Secondhand Smoke [m.h]

Part Two.

Upon waking up in the morning, I felt sick.
I examined myself in my bathroom mirror.
I did not look good.
My green eyes now carried dark bags underneath them. I felt congested & groggy. My dark brown hair was wild from sleep.
I brushed through it and slid a black beanie on.
It was a chilly autumn day so I decided on a large hoodie, black leggings & converse.
I shoved some Kleenex tissues into my pocket (just in case) and left my apartment.
My footsteps made prints in the thin layer of water that had formed on the ground.
It must have rained last night while I was sleeping.
I unlocked my Tesla and slid in the driver's seat.
My car began to pick up a phone call from it's connection to my cell phone.
I answer, "Hello?"
"Honey! It's been a while since we've talked! How are you?"
"Hi, mom. I'm alright. What about you?" I ask, pulling out of the apartment complex parking lot.
She gasps, "Oh no, are you getting sick?"
Wow. It must be obvious.
"I think so, I don't know. I'm on my way to Target to pick up some medicine." I mention.
"You feel better, okay? I should get back to work. We'll talk soon. Love you!" She says, making kissing noises at the end.
I laugh, "Love you too."
She hangs up the phone and my car fades back into radio music.
Even if it was a short phone call, it was nice to hear from my mom.
Ever since I graduated & moved, I've been using the excuse that I needed a year to "find myself" when in reality I have no idea if college is for me.
After everything that I've went through, I thought at least being a clean, kind, drug-free & alcohol free woman would allow me to grow stronger and set a good example for not only others but show people who are interested that I can be trusted.
It's my way of life and works for me.. I stay out of trouble & I'm safe.
As soon as I pull in the parking lot for Target, I sneeze and almost hit a car that was pulling in beside me.
Whoops.
I notice that the car has extremely tinted windows and it's nicer than any car I could afford.
I pull in a parking spot and put my sweatshirt hood up before grabbing my purse from the passenger seat & getting out of my car.
I watched as someone was dropped off, but was only able to see the top of their sweatshirt hood.
As soon as I get inside, I noticed the person seemed... off.
They didn't seem like any normal person coming into Target.
Nothing about their actions or the way they moved blended in with other shoppers.
The way they darted through the aisles and made sudden stops made it difficult to even keep up.
My curiosity always distracted me, so I decided to be nosy & try my best to follow them.
Finally, the electronics department is where they ended up.
This was my chance. I crouched and sped over to the back of the aisle next to where the person stood.
Your life is truly pathetic, Bella. This is your excitement for the day. Really?
I quietly turned to look down the aisle the person was in. The back of the person came into view and I was able to see their whole figure.
The air I was breathing got stuck in my throat and my heartbeat immediately sped up.
Of course. Of course this is the way my life works.
Those combat boots. Those tight skinny jeans. A different hoodie.
He was looking at the headphones on display and as soon as he turned slightly, my heart stopped at the view of his curls peeking out from the side of his hood that was pulled up.
I immediately spun on my heel and followed my instincts.
Sprint as far away as you can and pray that he didn't see you.
A few employees and customers stared at me as I ran to the medicine aisle which is the reason I came here.
I quickly look at all the medicines they have and finally pick one that matches most of my symptoms.
My only thought is to get out of here as fast as possible-- I definitely do not want to see him.
I go to speed-walk out of the aisle and as soon as I get to the end of it, I see him leaning against the end display of my aisle.
"Ah, if it isn't clean Claire." He says plainly, staring straight ahead.
I scoff, "That's not my name, first of all.. second of all, leave me alone."
I walk past him, not caring about anything he has to say to me.
"Are you sure about that? A few aisles back you were the one who was following me." He calls behind me.
I ignore him even though I know he's right.
He doesn't give up.
I hear his footsteps behind me, "Okay, okay.. can I at least show you something?"
The tone in his voice has changed. I do admire his accent and the way it switches, it's definitely admirable. How can an accent not be sexy? Come on. You can't blame me.
I stop walking and turn around.
My entire world stops when I see the man behind the hood.
His curls compliment his facial features. He has the most rich & beautiful chocolate eyes.. wait no, there's some green in there as well. I'm drowning in his gaze. Oh my.. those soft, pink plump lips. He has a slight stubble that decorates his jawline but he manages to make it look amazing. Just looking at him calms me down & he has this soothing aura that's infectious.
He waves, grasping my attention on his question again.
"I'm sorry-- what did you want to show me, exactly?" I ask him, playing it cool.
He pulls down the hood of his sweatshirt and walks with me back to the aisle he was in.
The bright white lights from the displays allow me to see his features even better.
I can smell his cologne & the slight scent of cigarettes but for some reason, it isn't gross to me. He actually smells amazing.
I watch as he lifts the large pair of headphones and fits them over my ears.
He presses play on the display and I listen to a punk-ish tune that fades in.
The instrumental is really good and although there aren't any vocals, I find myself rocking along to it.
I slide the headphones off when the demo ends.
"Have you ever heard of a band called 'The 1975'?" He asks, tucking his hands in his sweatshirt pocket.
I think for a moment through all the music I listen to but the name doesn't sound familiar..
Wait! I remember a poster in the corner of my younger brother's bedroom.
It said the band's name in fun lettering. I would stare at it when talking to my brother sometimes.
"I don't think so," I answer, "However, my brother has a poster of their logo on his bedroom wall. Why are you asking?"
"They have a show in the city tomorrow at 8 and I think you'd enjoy them. Please just go and tell me what you think?" He asks me with a soft-spoken tone.
I fold my arms across my chest, "I don't know. I still don't know if I like you."
He thinks for a moment but then perks up.
"You could take your brother and use that as your excuse to go. If you don't like their music, you don't have to stay. Take a chance. Please?" He insists.
I roll my eyes, "I'll think about it."
I look down at the bottle of pills in my hands and walk out of the aisle, reminded that I need to take these as soon as possible.
I feel disgusting. It's probably his fault that I'm so sick. Stupid cigarettes.
You don't even know his name.
Dang! I completely forgot to ask him.
Wait, why do I need to know? I won't see him again.
I checkout and leave the store before getting in my car and pulling out of the parking lot.
I decide to call my brother.
He answers on the second ring, "Hey, sis."
"Hi, Ben. I was wondering if you're still a fan of that band with the numbers..?" I ask, not remembering the name of the band at the moment.
He laughs, "The 1975? Duh. They're great."
I smile at the way he speaks about them. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to try something new.
No drinking or smoking or anything people usually do at concerts.. just listening to music.
That's not horrible.
"Would you want to go with me to their show tomorrow night?" I ask him.
He gasps, "What!? Seriously? That would be awesome!"
"Okay, cool. I'll pick you up at 7?"
He exhales, "Yeah. Thank you so much, Bella!"
I smile at his excitement.
"You're very welcome. Love you." I answer.
"Love you too." He says before hanging up.
I drive home in deep thought & anticipation for tomorrow night.
New is good, Bella.