Sasha Shadows

It is easy to find Clerence a suitable T-shirt as we finish the first task in less than 5 minutes. Now, the second task – unboxing and arranging. I've told Clerence about the new arrivals stacked in the staff room and I believe he has noticed their appearance ever since he's stepped foot into that tiny realm.

There are about 5 boxes to be moved and unboxed. So I decide to lift half of the total out which is 2 alone and 1 with him. But he rejects, and evinces that he doesn't mind carrying three boxes on the first day. "I've been through worse." He whispers and I blush behind him.

Altogether, there are two boxes of books (exercise books with different levels and also young adults' reads) and three cartons of stationeries. We settle with the writing utensils in 1 hour and now, it's time to arrange the books.

Since Clerence is still the new guy, he needs time to familiarize with all these different book areas. As this shop sells books in quite a variety of languages and genres, it takes time even for me to remember their homes. Therefore, I'll be the one climbing up the ladder and arrange those books or keep the stocks at the upmost shelf. For Clerence, he is assigned to record the quantity and quality of these objects in an attached list. The list is pasted on one of the boxes.

"Classics, huh?" The hot boy mutters while picking up a stack of Oliver Twists' out of the box with his big hands.

"Does the quantity match with the stated?" I ask with my eyes focused on the bookshelf.

"Yes." And then he hands me the books.

"I'll bring the basket down. Just put the books inside once you'd checked and I'll pull it back up." This is the longest sentence I've ever uttered to him today. And I'm proud of it.

"Got it." He answers while I'm back to book arranging. Until the bell which is installed on the rod that holds the basket rings, indicating that I should pull the basket up and fill the shelf. "Cool, it rings when the basket is full." He exclaims while I snicker, my hands adjusting the rope to pull the basket up.

If I have to worship him, he deserves the Cutest Male Colleague of the Month badge, since he's the only male staff working here. Wait no, he'll be the Hottest Male Colleague of the Month.

The reason why I insist on a monthly award is because who knows he will or will not proceed until the end of this month, although it is only two weeks away. But I've seen the ones who left after working for freaking one day. Thus, I can't guarantee.

Not long after, I'm already holding onto the last book. "Elevator down, please." Clerence bellows with his croaky voice.

"Alright." I answer while unleashing the knots and let the basket down. My hands pushes pass the shelves to move the ladder (it has rollers) when I need to arrange a different book genre. To be honest, I enjoy rolling pass shelves throughout the process but not with Clerence arguing how tired he is to catch up by foot.

"One day when I can visualize the whole bookstore in my head, you'll be the one chasing me on the ground." He grumbles while stomping to the new location with the carton hugged in his lap. His eyes barely see the road until he drops the box with a grunt.

"Not a chance, boy." I laugh when he shakes his head, laughing as well. His shoulders going up and down.

Soon, we continue the rest of the work, chatting and laughing. I've no longer feel uneasy when Clerence is around, thanks to his appearance and friendliness. Everything goes on smoothly with us joking about the people in college, though he still doesn't notice the familiarity of my topic between his.

And most importantly, we are talking about topics other than this bookstore. So we better watch out.

"Wait a minute." He braces his chin with his fingers. Head raising skywards to face me. "Are we in the same school?"

"Yeah?" My answer sounds uncertain.

"Then we should meet up and head to work together." He suggests joyfully while deep in my head, I begin to feel anxious about the consequences. Kayla will 100% chop my head off from my living body if she sees me hanging out with this hot boy.

"Uh, can I say no?" I ask with an 'I'm so sorry but nope, bro' smile.

"Why though?" He whines, stomping like a child. "We're hella' good partners-"

"In terms of current job, I know." I finish his sentence matter-of-factly and he pouts. I have to push him away or I'll ruin his reputation. Who knows what will he react when he truly knows that I'm a weakling, the one being beaten up and would never fight back because she's too scared to do so.

If nothing is getting on my way, I'll agree eventually.

But not now.

***

Clerence Cartwright

I continue to pout and whine when she keeps rejecting me. This girl is different and I like it. She knows how to reject, unlike the other girls. Especially Kayla who only says yes to my requests or sometimes even throws herself at me willingly like a hoe.

"Stop pouting, you're a boy."

"Who said boys cannot pout?"

"I say," she answers boldly and has nearly forgotten that she's standing on a ladder. Her hand leaves the shelf that supports her to manage an akimbo posture.

