Jamais Vu
Chapter IV
“Cyk!” I called out, trailing him down the street. “Cyk! Cyk!”
He turned around and waited for me as I came barreling behind him. Clad in the same green t-shirt, mine looked notably more dirty than his despite the nightly washing. His had a teal paint stain on the back even though we didn’t work with any paint on the job.
“I see you’ve started drinking the same energy drinks I do, huh?”
We walked up to the wheelbarrow full of gloves, two old timers greeting us and sending us on our ways. I looked goofy in skinny jeans, but I would have looked goofier in overalls. No one under sixty here wore them, and god save anyone who dared mock them. I couldn’t help but let my mind spin around over the text from last night and my newfound energy was only fueled by the thought of the mystery behind his words.
I knew the day would be over soon enough. We would toil for a mere four hours today before collecting our paychecks and throwing the towel in. It would start again all too soon on Monday at ten o’clock sharp. I’d get used to it, and then it would be over.
I reminded myself that everything was a cycle, and if things got bad I could just move back home.
I raced around watering flowers, my sneakers coated in mud and splashes of water from a can that was too heavy for me. Fridays were fun. Fridays were for unwinding.
“Cyk, can you tell me what you’re doing this evening?”
He looked at me, pulling one of his headphones off. “Your guess is as good as mine, though I do have a little situation on my hands.”
I felt myself getting roped into another situation, but I put my foot down this time. “Well, rather what Murakumo’s doing this Friday evening. Am I supposed to hang out with him on weekends too?”
I knew the answer, but I wanted the juicy details.
“I couldn’t tell you what he does on the weekends.” His tone went flat as if I had just asked for something too personal for him to divulge in a public park. “I see you like him more than me now, hmm?”
It was a gasp of air that left my mouth, a tiny squeak that resounded through the area around us. Cyk looked at me and patted me on the back assuring me he wasn’t actually offended. The day went by and I found myself sitting at the bottom of the shower, my hair wet and the dirt removed from my skin.
I like you too Cyk! I swear! I didn’t mean it like that! He had probably forgotten all about it by now, kicking back behind the counter at the arcade.
I stared up at the water that splashed against my face. I wanted to take a bath but didn’t want to be in the tub forever- the café was still open for another two hours. I deserved a good meal after being out in the sun all day.
I put on a black t-shirt and jeans that weren’t covered in dirt. I grabbed a journal and flung it into my bag before realizing that I was just going across the street. I still packed my favorite pens and my phone before waking my way over.
I stood outside in a line of people fresh out of class. If things were anything like my high school times here, the college kids were out of class by two on Fridays. No exceptions. They were always out a bit earlier than us, giving them the privilege we all craved. An extra hour to do whatever we wanted, an extra hour to fill up seats at the café leaving me to stand awkwardly in limbo.
If Murakumo was free, I would have invited him. I knew Cyk had plans for the weekend- he always did. I knew he made music but I didn’t know for what scene and knowing me, it was one I wouldn’t fit in at.
I was seated at a booth with a tiny table against the wall. My waitress wasn’t Vivi, though I saw a glimpse of her at the other end of the place. Should I have requested Vivi and waited? Was that even a thing here?
I took out my notebook and tapped my purple pen against the table. What was I even going to write about? Cyk? Murakumo? The entire month that had flown by, with almost nothing to show for it except an extra six hundred dollars in the bank from a part time job? The inevitable feeling of receiving dirty money when Cyk gave me the cash for Murakumo’s tutoring? That’s what I’d call it. Tutoring was good, tutoring was ethical. It was a normal thing. He was working towards graduation, right?
I took out my pen and wrote a few sentences about my feelings before shutting the book as my pancakes arrived faster than I expected. It had been over a month since I had good pancakes and almost sent a picture message back home, though I couldn’t give in that easily.
As I ate I glanced around the place. There
were entire families here. They probably had a tradition of coming here for brunch. Could I have a tradition too?I noticed Vivi dashing between the big tables. Of course I’d get a nobody since I was just a solo diner. A true nomad. I glanced at a group of girls sitting near me laughing at pictures on their phone and that’s when I realized one of them had been eyeing me up.
At that moment, my fate was sealed.
My anxiety bubbled up. The blonde hair with the brown highlights, even though it was supposed to be the other way around. The bedazzled jean jacket. The yellow lanyard I had seen all those years ago with the Totoro keychain on it.
I woofed down my food, left cash on the table, and ran home as fast as my legs could carry me.