Fire and Rain- 10

Dear Alex,

Teen. Young-adult. Two words that are seemingly similar, but make all the difference in the world. When I think of a teen, I simply imagine someone preparing themselves for the big adult world outside. A young-adult however seems far too close to their goal. It's funny how we judge one and respect the other isn't it? Just adds to the confusion really.

“This is not a good idea Faizal”

“I know what I’m doing”, Faizal shushed Tori peeking over his shoulder as he tried to pick the lock in front of him. His eyes were furrowed in deep concentration, as his hands fiddled with the thin black pin in his hands. The bronze metal wouldn’t budge and he had half a mind of breaking it into tiny pieces with the nearest boulder. His patience was dwindling and the night was getting colder, they needed to get inside before the storm got worse.

Tori tapped her foot in impatience, her leather boots echoing on the concrete pavement as the wind whistled eerily down the street and tickled the hair on the back of her neck. She didn’t like this place at all, but she couldn’t help it. They had no choice but to take shelter in the shed they had found, sitting idle by itself in a lonely street with shady looking houses and an atmosphere belonging in a horror story.

Even as her blood turned blue in her veins, she gritted her teeth and stepped closer to the warm figure in front of her. He didn’t seem to have much luck in opening the shed door, but he was her only hope. Actually he was the one responsible for the whole act; Faizal got them lost in the first place.

“This is going to be so much fun”, the shrill voice of Reyna echoed as the shell curtain jingled behind them. The two girls had just ambled their way to the beach, Tori reluctantly submitting to Reyna’s demands and showing up to her new ‘Summer Job’.

“This is going to be torturous”, Tori stated in a depressed tone and trudged in behind the little pixie jumping with excitement. Aaliya was bent over another magazine, her braid hanging loose on her back as she traced a line through the page with her fingers, as if committing an important piece of information to memory.

Rey had stood impatiently with her feet swinging left and right for two minutes before thumping her hand repeatedly on the wooden counter. Jerking up with a murderous look on her face, Aaliya’s glance settled on the two girls standing in front of her. Before she could voice her thoughts, Rey beat her to the chase.

“We are your new employees”, a fat grin spreading across her rosy lips.

Taking in the sight in front of her, Aaliya huffed out a breath before stepping out from behind the desk, her hands placed firmly on her hips like a judging elder; She stepped around the ladies standing upright in front of her, and ‘mmhed’’and ‘aaahed’ secretively. Tori, who had been nervous throughout the car ride, had boosted her worries to a higher level, while Reyna admired the beautiful jewellery and clothes hanging from the pegs carefully placed across the walls.

At one point she even whispered excitedly about Bohemian Silk and rushed to a rather smooth looking blouse with a look of adoration, her finger slipping in between the fabric and caressing it with the care of a mother. That little act of fabric appreciation earned her Aaliya’s approval almost immediately. A few minutes later, the two ladies were chatting excitedly about the pros and cons of the said material, their voices falling on deaf ears as Tori tried to peer through the back curtain and into what seemed like a cosy house.

“Couldn’t stay away from me, could you?”, A voice echoed from behind her. Turning on her heel, she came face-to-face with an all-knowing smirk painted on the face of the man she wished she wouldn’t meet. But unfortunately for her, he stood there in broad daylight. Faizal stepped through the curtain, the water dripping through his hair and rolling down his cheeks. Tori’s mind was set to blast something hard-hitting and impacting towards him, maybe even something that would keep him away from her. But he was taunting her, his hand slowly ruffling his hair, flicking the salty droplets of water in all directions. If it hadn’t been the guy getting on her nerves for the past two days, she probably wouldn’t have put off drooling over him right there like a silly old lapdog. Summoning her will power, she stepped back from him and looked up to meet his gaze with a cold stare.

“Not in your dreams”

“No love, it’s your dreams”, he taunted almost immediately. His smirk only going in comparison to the one that he had plastered on his face, by now he had inched a step closer while Tori had taken one back in reflex.

“Not in a million years”

“Maybe in just an evening”

”I would never go for a guy like you”

“Exactly, because you’d go for me”

“You are delusional”

“And you are still standing here”, he threw back. His hand was clenched right at his side by now. The girl looked far better than anyone he had seen, but she was far too annoying. If only she’d let herself have some more fun, this would be so much more entertaining. But the girl standing in front of him, held defiance in her eyes and deadly poison in her words. It wasn’t going to be easy, but maybe it was going to be worthwhile.