Things happen quick as lightning. The next moment after I blink my eyes once is to see Sasha's terrified expression when she loses her balance. With a loud scream that seems to become a slow motion that replays in my head, there she falls. And even the minutes passed when she collapses seem to have slowed down.

My muscles flex. And there I dash forward to reach her. But a loud bang resonates through the store, attracting more attention from the customers and lastly, the manager. "Sasha!" I can hear myself shouting her name, ignoring the busybody eyes who are not here to help but spectate.

With her head bleeding, the girl lies motionlessly on the ground. Her lips go pale in a mere second and no matter how hard I've tried to shake her back to consciousness, there's no use. At all.

"I'll call the ambulance!" the manager announces while I cuddle Sasha in my lap. My thumb reaches for the pulse of her wrist.

"Her pulse is weakening, madam," I shout at the counter's direction.

"Carry her to the staff room. I'll do an artificial respiration on her later." Nodding, I carry the unconscious girl bridal style immediately while asking for the crowd to clear a path, rather impolitely.

Along my way to the said place, I can hear girls chanting about how lucky Sasha is with multiple aww's. Seriously, they have no idea what Sasha has been through a few seconds ago.

Once I've entered the room, I shut the door, muting the outside noises. Then, I switch on the fan to give her some air before checking her pulse again. "No..." I wish this isn't real but I can't feel anything moving under her wrist. "NO NO NO NO!!" Just at the right time, the door jerks open and Madam Jesslyn is here.

"How is she?" Her voice firm with concern.

"Her pulse, we need to regain her heartbeat," I immediately suggest, which signals her to do the kiss of life now.

"Go and manage the counter," she orders with a sigh. "I'll handle this."

"Yes, madam." I salute rather willingly at her this time before disappearing behind the door. A tear sheds its way down my watery eyes when I feel worry.

Worry about her.

ᴵ ᴶᵁˢᵀ ᶠᴼᵁᴺᴰ ᵀᴴᴬᵀ ᵀᴴᴱᴿᴱ'ᴿᴱ ᴬ ᶠᴱᵂ ᴾᵁᴺᶜᵀᵁᴬᵀᴵᴼᴺ ᴱᴿᴿᴼᴿˢ ᴾᴿᴱˢᴱᴺᵀᴱᴰ ᴵᴺ ᵀᴴᴱ ˢᵀᴼᴿᵞ. ᴵ ᴴᴼᴾᴱ ᵀᴴᴵˢ ᵂᴼᴺ'ᵀ ᴮᴼᵀᴴᴱᴿ ᵞᴼᵁ ᴹᵁᶜᴴ ᴬᴺᴰ ᴵ'ᴸᴸ ᵀᴿᵞ ᵀᴼ ᶠᴵˣ ᴵᵀ ᴬˢ ˢᴼᴼᴺ ᴬˢ ᴾᴼˢˢᴵᴮᴸᴱ.

ˢᴼ ᵂᴱ ᴴᴬᵛᴱ ᴿᴱᴬᶜᴴᴱᴰ ᶜᴴᴬᴾᵀᴱᴿ 5, ᵂᴱᴱᴷᴸᵞ ᵁᴾᴰᴬᵀᴱˢ ᴵᵀ ᴵˢ ᵀᴴᴱᴺ. ᵀᴴᴱ ᴺᴱˣᵀ ᶜᴴᴬᴾᵀᴱᴿ ᵂᴵᴸᴸ ᴮᴱ ᵁᴾᴰᴬᵀᴱᴰ ᴺᴱˣᵀ ᵀᴴᵁᴿˢᴰᴬᵞ (ᴹᴬᴸᴬᵞˢᴵᴬ ᵀᴵᴹᴱ).

ᶠᴼᴿ ᵀᴴᴱ ᴼᴺᴱˢ ᵂᴴᴼ ᴿᴱᴬᴰ ᴹᵞ ˢᵀᴼᴿᵞ, ᴵ ᵂᴬᴺᴺᴬ ˢᴬᵞ ᵀᴴᴬᴺᴷ ᵞᴼᵁ ᶠᴼᴿ ᵞᴼᵁᴿ ˢᵁᴾᴾᴼᴿᵀ 🙏 ᴬᴺᴰ ˢᴱᴱ ᵞᴼᵁ ᴬᴸᴸ ᴺᴱˣᵀ ᵂᴱᴱᴷ ᴼᴺ ᵀᴴᴱ ᴺᴱˣᵀ ᵁᴾᴰᴬᵀᴱ ᴸᴼᵛᴱˢ💕💕