S C H M I C O || A collection of short stories

Fetch!

Levi had never quite understood the whole fiasco around Valentine's Day. He didn't get why there was one day of the year made specifically tell someone how much you love them. Why couldn't you tell people you loved them every day of the damn year? Then again, Levi had never had anyone to spend Valentine's Day with. Maybe it would be different if he were to have someone by his side.

That feat seemed more than impossible to him. He was this socially awkward, nerdy, quiet guy who people rarely approached. When they did, it was more than likely they'd soon realize how bumbly Levi could get. That put a lot of people off. It got to a point where Levi decided that love just wasn't a game he was good at playing.

Everywhere was covered in sickly pink love hearts and trashy looking decorations. No, quite literally everywhere. It made Levi's eyes hurt to look at it all- he even debated taking his glasses off so it would lessen the blow.  He scoffed to himself as he entered through the doors of the small cafe, the only place that didn't seem to be covered in pink and red pieces of paper. It was quiet and the strong aroma of coffee hit Levi as soon as he entered. Finally, somewhere he could feel relaxed and feel as if he belonged. Gentle music drifted around the room as Levi made his way over to the counter, mentally preparing his order in his head. The woman at the counter was occupied by her phone, completely unaware that they even had customers.

Levi cleared his throat as he approached the barista. She glanced up from her phone for a brief second, popping her gum as she stood up straight, shoving her phone into her pocket. Must have been a busy day at work for her.

"Sure, what can I get you?" She sighed, the sound being drawn out. It took everything in Levi to not roll his eyes at her. Way to treat a customer.

"Just a hot chocolate, thanks." He grinned, almost sarcastically, at her. She rolled her eyes as she typed it into the till, her fingers tapping harshly against the screen. The song playing over the speakers switched to one a little more upbeat as the barista made her way over to the machine, pressing a few buttons before it began to hiss, steam pouring out of it. Levi took a moment to look around the place, taking in the simple and minimalist decorations. It was a pretty place, easy to look at compared to the vibrancy of outside.

After another minute or two, the barista placed the hot chocolate down in front of Levi. He handed over the money before wrapping his fingers around the cardboard cup, the heat from the drink radiating through and warming his hands. It was still early in the year, so it was chilly outside despite the sun in the sky. After thanking the barista for her ever so nice service, he turned to leave and walk back out into the love-struck streets of the town. People were buzzing around him, everyone chatting and being overly affectionate with each other. Levi only had one place he wanted to go and he didn't want anyone to get in his way or stop him. The fresh breeze whipped around him, sneaking under his jacket and causing him to shiver. It nipped at the tip of his nose and ears, turning them a light shade of pink.

The constant PDA around him made him want to run and hide. At least he was close by to the place he wanted to spend his time; a small park, that not many people visited. It would be calm and he would be able to relax and just breathe. Being in nature just helped Levi calm down after having a lot on his mind. The trees were like magical creatures who just managed to zap away at his stress. Once he reached the park, he made his way over to an empty bench and sat down with a slight groan. The cold never did his joints any good, always made them weirdly tight.

As he sat, he pulled his phone from his pocket and started going through it, checking all his social media. As expected, everyone was gushing about their love life or complaining about being single. It made him want to throw his phone into the nearest ditch. Life wasn't all about finding love. To him, it seemed like a waste of time. Why put so much energy into someone who wouldn't even give you half back?