Pursing her lips in frustration, she turned to hunt for her friend only to find the store rid completely empty of any company. She couldn’t look back, she knew she’d have to face the all-knowing smirk on his face once again. Today there was no more patience left for that. After mentally slapping herself for her urgent ways, she proceeded to a rack with unkempt clothes and started to fold them.

On the far end of the balcony, Faizal had ruined his hair by running his hands through them over and over again. How could she be so difficult? Even five-year-olds weren't such a pain- No she wasn't a pain.

“Man, get a hold of yourself”, he whispered lowly. Realising that he was talking to himself on a fine morning on his own porch, he shook his head to clear it off murky thoughts and decided to step back into his daily routine. He would walk out to the shack, do his job, be his charismatic self as usual. What Tori did or did not do shouldn't really matter, and it would not!

“Faizal! Astoria! Store front NOW!”, Aaliya's shrill voice echoed though the walls. He looked at the beach longingly for one last time, this would be his last chance of savouring a quiet moment, because he didn't trust himself to keep calm any more. Things were going to change, vastly.

In the midst of cream coloured walls, clothes hung from hooks on every railing. Shirts, jeans and other items were folded neatly on the numerous racks stacked against the walls, and even people looked out of context in a shop like this. But Aaliya, she looked like she belonged here. Her caramel coloured skin glowed against the walls, her grand stature seemed demanding of respect, and not ruthless in any nature. Even as Tori tried her best to keep from peering at Faizal just inches from her, she felt herself being drawn into Aaliya's voice.

“New stock has just arrived yesterday, so we have a lot to unpack. But we can't leave the customers alone and it's tourist season. So Reyna and I will be attending to the customers and handling the shack and Faizal and Tori, you might want to unpack the stock and assort it accordingly”, she rattled off quickly.

No sooner had Tori straightened herself into an all-serious work mode, than Aaliya continued to add a tiny bit of humour into her talk.

“Oh and don't forget that you will be spending the rest of your day together. So have fun kids and no funny business”, she waggled her eyebrows suggestively and left the room quick as a fox.

Faizal made an inaudible noise and walked in the direction of the storeroom.

“The sooner we finish, the sooner you can go home”, he shot behind his back, this sure got Tori moving faster than expected. Home and away seemed a lot nicer right now.

Two hours. Two hours stuffed in a room that smelled of cardboard and clothe freshener, was just unacceptable. It was quite easy to push a person beyond breaking point with only those two ingredients, but a mix of Faizal and Astoria led to an uncomfortable enviornment.

“That does not go there”, he pointed at the jacket in her hand, another dejected expressions painted on his face. They were simply opening boxes and emptying their contents onto different racks. It was quite simple really, but to Faizal it was a lot more complex. Every detail and every intricacy that he mentioned was expected to be fulfilled to perfection. When they said males were dominant creatures, maybe it was Faizal who was kept in mind.

“It's a rack full of jackets Faizal. Where else will I put it?”

He couldn't care less about her justifications this time. He grabbed the jacket by the neck and sped over to the far end of the store, all the while muttering incoherent words under his breath.

Tori huffed a breath and sat down on a nearby stool. It had been a long day and she was tired. Her damp hair stuck to her nape, and her arms paining at every joint, she couldn't bare to move a muscle. Is this what they meant by hard-work? She would never ask for another dessert from Pedro. She couldn't imagine what each of her kitchen staff, or any other staff for that matter, would have to go through.

“Get up. This isn't your father's store. We have work to do”, Faizal snarled, before ripping open another box from the stack. He didn't know why, but he felt an uneasy rush of anger shoot through his head. Astoria still stood shocked from what he had said, sitting quite still in her seat. He closed his eyes for a split second.

What have I done? This girl is nothing like us. I should be kinder.

“Tori...I..”, he started, his nervous hand trailing through his hair with all the pent up frustration.

“Stop. We have work to do”, she muttered sharply and picked up a handful of clothing items from the box and walked swiftly out the room.

She didn't see Faizal stare at her with a bemused expression on his face. She didn't see him shaking his head with a sly smile on his face. She definitely wasn't there to read the thoughts reeling through his mind.

Fragile as he had thought her to be, she seemed tough as a diamond. And equally as quick to change her light.

Just as another customer walked away with her drink, Reyna smiled to herself, satisfied with her day's work. This was all so new and refreshing to her. Finally, it seemed like she had a real job to do, not just keep Tori company.

Not that I mind that, she quickly amended herself.

The buzz of her cellphone from the folds of her apron shook her out of her train of thought.

“Hello?”

“Guess what?”, the voice at the other end shrieked.

“Jer? What is it?”

“We are going to a party and everyone's invited!”