As I approach the Cloaks, I recognize the white plus sign logo on their hat, and shoulder of their uniform. They're medics of some kind. The kind that had to help resuscitate Juice- my opponent from the grocery store brawl. One of the pair of Cloaks looks up at me, cracking a laugh as I approach them.

He taps his partner, whom his arm is wrapped around, “Hey babe, look who it is.”

His girl, whose nose is buried in some textbooks, looks up. She gives me a snicker, before turning back to her book. “Pfft, Blake Autumn the wonder kid huh?”

“The… what?” I question, tilting my head at the nickname.

The guy chimes in, “Dude, we call you the wonder kid, cause like, we’re all wondering how in the hell you’re still alive!”

I sigh, letting off a dry chuckle. “You too huh?”

The Cloak's relaxed demeanor is odd to say the least. He's kicked back in his chair, relaxing with his arm around his girl and not a care in the world.

The relaxed Cloak hands me his ID, “Bro can I get like a long island or something?”

I look at the card. Lars Stranton. Twenty-four. The same short scraggly blonde hair he has today. State of California license. Explains his whole 'Cali-dude-bro' vibe.

"Thanks, much appreciated. Any of your friends here with you two?"

He looks around, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't know man. Probably?"

I briefly look around at the other patrons. Most of them are dressed in casual clothes- t-shirts, sweatpants, hoodies etc. My eyes quickly lock onto one hoodie in particular.

It's forest-green, with the white and black 'Gibbet University' logo.

He looks over and taps his significant other's shoulder, "We just like wearing our cloaks, isn't that right babe?"

His girlfriend doesn't look away from her book. "If you're referring to the fact that Medic-Cloaks are required to wear the uniform at all times, then yes I'd say we do like them."

I turn my attention to her, "Wait, you guys have to wear them??"

Again, she doesn't look up. Her attention is glued to the books, "Medic-Cloaks are on call twenty-four seven in the event that a Cloak passes out from cloak usage."

"P-passing out?!" I look down at my hands, thinking of the bout I’d had a few days ago. The hot blooded, light-headed feeling that grew with every punch. The anger that brought my blood to a near boiling point as my body literally heated up. My hands are still a bright burnt red, that runs up my forearm. Right where Stevie had wrapped my arm with the Cloak piece.

"Yup. Thing’ll kill you real fast if you're not used to it." she says, still reading. I've only just noticed she's reading a pair of medical textbooks.

"Uhh..." I look over, feeling a sudden sense of perplexion grow in me. I shudder at what the stern medic just said. Could wearing the cloak really kill me?! My hands flare up in pain just thinking about what could've happened.

"Am I going to die?"

The Cloak flips a page in her book. "No. I mean like, eventually your body adjusts to it, but prolonged use can be deadly."

“You really should be dead though." The girl interjects more so to herself. I look around Lars and see that she's turned her attention back to her textbooks. "I mean, all of that strain on your body whilst being a first-time user?! You should’ve died right there on the spot.”

I shrug, "You're asking the wrong guy man. Dumb luck I guess."

"More like blissful ignorance." she mutters, her gaze on the textbooks unending. Her crass attitude strikes a nerve with me.

"Blake!" I turn around, seeing Tia wave her hand. She's got a pile of drinks on the bar. "Hurry the hell up!"

“On it!” I shout back. I hand Lars his ID back, before rushing back to the bar. My mind is spinning, thinking of what the Cloak had just said.

I hand Tia the slip of paper, “Just a long island from the Cloaks.”

Tia immediately begins work on it, grabbing a bottle of vodka. “I left the order slips next to the drinks, so just start handing them out.”

“On it!”

I follow as instructed, handing out the drinks on the bar. The first few go to the folks seated at the bar, before moving on to the tables throughout the restaurant. I hand a patron a glass of wine, glancing over at the table of Cloaks. They continue to chat, paying me no mind.

As I finish serving the last table, I rush back to the bar. Tia goes to set the long island down and is taken aback by the empty bar. "Sheesh that was fast." she looks up at me, "Good job Blake."

I nod, grabbing the last drink. "Long island?"

Tia nods in return. I turn back and approach the Cloaks.

Lars's eyes light up as he grabs the cold glass, "Broo thanks man! You're a real one Blake."

