same time... What would he think? Would he be hurt? Betrayed? Angry? Or, worse, disappointed? Would he even notice...?
If he could piece it together that 'Mayo' and 'Miesho' were the same person... Would that change how he sees me?
I really hate caring this much.
Scroll. Scroll. Scroll. Scroll. Scroll. Scroll. Scroll. I'm not even reading or watching anymore, I'm just scrolling to feel my muscles contract. Scroll. Scroll. Scroll. Scroll. I need to feel my blood pumping. Scroll. Scroll. I need to be distracted. Scroll. Scroll. Scroll. I need to be anywhere but here. Scroll. Scroll. Scroll. Scroll. Scroll. I need to disappear.
"Uh... Miesho?"
My heart sputtered when I heard that familiar voice. It wasn't the same as before the accident, though. I quickly jammed my phone back into my pocket and turned around. What can I even say to him?
"Oh, hey..."
He brings up a hand to awkwardly scratch his cheek. The face he makes is charming, and I can't help reminiscing about how that hand felt on my cheek.
"Kyo, how's your ear? Que bad is it?"
He's asking about me... He really is worried. I feel so guilty, but why does it also feel good? I chuckled, trying to downplay both those thoughts and the severity of the situation.
"Doctors say I'm kinda Deaf on one side, now."
"KYO, WHAT?? Are tu serious!?!?"
My fake smile stands steady as his shoulders shake. The last thing I want is for him to hurt over this... for both of our sakes. The more he hurts over me, the more danger the both of us are in. While the killer is still at large, he can't be close with anyone. He will be completely alone... Save for Mayo. Maybe that's enough, for now.
"Yeah... But, hey. It could be worse."
I smirked, pretending that I didn't feel anything. Pretending we barely knew eachother, just as he likes it. Just as things should be. My facade crumbles apart when he dejectedly sighs.
"It's yo fault that happened to tu... I'm so sorry."
My smile gently melts into a solemn frown. His eyes dip and climb back and forth between the floor and my gaze. It's heavy. Like guilt. Like sin. He crosses his arms; not defensively, but as if he needs someone to hold him and he knows that nobody else can. That thought sinks a little too deep.
"Kyo, about yesterday... Thanks for pushing yo out of the way. And..."
He shivers for a moment, almost like he's telling me a secret without words.
"Sorry for what yo said... That 'we barely even know eachother' thing..."
My breath hitched, my body realizing faster than my brain that this admission would be the final nail in both of our coffins.
"... Yo was just surprised tu did that for yo."
There's no returning from here. We can't go back, unsay these words. There's no erasing the connection we have now. He's just set it in stone, and doomed us both... He probably doesn't even realize it, and that's the most tragic part.
What even is my life coming to??? Corn themed mass-serial murderers, going half-Deaf, feelings for an international modeling sensation??? Just last month, I was the most boring person in the world... It's so ridiculous. The only thing I can muster up is a laugh.
"Hah, yeah... You're pretty oblivious, you know that?"
On cue, he quirks his eyebrows in confusion and makes a dumbfounded blank-face.
"Que...??? What do you mean?"
It's better this way, as he likes it. Whatever way he likes it. As long as he doesn't get attached.
"Ah, nothing. Don't worry about me... Now, I've got some insane dad-lore for the future."
The joke is enough to bring back his sweet, charming smile. It's good enough. That's all I need to see to be satisfied. As long as he's smiling. Now, we need to put some more distance between us... Just so I don't get stabbed again. Only until lunch time.
"Well, I gotta use the bathroom. See ya..."
He waves, happily. Like we're friends. His smile carries all the way through the halls.
"See ya, mate..."
I'm the first to walk away. I need to get away. I'll see him, soon. Although, the next time we meet, I won't literally see him... He'll be Ketchup, and I'll be Mayo.
As you like it, Jimeno.