REKINDLE

"Bye, Shirley! I need to get home in time to help my mom prepare for her book club meeting. It's her first time to host it and she wants everything to be 'perfect'."

"Bye,Sam. See you tomorrow?"

"Sure. Don't be late !" She points at me accusingly and shoulders her backpack. "Take care!"

"You too, Sam." And off went my best friend. I too took my backpack and left .

Normally, I take the bus home. Yes,the bus. I can't afford a car,my mom can't afford to buy me a car for that matter and it's totally fine with me. Anyway,today I won't be taking the bus home because I need to go to the library to do my homework.

I like finishing my assignments on Fridays so that I can do other things during the weekend. And no, I am not a nerd. I just like getting things over and done with as early as possible.

So I head to the library. The library is almost empty,as it is every Friday. I take a seat and write away.

I get so absorbed in doing my assignments that I lose track of time. I only look up when the librarian taps me and tells me it's time to close the library. I look around and realize that I am the only one left in the library. I didn't even notice people leave.

When I start packing my books ready to leave, my phone buzzes in my back pocket. I take it out and on the screen there is a reminder.

Oh shit! I was supposed to get groceries. I had totally forgotten. It was already six o'clock. I took my back pack and rushed out of the library. My mom must be very worried.

I had gotten everything that was on my grocery list except for the sodas. Normally, I always knew where the soft drinks aisle was,but on this particular day when I was very desperate to get it,it seemed to have vanished. Great! Exactly what I needed.

After walking in circles, I finally spotted the soft drinks . Again,on normal days,my favorite soda ginger ale would be on the middle shelf where I could easily reach it. Today they just decided to take ginger ales all the way to the top shelf.

I stood there looking at the top shelf even if I knew there was no way I was going to reach the sodas .

As if me being late and not being able to reach my favorite soda was not enough, some tall guy in a black hoodie just came, reached out to the top shelf and grabbed a bottle of ginger ale. Wow, mother nature,must you be such a bitch? I'm short, I get it,you don't have to rub it in.

The guy turned to leave then as if he remembered something,he stopped in his tracks and turned around to look at me .

"Do you need some help?"

"Huh?" That came out wrong,like I just came back to reality from a trance. My dorky response was because:

1- I was not sure if he was talking to

me

2- I was mesmerized by his midnight

blue eyes that I was noticing for the first time.

"Are you okay?"

I mentally face palmed. I felt so stupid.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine."

"Do you need some help with the sodas?"

Then I remembered my situation.

"Uh,no. Thanks."

"Okay. I guess I'm gonna go,then." Then he went. Dang it! What's wrong with me ?

"You know it's okay to ask for help. Especially when you are short and you can't reach something that's on the top shelf." I was startled . I turned around to meet the now familiar midnight blue eyes. There was some mockery in his tone.

"Did you just insult me?"

"If by insulting you mean stating facts,then yes, I just insulted you."

"Well,you didn't have to be very specific."

"Now, don't be a bitch . How many do you want?"

"Woah,hold up! Did you called me a bitch?"

"No, I told you not to be one," is this guy kidding me right now?

"I don't have time to argue with strangers,"

"Neither do I. I'm just trying to do you a favor. How many do you want?"

As much as I didn't want to admit it, I needed the guy's help.

"Get me a six pack,"I didn't even look at him. He took the six pack off the shelf with ease and handed it to me .

"Next time, just ask for help like a normal person would." Before I answered him,he had already turned around and left. Well, that was a good thing because I didn't have a good come back in mind. Then I remembered that I didn't thank him. I tried not to feel bad about it. He was a jerk after all.

By the time I reached the counter to pay for my groceries,the guy had already left. I mean,he only had a bottle of soda to pay for after all. As soon as I finished paying for my groceries, I left . My mom must be worried sick.

Good thing I had some money left to pay for a taxi . My mom was not yet home by the time I got there. I wasn't worried because sometimes she worked until late and she was too occupied to call .

I proceeded to prepare dinner for my mom for when she gets home. I wasn't really hungry so I took a can of ginger ale and went upstairs to my room. I kicked off my shoes and jumped on my bed . I opened my can of ginger ale and before I could take a sip, I remembered the events at the supermarket. I couldn't help but cringe.

The fear of being chocked by the drink almost stopped me from drinking my favorite soda but I thought,oh well, everyone's gonna die anyway. For some reason,today the drink didn't have it's usual taste. Either that or it was all in my head.