hope | t.h.

t w e n t y - f o u r

"You're in the men's washroom... We got Z to check the women's but you weren't there so I came here."

"And who is 'I'?" The person still hadn't told me their name but I knew it was Haz or Tom with the accent. I wanted it to be Harrison but I was scared about what I'd have to say to him.

Besides, I'm not the best with telling who's who by their voice unless I've known you for a long time.

"It is I, Thor, son of Odin!" The man said in a completely different accent.

I laughed a breathy laugh for a bit, finding the mimicking of Thor hilarious, but then I sat there, not knowing what to say. If this was a text conversation, I would've sent a '??'.

The man dropped the horrible and fake Thor accent. "It's Tom."

A weight lifted from my shoulders but a smaller weight was placed on my shoulders too.

I started to sniffle and wipe away the tears on my cheeks and some that fell onto my neck too. "I'm okay. Just feeling a little sick." I lied.

I heard footsteps slapping against the tiles of the floor and they became stronger as they neared. "No, you're not." He made his way to the only locked stall and I could see his shoes from the crack under the stall.

"Yes, I am. Go back to eating; please." I ordered him but he just stood there and sighed. I put my glasses back on my face but my eyes were stinging like hell.

Can this all just be over?

I thought to myself, dreading every second.

He delicately placed a hand on the other side of the locked door and spoke. "Not unless you come out of that stall."

I stood up and all my bones cracked from staying in the same position for too long and because I'm an old lady. I hesitated to slide the lock to unlock the stall door and my hands shook, not sure if I should open it or not. He stood there and stayed patient with me but his previous words sounded very stubborn.

"Okay," I mouthed to myself and took a deep breath, "I can do this."

I unlocked the stall door, making a loud click, and opened up the door, slowly, while staring down at my toes. I couldn't bare to place my eyes anywhere, scared that they'd be too vulnerable to anything and everything, including him.

"Look at me." His voice softly said to me.

I spotted the urinals and wanted to laugh so bad at how blind I was, walking into the men's washroom, but the anxiety prevented the smile from ever forming.

"I-i-i can't." I admitted to Tom who was facing me but I was facing down at the floor.

"Look at me." He repeated himself in the same soft tone and his eyes were begging for mine to lock with his.

I shook my head this time, not wanting to speak. He knew I was going to be stubborn about this just like him, so he grabbed my hand that was nearest to him and squeezed it three times. I knew what that meant but I didn't want it to mean what I thought it was. My eyes were fixed on the pearl white tiles and nothing else. He put a finger on my chin and lifted my head up so easily. It was as if I almost let him do it or like I was just thin air to him. He lifted my chin up so effortlessly...

But I let him.

My eyes were on his chest but quickly went up to his face, not wanting to make it even more awkward than it is already. "There we go." He whispered. "You're okay, Alison. It's okay. I'm here."