I nod, smiling. "Not a problem."

Lars's chill demeaner has grown on me. He looks over to the girl in his arms, “Grace, you want anything? It’s on me.”

“No thanks." She murmurs, flipping a page in her book.

Lars sighs. Using his free hand, he closes both of the textbooks. The covers on the front reveal medical textbooks.

"H-hey!" She shouts, darting a glare up at Lars.

Lars rolls his eyes, "Oh Grace, come on! You've been studying since we got to this dump. Take a break!"

"You mean researching! You know how important this is Lars!” she pleads. Though she looks annoyed, there's a sense of playfulness to it.

“I also know how important breaks are too.”

Grace looks into his eyes, sighing. She reaches up, stretching. "Fiiiine. No drink though."

I smile at the two as she leans her head onto his shoulder. I turn back, glancing at Tia. She's preoccupied, cleaning glasses.

In a weird way, the couple's joking reminds me of me and Tia.

* * *

As more customers kept slowly trickling in, me and Tia soon fell into a pattern. I’d wait on customers, while she stayed behind the bar making drinks. It took us a while, but we managed to make it through the huge crowd of college kids. Some of them even kept asking for seconds. They were an all and all pretty nice crowd, even if some of them were probably Cloaks.

I feel the same way I did when I saw the Cloak behind Stevie’s trailer. That cringe-feeling of being watched.

I also caught myself glancing at Tia. Since I took over being a waiter, Tia hasn’t left from behind the bar. She’s been able to solely focus on making cocktails. Her mood has improved too, if not then she's at least more relaxed. Tia’s not as tense when she’s making drinks. Her motions look more fluid, and not as sporadic or choppy. As if it’s second nature to her. Customers kept raving about her beverages, which I assume made her feel good. Seeing her happy makes me happy. She has the same can-do attitude she had back in high school. Back when…

When I liked her.

Ugh, No. I push those thoughts out, trying not to remind

myself, but my brain keeps doing it instinctively. I can’t seem to stop it. It gives me a headache when I try to fight it.

Despite my uneasiness, the rest of the night goes relatively

smooth. The large party soon begins pouring out, leaving an empty bar, full of dirty glasses, and the smell of cheap cologne. I’m exhausted. My hand is cramped from writing, and my feet are numb from standing for so long.

“Alright we can go home now, right?” I ask Tia, as she counts tip money. Tia doesn’t look up, but smirks.

“Yeah sure, after you do the dishes.”

I groan. I know she probably felt some joy in giving me such a monotonous task. Nevertheless, I reach in the kitchen, and murmur to myself as I grab a washcloth.

Eventually, after what feels like forever, we close up and scurry out towards Tia’s car. I immediately recognize the small dark blue sedan.

“Hey, you still have your parent’s graduation gift!” I say surprised. Tia got this car just after high school, right before they… oh...

Realizing that I’d unintentionally brought up Tia’s parents, I shake my head.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to bring it u-”

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

“You’re fine Blake,” She cuts me off bluntly.

All I can manage to respond with is a pitiful, “Yeah.”

We both seem to Ignore the interaction, as we quietly get in the car and head off into the night. It’s probably better this way. I don’t want to ruin the mood.

* * *

Tia's face grows sour as we continue going down the dimly lit road. She looks over at me, gawking at me in a playful disgust.

“God Blake, I never noticed it until now, but dude you smell like, really bad. When was the last time you took a shower?”

I blush in embarrassment.

“I had one last night.” I say, letting out an awkward laugh. Stevie didn’t have any good soap, so I still reek of alcohol, puke, and now sweat.

“Well, you’re taking one tonight, you’re stinking up my car.” Tia melodramatically coughs as she rolls down the windows of her car.

“Geez Tia you don’t have to be so dramatic,” I say as I stick my arm out the window.

I look over at Tia, as she’s focused on the road ahead. I smirk as an idea crosses my mind. I slowly inch my left arm towards her face, until it gets close enough for her to catch a good whiff.

Tia’s face contorts as she gags. I chuckle as she punches my arm.

