FOUR-GRAVI-TEA

I plugged my four percent phone to my power bank, after connecting it to my headset. Then I started to get ready for work.

Father had already gone to open the shop before the crack of dawn, at least if not anything, to clean up.

I prepared a breakfast of bread, jam and scrambled eggs, and I took a four orange juice boxes, and packed everything up for three - assuming Tessy was going to meet me there, which I was a hundred percent sure of.

I opened the door, and think of the he devil...

"Good morning Reggie." She said with a sinister grin, that was enough to make anyone shudder, but not me. Nothing ever surprised me anymore.

"You look nice." I said, eyeing her pastel pink polyester jacket. I handed her a beef roll from the blue duffel bag I was holding.

"I thought you were never going to come out." She said, snatching it from me in a menacing manner.

We started heading towards Gravi-tea, which was a five minute walk from my door step, in the opposite direction of the warehouse.

"What're you playing?" She asked after about a minute of silence.

" A wake up list." I replied in a rather nonchalant manner.

" Spotify?" She quipped.

"Yeah.... So um, what's up with the 'HE'?" I asked putting the headset on my neck.

" We didn't talk much" she said simply, and with a shrug.

" Save for the fact that...." I said purposely leaving my words hanging, in order to force a response.

" He's an athlete, writes and reads just like you and is literally the only Briton in his family." She gushed, and I nodded, with a million thoughts flashing through my head. Those were basic information that everyone in school knew. Even I who didn't have an interest knew that for sure.

"Not to play smart, but I would get a lot more than that in one go. Back in my stalking days, totally everything about him." I said with a sigh. We stopped in front of the shop, which had already began to have a few early morning customers.

"Sadly, those days are over." She said, taking off her jacket, and peering inside.

"Let's go inside. I've got paintings to attend to at five." I said and we both went in. "Good morning pa." I said in Korean.

" What took you so long? Customers are waiting." Pa replied in the same language, and pushed me a list of orders. Then he walked off, barely noticing Tessy.

"That's 'hello, good morning' in Korean." I said and walked into the kitchen.

A bowl of french fries and a strawberry dipping, crossiant and banana milk dippings, Chicken nuggets, and some vanilla tarts...

By eleven o'clock, I was done cooking and Tessy played waiter to the outdoor restaurant.

"Is it like this most Saturdays?" She asked like she wasn't here most Saturdays.

"What'd you think?" I asked in sarcastic retort.

"Nice and quiet." She said, taking the piss. " This may sound weird, but what made you come to Kentwood?" She said after a few moments of silence.

"I don't know, ask my dad." I said with a shrug.

I think we left Korea because the memories of ma brought heartache to pa, but I think they still haunt him here. I don't know, pa wouldn't tell me.

" You don't know, or you'd rather not talk about it. Which?" She asked in a prompting manner, keeping her gaze outside the window, where a couple of preteens kicked around a deflated white ball and screamed for the sheer fun of it.

"Both. And Don't start with your talk of healing after revealing. Seriously, it sucks." I said and went back into the kitchen.

" Order up!" Samuel said and dropped a piece of paper containing his orders; Rib roast, deep fried ham, and milk laced scrambled eggs, crossiant with vanilla dippings, etc etc.

I think he invited his friends over, cos he obviously couldn't eat all that. "What's up Tess?" He said waving her like I wasn't there, standing in front of him.

" Oh hey." She said and waved back full of nerves.

I walked past her and into the kitchen to get their order ready. Why was I feeling angry? I was supposed to have gotten used to this sort of thing. But humans will always be.... Well, humans. Won't they?...