Chapter 3 Interesting encounter

"Wait, do you mean Aunt Maggie?" I exclaimed. With the tone he used to speak down to me in this shop, I couldn't help but go into full beast mode. Be patient. Snow, you need to be patient.

"Thank you for your time this afternoon, sir. What exactly do you want?" I asked, a little more cheerfully than usual, trying to keep my rage at bay.

"Strawberry ice cream," he demanded. He squared his shoulders as he crossed his arms as if he despised the idea of having to speak at all. I tried to suppress the urge to roll my eyes. Customers who are impatient are a real pain in the neck. ‌

And he requested strawberry, which is unusual for a guy to like... guess he has a distinct taste. I shook my head and reached for a cone.

"Do you want it topped with anything? Any add-ons?" I inquired and realized I had forgotten to ask in a polite manner. "Uhm, Sir," I clarified.

He scowled as he shook his head no. "Just the plain one." I nodded my head in agreement and handed him his order. ‌ ‌

He slammed his money down on the counter rather forcefully, as if the thought of handing me money was too irritating to bear.

When I was about to give him his change, he was gone; I looked around and saw no one. While eating his ice cream, a silhouette walks away from the shop as quickly as he can and as far as he can from my workplace.

I stared at the money, wondering if I should just keep his change. I'd feel bad knowing it wasn't a real thing.

In addition, I believed in karma. ‌

"No beauty shines brighter than that of a good heart." Suddenly, a memory soon came rushing back to me. A sense of deja vu embraced me as my mind searched for an answer.

My mind reminisced to the deep and comforting voice of my father that never failed to soothe my uneasiness. His words of wisdom left me in wonder how he managed to form those in every conflict we encountered.

Guess I have to wing this then. Go with the flow then.

When I finally decided what to do next, the boy was probably quite far away, but close enough for me to pursue him. Through the glass wall, his figure began to fade from my sight.

So there was no turning back now. I groaned in annoyance and marched to the door, clutching the money tightly. I took one last look around the shop to make sure everything was okay. Mr. Tim is going to kill me if he finds out I left the shop unattended. ‌ ‌We don't even have any security...

I have to hurry. Besides, it wouldn't take much longer than a minute. As soon as I stepped outside the shop, the sun's rays blazed down from the sky, burning my skin. The suffocating embrace of the humid air engulfed me. Immediately, sweat began to form on my brow. I didn't expect it to be this hot in the middle of summer at four o'clock in the afternoon.

Taking my handkerchief from my pockets, I dabbed my forehead with it while walking, my cap almost falling off my head. My eyes squinted in response to his towering stature.

His long legs were moving quickly, and he seemed to be moving forward with each step. With each step he took, his pace quickened. I dragged my feet and tried to imitate his stride. ‌ ‌

I came to a halt, exhausted, to catch my breath and call out his name. As soon as it occurred to me that I had no idea what to call him, my mouth snapped shut. I cursed out of frustration. Beautiful. Snow, you are simply stunning.

His steps slowed as if he sensed someone was following him, just as I was about to lose all patience and give up. He came to a halt in his stride and slowly turned around to face me.

I went completely still. I tighten my grip on the handkerchief, shuddering with nervousness. It would be ineffective as a deterrent to what was about to happen.

"You‌, again?‌ ‌Are‌ ‌you‌ ‌following‌ ‌me?"‌ ‌he‌ ‌snapped,‌ ‌as‌ ‌I‌ ‌locked‌ ‌my‌ ‌eyes‌ ‌on‌ ‌his.‌ ‌ ‌

I came to a halt in front of him as we walked the distance between us. "I'm not following you... I came here just to give you this," I said, holding a crumpled three-dollar bill in my hands. He remained motionless, his gaze fixed on me and the money.

What had he been waiting for? I don't have all the time in the world, and I need to get back to the shop as soon as possible! When he was still standing there, his face slightly annoyed, I realized he wouldn't even do anything, so I reached out and clumsily opened his left palm. ‌ ‌

I quickly placed the money in his hand, feeling the electricity from our touch. "It's your change, you forgot it," I explained quickly, turning around to return to the shop. But before I could take a single step, he grabbed my arm.

"Wait a minute." He spat as he handed it back to me, but I refused to take it. His brow furrowed, clearly irritated at this point. "Are you really that stupid? I'm giving it to you in order for you to learn a lesson. ‌ ‌ What the hell is the matter with that guy?

I exclaimed. "Do you have a grudge against me or something?" I feel compelled to inquire. Why is this such a big deal for him?

"No, you don't feel special. I simply despise people like you." I was irritated, but I realized that this guy's problem isn't with me; it's with his attitude. I sighed angrily.

"Don't worry, I don't like guys like you either. And I don't accept money from strangers, especially money I didn't earn and didn't have to work hard for." I explained.

"Oh, and by the way, have a wonderful day." I turned around and walked back to the shop, leaving him with his mouth wide open, his strawberry ice cream now melted and fell on the ground.

