the boy on the bridge ✔️

21. confront boy

Chapter 21 — confront boy

Josh's car is parked outside Dolce — the bakery he came across Elliot the other day. It has been exactly 27 minutes since Josh reached the place and stopped his car, but he is yet to get out of his car and enter the bakery. Under some mystical unexplainable influence, he drove straight to the bakery after school, but now that he is there, he has no idea or whatsoever what to do next. He doesn't even know what to say when, or if, he meets the boy.

Talk, that has been Ming's advice to him and at the time it seemed simple enough that he had just nodded his head stupidly and agreed. But talk to him about what?

Sure, Ming had suggested that he directly ask him why he hadn't been at the bridge if that bothered him so much, but also, no, he can't ask that. Can he?

Josh checks the time again. Now it's been half an hour and he is still sitting in his car like a dumb, helpless idiot. He doesn't even know if the boy is in the bakery.

He has been eyeing the shop's window ever since he reached the place but so far, he hasn't been able to spot anyone. However, he is sure someone has to be working at the shop since it's open and there has been a steady flow of customers in and out since his arrival — someone has to be tending to them. Only thing he doesn't know is if it is the bridge boy or someone else.

Josh lets out a sharp exhale, shaking his head and muttering under his breath, "This is stupid. So stupid. I should at least go in and see if he's there,"

And with that decision made, Josh begins to form a rough plan in his head instead of moronically heading into the shop and react like a deer caught in the headlights (refer: his first visit to the bakery).

So, there are two possible scenarios that can take place if he goes into the shop:

1) He walks into the bakery, he sees Elliot and he confronts him — regarding what exactly, he decides he will circle back to this later.

2) Or if Elliot isn't there, he will just pretend he went in to purchase something and just get out.

No big deal.

However, his heart has picked up its pace just from thinking the possible scenarios. He adds another option as well — a way, way easier option compared to the other two.

3) He can always drive back to his house and go to his room and stay there and pretend none of this ever happened. No one has to know anything.

Frustrated with himself and his indecisiveness, Josh groans out loud, hitting his head on the steering wheel, which accidentally leads him to pressing the car horn.

"Duffing hell," Josh yells just as the horn sounds off, sitting up.

He wishes he hadn't.

Because the window that showed no one on the other side didn't quite stay so. He is there now. Elliot is there, at the window shop with narrowed eyes, clearly inspecting the honking. Josh quickly ducks back down, however, unfortunately his head once again hits the steering wheel, and the horn goes off.

"Fudging fudge," he semi-curses, wishing he can actually curse, moving away from the steering wheel.

He wasn't sure if the boy had seen him before, but this time he can be one hundred percent sure he has caught the latter's attention with his absolute impeccable gracefulness. Josh risks a glance at the window and there he still is; the bridge boy at the window, now looking at his direction with an expression that is caught somewhere between confusion and surprise — he can't really tell.

Elliot offers him a small wave, his lips quirking up. Josh can only nod in return, quickly shifting his eyes to the ignition, focusing on getting his car keys as if his very life depended on that small task.