What was the first thought that came to your mind when you hear the alarm blabbering so loud in your ears early in the morning? That's not for you to answer, but as for me, I just don't hear the ears busting sound but a voice saying "wake up sleepy head, it's another boring day for you. Get up now or you will be late and get fired at work." The voice always repeats each morning that I have become used to it. The fact was that if I don't make it to the office before 8 am in the morning, then I'm doomed.
I go by the name Steven, 22 years old, young and handsome as you might have guessed. Here I was glancing at the bathroom mirror for the past 4 minutes, still feeling really sleepy as always because I've been up earlier today than normal people do.
When I finally got myself together, I finished my morning routine in less than 10 minutes and I checked everything in the house was intact before I hit the road for the bus.
The time was 7:08 a.m by now, meaning I still have a little time by my side. I commenced to jog and run simultaneously to the bus station hoping it hadn't gone. Despite finding it hard to catch my breath under the freezing weather, I couldn't stop until I reached my destination, panting and gasping for air.
I made it to the station, there was only one bus available with a lot of people waiting in line to board the bus and from the look of it, it seemed like the bus would be fully occupied anytime soon. Standing in line shivering to death in just a week to December was no joke. I kept checking the time every second as the number of people before me were reducing and by the time it was my turn, I was fortunate to be the last passenger that would get in. I found a place to stand holding on to a pole since there was no seat left. I heard the bus door hissing as it was shutting and the bus started to stir forward, looking at the people outside with sad expressions on their faces. I checked the time again, it was 7:47 a.m.
SOMEWHERE ELSE…
"Alright everyone, that's all for today. I have scheduled our next rehearsal to..." The instructor cross checks her note for confirmation before she proceeds "... On Wednesday. Make sure you do personal rehearsal before that day, use the days off for productive things before we meet. That's all folks." The lady told her students before exiting the music studio with her guitar. The moment she was gone, all the 6 students sighed in relief.
"I am so exhausted right now I might die if the rehearsal hasn't ended yet, Susan." The male drummer sniveled, stretching his hands forward and groaning. The girl, Susan rolled her eyes before replying.
"Seriously, Gabriel? You are such a drama king and crying baby. The whole rehearsal wasn't up to 2 hours and now you're whining about dying." She replied and she started to apply makeup on her face when Gabriel secretly took her picture, but he was caught.
"I want those pictures deleted right now at this moment." She behest with an intimidating tone but the other person wasn't buying her threat. Instead he put his headphones on and inchoately hummed to the song playing, forgetting the reality surrounding him. It all ended when Susan scabrously pulled the headphones off from the boy's ears to get his attention. Gabriel glazed at her in confusion and in frustration.
"What the hell?" He inquired before snatching the headphone away from Susan's hand. "For goodness sake, I hope you haven't damaged it." He observed the thing before he then realized they were the only one left in the studio. "Where's everyone?"
"Gone? No one is spending an eternity here, Gab. Come on, let's get out of here." She uttered as she threw her backpack on her shoulder while Gabriel made haste to put his own stuff in his bag and they headed out.
I sighed in relief when it was finally a break hour - which only chronicled for 30 minutes.
"Hey, Steven. Wanna head out to the Buker?" My partner and best friend, Habib asked while resting his back against the wall. I nodded in rejoinder and hunker down to shut the system and we exited the building.
Buker was an eatery center, it was popular around the area I work. When we arrived - a 3 minutes walk from the office building, we settled and placed our order.
"I heard you have another issue with Mr White today, isn't that right?" Habib asked. "You guys totally abhor each other so much, it sickens me honestly. I wonder when you will get away from each other's throats." Habib concluded. I lingered quietly as if I didn't hear what he just said. What was the point of pushing the conversation since this wasn't the first time we talked about the same problem. But the man before me would find any means to force words out of my shut mouth.
"You know I won't judge you because of your mishap past like everyone does, especially the shit head Mr White, but I have to say you have got to be careful around him." He said with concern, I nodded for the second time, not saying a word. Although I hate it when someone made mention of my PAST just to make up some silly justification reasonable points, but only Habib was allowed to get free pass with that. When the food arrived, we started to dig in.
I finally made a statement afterwards after some moment of quietness. "I am striving to stomach all Mr White childish acts, but the man keeps getting on my nerves. He would use anything to bait me in order to get me kicked out of work." I uttered beneath my angry breath, gulched my fist, painting Mr. White's picture in my mind. I really don't understand the deal with that man anyway, why does he make me hostile? I thought, continuing eating my food.
"You just have to ignore him as much as you can in order not to be baited. The bigot is starving for attention." Habib affirmed before he stood up to pay our bills while I stood by patiently at the entrance.
When we were on our way to the office, I astoundingly crashed my head into someone else's, which made me take a few steps backwards, almost losing my balance. Whoever I bumped into does have a really concreted skull 'cause I was feeling dizzy momentarily.
"Qué carajo? (What the hell?)" I heard the person said Spanish in much of an angry tone; I don't understand Spanish but I know the tone wasn't friendly, and I looked to see who I just collided with a moment ago, which turned out to be a teenager around 19 years old, sitting on his butt on the floor holding and rubbing his head to ease the pain. The boy has headphones and sunglasses on.
I was really angry and also mischievous and glad that the boy got really hurt. Why? Because he was walking with headphones on and blocking his vision with a stupid sunglasses. Who does that? He should be glad he does not bump into a car or something else that would cause fatal damage.
"Are you alright, Gabriel?" The young lady I believe to be his friend asked with worry and helped her friend up from the floor he was sitting on.
"What the hell man? Why can't you watch where you are going?" The boy spat out the most stupid and ignorant statements I ever heard in my life. The surprised look on both Habib and I faces can't be explained.
"What a dopey prick you are, boy. You are the one with goddamn headphone and sunglasses, you should look where you are going and reap the silly thing out of your hearings." I really want to punch some sense into this empty brainless vessel before me. Sensing the rising tension, Habib stepped in swiftly.
"Kid you lack manners despite being at fault in this. It would be better for you to keep shut next time to avoid complicating the mess you started." Habib warned the boy.
"We are sorry for all the trouble, sirs. We will heed to your warnings." The teenage girl apologized for his dumb male friend. Her gentle nature eased the situation. I wish she was the one that spoke instead of the brat next to her. Habib held my wrist to drag me from the scene, but not without preaching to the nut head boy.
"You are lucky to have such a friend that bailed you out from your troubled self." Habib said before we left the site.