“Blake If you get any closer, I’ll crash this car right now and kill us both!” she snaps. I burst out laughing. The sudden volatility in her voice caught me off guard, as my stomach began to hurt from chuckling. Tia looks at me, shaking her head as she lets off a laugh. Tia’s attitude towards me seems to have gone away for the time being. On one hand, I’m happy to see the old Tia, but I’m also scared she’ll snap at me at any moment. I guess I just have to be careful with what I say.

Eventually, we pulled into a smooth concrete driveway. It’s hard to see in the dark, but the house looks like one of the little studio-apartments you see just southeast of downtown in the suburbs. Like the shops in town, it’s squished between two other buildings, leaving little room for a driveway, and much less a porch.

“Your house?” I ask.

“Yep. Home sweet home, right?” Tia says with a splash of contentment. Her gaze on the home is any but kind.

I give the house a look. It's short, and small, but still has a cute townhouse feeling. “It looks nice!” I say trying to be encouraging.

Tia continues talking, as she fumbles with her keys, “Yeah, thanks. Got this place after we sold the old house.”

Confused, I turn to Tia.

“We?”

She puts the key in the door.

“Me and my aunt. After I inherited my parent’s stuff, she helped me get settled.”

As we walk in, I ponder out loud, “Where is she at now?”

“Retired. Ran off to live out her days in Mexico.” Tia says as she flips on a light, revealing her apartment.

“She’s probably in paradise down there compared to up here.” she says letting out a sarcastic chuckle.

I immediately notice the mess. I try not to, but I still can’t help glancing at the pile of dishes, and the various clothes lying around.

“Sorry for the mess by the way.” Tia interjects, “I don’t normally have the time to clean, much less guests to clean for.”

I shake my head and reassure Tia, “Nah you’re fine man, don’t even worry about it!”

She sighs relieved, before making her way to a door on the left side of her apartment.

“I’m going to shower really quick. There should be some food in the fridge if you want anything. And the TV’s there in the corner if you get bored.”

I nod. As the door shuts, I turn to the apartment in front of me. I’m standing in essentially a large rectangle separated into two rooms. A small kitchen area takes up a quarter of the room, leaving the rest to a large living room, fit with a small brown velvet loveseat, a small chair, and a coffee table. All furniture I recognize from Tia’s old home. In the corner, rests a small entertainment center.

Despite the quaint nature of Tia’s apartment, there’s still a certain bleakness to it. Perhaps it’s the lack of any warm light source, or the lack of any decor, but the whole place just feels cold. It’s also eerily quiet, with the only sound coming from the whistle of the wind outside.

I slip by the small loveseat, and approach the also small, black, wooden entertainment center. It’s a quite simple design, just large enough to hold two doors, as well as the flatscreen on top. I instantly catch on to how dusty this thing is. It started with my finger leaving a trail of cleanliness behind. I look around the top of the center. There’s enough dust here to cause an honest to God asthma attack.

I slide my hand inside of my hoodie sleeve, and use it to wipe up the dirty counter, before moving onto the flatscreen.

I’m not using any sort of cleaner, but it still looks ten times better than the dust-scape it used to be. I take my jacket off, throwing the dust covered hoodie to the ground. Maybe I can talk to Tia about washing it. Moving on to the task at hand, I open up the left door.

Sigh.

More dust.

I grab my jacket and start dusting again, having a look around. It’s again, a really simple design. Two shelves with one housing a dusty DVD player, and the other holds a few movies and shows. Nothing that catches my eyes though, just some rom-coms and such.

I look over at the right door and go to open it. I've dusted this far, so I might as well finish the job, right? Inside however, I find something that surprises me.

It's a small stack of box sets for various anime series. Most of them are shows that I introduced Tia to- Cowboy Bebop, Evangelion, my favorites. There’s even some here that I’ve never seen, like Samurai Champloo, and Attack on Titan.

I chuckle, surprised. I never knew Tia liked anime enough to collect it. I have another look at the catalog, trying to see if there’s one I wanna watch.

“Did you dust?!”

I feel my heart drop, and almost scream from shock as I turn around to see Tia standing there, now wearing a t-shirt, and plaid pajama pants.

"What are yo-?”

Tia’s eyes widen, and her face turns red as she sees what’s in my hands.

"I was really hoping you wouldn’t find those." she mumbles, her face sinking as she frowns.

I stand up, tilting my head in confusion, "Tia, why are you embarrassed? This is cool!"