I sighed, hoping not to run into him again, noting his features so I wouldn't run into him again. Oh my goodness. If only I knew what was going to happen next. ‌

After that, a few customers came in, and by 5:30 p.m, I was cleaning the shop. It was 30 minutes before my shift was over. It's always like this, from Mondays to Fridays, and it's become my routine.

I looked out the window and noticed that the sun was almost setting, the blue sky turning orange and blending with a shade of pink. ‌ ‌

Going to the staff closet, I changed into my clothes and grabbed my bag from my locker on the way out. I slid my neatly folded work clothes into my locker before walking to the key cabinet, eager to get out.

After securing the parlor, I shut it down for the day. As soon as I stepped outside the store, the freezing cold breeze cut past me, and I wrapped my jacket around me. ‌ ‌

A few cars honked as they passed through the streets, and the streetlights shone a dim orange light. I put on my helmet, started my motorcycle engine, and drove away.

When I got home, I noticed my mother, Evelyn Waterstrings, cooking in the kitchen. I inhaled the familiar scent that was lingering in the air. "I've returned home, Mom." I leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. ‌ ‌

"How's your day going, honey?" Her brow furrowed. Her forehead wrinkles creased, making her appear much older than she is, despite the fact that she is only in her early forties. There was never a day when she didn't put her hair into her usual high bun on her head, her nurse uniform indicating that she had just gotten off work.

Despite this, I couldn't help but notice how the corners of her eyes crinkled when the motherly smile appeared on her lips. ‌ ‌"Gosh, you'll never believe what I just went through mom."

She raises her eyebrows at that, "Ooh, a rude customer?"

She makes an educated guess. I snorted, telling her everything, including the arrogant guy who'd been cold and harsh. As she laughed at my heroic 'change return mission,' I joined her.

"What about Nathan, mom? Where is he?" I inquired. Just then, a little curly-haired fur ball came running into me.

"Snowy!" Nathan, my younger brother, was beaming at the sight of me, his cute dimples showing on his cheeks, and I reached out to pinch it.

‌ For a seven-year-old, he's been through a lot... But he's still the kind who'd be happy with small things. Give him a chocolate and he'll love you. He nuzzled his teddy bear as I tucked him in. I heard him call for dad in a soft voice making me smile ruefully.

Even though he was only four when we'd lost dad, he clearly remembered him.

"Let's play, Snowyy!" he exclaimed, eager to see me but mom interjected. "Honey, your sister is tired from work; please allow her to rest for a while." Mom explained.

Nathan pouted at me, showing me his puppy eyes, which he knew so well that I couldn't refuse. I ruffled his black curly hair, "Then how about we play after you finish your dinner?"

"Sure! Yehey!" he exclaimed excitedly, grinning at me before dashing into the living room. I shook my head as I looked at my adorable little brother. I really wonder where do little kids get that kind of energy every day. Taking a seat at the dining table, I observed Mom as she cooked our dinner.

My fatigue from work is relieved simply by the sight of her standing there. When she was finished cooking, she placed it on a plate and invited Nathan to eat. I drooled at the sight of food and smiled gratefully at her. "That appears to be delicious." It was chicken with honey garlic sauce. The rich aroma of honey engulfed the room, tempting me to dig in right away.

"Bon appetit," she said with a smile. And then we started eating dinner.

Mom, as usual, never failed to surprise me. ‌ Her cooking abilities were incredible, and I was confident she could outperform those professional chefs if she tried. Well, not exaggerating it but that's how I see it.

"Wow, is this a new recipe? From an internet mom?" I took another bite hurriedly, too preoccupied to formulate complete questions.

"Be careful, Snow, you might choke if you eat your food like that," she warned, her voice tired. I could only give her a sheepish smile.

"Yes, I discovered it this morning and I thought why not try it. " She looked crestfallen all of a sudden.

With my mouth half full, I commented "Gosh, this is really delicious mom!" She chuckled at my response and handed me a glass of water as I swallowed the last bite. ‌

The cold water ran down my throat, making me shiver slightly as I walked to the sink and began to wash the dishes. When I was finished, I went into the living room and played with Nathan. I noticed Mom talking on the phone, and when it was over, she looked at me with a Cheshire cat's smile.

"Snow, guess what?" she asks, a grin on her face. I've never seen her so happy except on their wedding anniversaries or when dad surprises her... ‌ ‌

"What?" I inquired, my interest piqued. Is there something good that happened?

"She's getting married!" she exclaimed joyfully, interrupting my thoughts.

"Uhm, who?" I blinked, asking who she's referring to. We're still new here so I guess it's not our neighbors, is it?

"My best friend, Maggie!" She jumped in front of me in delight, clearly overjoyed at the moment.

"Your best friend, Maggie? Wow, mom! Tell her that I wish her good luck!" I was yawning when I said this, thinking of who the hell is Maggie. Mom only had a few friends before we moved in here...When I remembered who that person was, I realized who he or she was.