Prevented (I) – The aftermath

Some days you just can’t win. And he chose one of these particularly nasty days. In hindsight I shouldn’t have been that surprised.
The day started with waking up at 5 a.m. and no hope of getting back to sleep – after having trouble falling asleep before and so effectively only sleeping four hours total. Then the tyre of my bike went flat and I had to take the damn bus to work. Which meant: I was late.
You think that’s just really bad luck – wait, it got better! After finally arriving at work, about 30 minutes late, I realized that I had forgotten to take the milk with me. So there was no milk for my cereal and since there was no time to get to the supermarket I sat there starving until lunch. Which is probably why I picked a huge fight with my colleague Laura, because she did something wrong. As of today I’m not really sure what it was.
So just after lunch and finally having something in my stomach I was sitting in front of my computer, trying to think of something interesting and witty to write about a Zombie apocalypse. Yeah, you read correctly. My job consists of writing about Zombie apocalypses – or rather: Of writing something about the movie “World War Z”. But not the usual review-crap that everyone writes about. No, it has to be something different – something special, witty and interesting. So yeah, Zombie apocalypse – I was so thrilled. Not.
Actually the only fantasy creatures I am unable to make any use of are Zombies. Simply because I think they are gross. Even if there is a Zombie in love played by Nicholas Hoult – granted he was super cute when he became human again but before? Disgusting.
Zombies are disgusting – they smell rotten, the look rotten, they are just really, really…
“Hey.”
My nice inner monologue about rotten Zombies was interrupted so suddenly, that I almost jumped out of my skin. The voice had come so unexpectedly from the left that it took me a moment to remember my name and where I was.
And then it sunk in – THAT voice. But no, it couldn’t be…
Slowly I spun around to the left.
He was leaning over the counter an empty cup of coffee before him and smiling. Impossible blue eyes sparkled at me.
NO, NO, NO, NO!!!
I was completely speechless. My mind just repeated “NO” like some mantra.
I guess I’m not really creative when I’m panicking.
And all he did was standing there smiling and looking at me with those impossible bright blue eyes. Like I meant something to him but that wasn’t true at all.
That thought snapped me out of it.
“Hey.”
Okay, my quick-wittedness still was in “NO NO NO NO”-mode.
His smile became wider.
I swear I heard an alarm bell ring somewhere in the back of my head and must’ve looked really strange because one second later the smile vanished.
“What’s wrong with you?”
He bowed his head to the side and narrowed his eyes on me. His expression was a mixture of confusion and amusement.
Oh well, what else is new?
Great, my conscience had snapped out of “NO NO NO NO”-mode and gone back to acidly sarcastic comments about my inability to express feelings. It really rocks to be me.
“I’m just focused.” On a Zombie apocalypse but does it matter?
His answer was a returned smile.
Yeah, just act like you didn’t miss it!
Oh, I forgot – sarcastic comments about every part of my life.
“You actually look like you smoked some weed.”
Hello Prince Charming, great to have you back!
At least in my brain I am really quick-witted.
“Nice one.”
It really is comforting sometimes!
He just smiled at me silently.
“So are you back or what?”
Two hours ago I had to remind myself that murdering a colleague is a crime, but right now I could kiss her – for asking the right question. The one I couldn’t bring myself to ask.
He looked to her and then right back at me.
“Yeah I am, did you miss me?”
No, come on! Don’t do that. Don’t act like you’re flirting with me.
I snorted.
“Well, I didn’t have to buy much chocolate in the past month.”
A chuckle.
Okay, that’s even worse than him smiling at me.
“And milk, I suppose?”
I just go with a smile before looking back at the screen in front of me.
Like you can come up with something creative about a zombie apocalypse now!
“Who is this?”
Suddenly the voice appears from the right. I look up. When the fuck did he walk around my chair?
He points to the wall of the counter on the right.
I follow his gaze. Oh yeah, my celebrity crush.
“That’s Adam Brody – love of my life. He just doesn’t know that yet.”
Just like someone else I know.
“Adam…who?”
I sigh. “Doesn’t matter he is the love of my life.”
And maybe Nicholas Hoult when he’s not playing a Zombie.
A chuckle.
“Oh yeah?”
I look up at him and he is smiling again with sparkling blue eyes again.
My heart just skipped a beat.
Oh come on! This is so unfair!
Seriously, why can’t this guy be a lot less gorgeous now that his girlfriend appeared? Why does he still have to be so damn sexy?
And why am I still not immune to his charms?
“Yeah, pity he doesn’t know it.”
Another chuckle answers my comment.
I get back to staring at the computer screen.
After a moment of silence he sighs. “Well, I’ve got to talk to the boss now.”
I glance up. “Alright.”
Fuck you, you fucking bastard! Why do I still have to have a fucking crush on you?
But by then I had managed to put my mask back on. Fake smile into place. For four weeks I hadn’t managed to get myself back together and everyone was oh so worried.
Everyone kept asking if I was okay.
And I was trying so hard to get myself back together, get the fucking mask back into place.
Turns out all I needed were for him to return.
Yeah, I really am fucked up.
And now he was back.
Hell yeah!