Tia lifts her head up, but still avoids looking at me. She just stares out at a wall.

"After you left, I kept watching other shows that interested me. Work kinda took over though."

I reach down, grabbing a box set, and holding it out to Tia, "Well, no time like the present right?" I say optimistically.

Tia shakes her head, “No. I’ve got work tomorrow.”

My arm falls to my side in disappointment.

Tia grabs the box from me, looking at the different sides. She looks like she's contemplating hard. After a long pause Tia takes a deep breath.

“Fine.”

I pump my fist in the air, letting out a little, “Yes!”

“God you’re like a child.” Tia groans, rolling her eyes.

She then walks past me, tapping the on button for the DVD box. Tia turns back to me. “Go ahead and take a shower, the bathroom is in my bedroom, to the right. There’s a towel in there for you. I’ll get your bed ready.”

I nod and walk into her bedroom. Much like the rest of the home, it’s bleak. Her bed is a mess of gray sheets, and a black comforter.

I walk into her bathroom and hop in the shower. Finally, after the longest time I finally feel clean. I smell like coconuts, but it’s better than nothing. I wince in pain as the soap runs across the bruises. The burning on my hands especially hurt, as I struggle to keep them out of the hot water. My face has healed up for the most part, but the black eye still remains, as well as the semi-swollen cheeks.

Drying off, I slip on some new pjs- Some flannel pants, and a faded Timmy the Box Turtle shirt from high school. I've had this thing since freshman year, and because Mom had gotten a size too big, it now fits perfectly.

Walking out of Tia’s room, I see what my bed will be.

Tia had folded out the couch, revealing a small bed. She looks to have just finished laying out a blanket, when she looks up at me. “Just finished setting up your bed, so you should be good to go.”

I lean on the couch, getting a better look at the bed. I look back over at Tia.

“Tia, I don’t think I can express this enough, but I really appreciate the help. Letting me stay here and all while Stevie’s on his date.”

“Yeah, he said that he and Austie had been talking for a while, so I imagine it went well.” Tia nods her head, half smiling as she continues, "Not a problem though."

“You think you’ll need more help in the future?” I ask her concerned.

Tia gives a conflicted look, staring off into the distance as if she’s thinking intensely. “Maybe, I’m not sure yet. If I have another night like tonight, I’ll probably need you.”

“Well, I’m always here if you need a helping hand, it’s the least I can do.”

She nods again, still in thought.

As I hop on the couch-bed, Tia plops down in her chair. She hits play on the remote, and my eyes light up as I see the flashy intro of tonight’s entertainment.

It’s some action anime about characters fighting giant monsters. The box art for the DVD showed them looking tall, lanky, and towering over the small puny people below.

How excited I was to watch it.

As we settle in, Tia takes her place in the small, cushioned seat, perpendicular to my left. I tried not to do it, but as my eyelids grew heavy, I found myself glancing at Tia. She seemed disinterested, glancing at her phone. Eventually though, her gaze grew more enthralled by the show in front of us. Her eyes remained on the screen until I passed out.

I feel guilty for glancing at her, but I can’t help it. That face has been burned in my head for so long, and now she’s right there. The more I see her, the more my old feelings come creeping back. I’m too tired to even try and fight it right now. I just think of Tia and am filled with the warm happy thoughts of the past. When nothing mattered.

When the only concern we had was finishing Ms. Brianna’s homework so we could hang out. Deep down part of me says I should focus on the cloaks, but I don’t know. This almost seems just as pertinent to me. This right here makes me happy. Tonight was fun, and I’d happily do it again. Hangouts with Tia were always more reserved, as opposed to the chaos of hanging with Stevie. I love Stevie, but this is just so relaxing.

Still, the thought of bringing anything up to Tia terrifies me to no end. It makes my skin flip inside out. I feel flustered, and I’m not sure whether it’s good or bad. Maybe it’s okay? Maybe I should tell her how I feel? Another part of me is terrified, and then again, another part of me doesn’t care if she likes me back, and just wants closure. Man. The human brain is one pain in the ass. Still, I’m excited. The next few days are going to be fun. I get to hang out with Tia and help Stevie with the dune buggy preparations. For once, things are looking up!

GOOD NIGHT, UNTIL TOMORROW…