Labyrinth | ✓

f i r s t ♂

June 2012, 09:29 AM

Late.

When it came to being late, some would deny such a fact. Some would claim they took the cake or crowned themselves as the king of tardiness. Others would say they were just neutral and cared nothing about it.

Generally, I would always come earlier than what was planned. School, work or even hangout with friends, I would always be there before the desired time, even arriving the first. That was why my friends often dubbed me as the early bird of the bunch. Regardless of the nickname I got, I wasn't always an early riser.

Today, which marked the first week of summer break, Seb had invited me to Gelato Cafe to have some leisure time. It was one of the most popular cafes in town, and coincidentally, it was also the same place I worked at. Unlike last year, I decided to take a month off this holiday, including my other job in the factory. The manager even asked me to go back in August instead of July.

Seb planned to meet at 9 am, but the watch on my wrist showed that I was beyond the desired time. Well, it was only for 30 minutes, and as expected, Seb started bombarding my phone with unnecessary texts. I only read the first 4 messages and didn't bother checking the rest.

Ed where the heck are you dude

Im at the cafe like 40 minutes ago and you havent even showed up

It's already like 9:30

God this is the first time I see you this late LMFAO

The bus rocked as its wheels hit against a pothole, but I managed to maintain my equilibrium. Both of my feet had limited their movements by locking themselves in their positions. One of my hands seized tight on the handrail, further steadying me in place. Meanwhile, the other people in the bus almost lost their balance from the impact, but they recovered pretty quickly.

Once the bus had gone through the obstacle, I paid attention back to my phone. I scrolled down through Seb's sea of rants and let out a sigh in frustration. I released my hand off the clamp and punched in my answer.

I'm on my way Seb. Be patient.

Sliding it back to my pocket, I silently stared outside the bus window, watching random cars and buildings passing by. The sky was crystal clear; there were no signs of clouds to cover the brilliant sun. The moment I stepped outside my home, its scorching rays mercilessly seared my skin. Obviously, at this point, it was better to stay in my room instead of going out.

Minutes passed, and I came across a familiar road. Almost immediately, I punched on the stop button to alert the bus driver. As the vehicle came into a stop at the station, its doors opened, allowing a horde of people to come in. I managed to slip through the crowd and disembarked.

The drastic change of temperature really took a toll on me. The sweltering heat instantly hit against my body, replacing the cool air that I have back in the bus. I have to go somewhere cold now or I'm toast.

Gelato Cafe was just across the street, so it was a relatively short trip.

I decided to cross, not caring about the fact that the green light was blinking. Fortunately, the roads were pretty empty of any cars.

As I pushed the door of the cafe, there were chimes of the bell, which signalled my arrival. Cold blasts of air freed me from the heat outside, causing me to breathe in relief.

"Hello, Edward. What brings you here?" A voice interrupted me before I managed to find Seb.

I came across the owner's daughter, Christie, who was dressed in her employee uniform. Her dark blue hair flowed smoothly across her back, with two hair clips holding her side locks in place. As she held the empty tray close to her, blue eyes glinted in recognition.