I woke up just in time. My heart felt heavy, and my soul empty. But hey, at least the tears made my face clear and smooth. I got ready at 6.55 and by 7.15 I was on my way to work. It only takes me like 20 minutes to get there, but Nate wanted us in early for an important update, and he wouldn't say what it is.

I re-heated and re-packaged the food Lara made for me, made sure to block Nikilson, and was on my merry way. I was so bothered to the point where I didn't even want to turn on the radio. Imagine driving in silence, in the depressing LA traffic -- it ain't pretty bro.

I pulled in to the store parking lot, and sat there for a few seconds just collecting my thoughts. Today, I will not think about Axel at all -- other than now, duh -- and I will be strong because Lara needs a strong backbone, and Cooper needs someone to knock some sense into him once in a while. And Landon... well Landon is like that distant cousin we all love but can't control sometimes.

A knock on the window pulled me out of my abysmal state of self-pity.

It was Cooper and Landon. I rolled down the window, pretty happy to see them.

"Hey Soph." Said Landon, opening my door for me to get out. Being a.... gentleman?

"Hey Landon. How's it going? Still thinking of quitting?" I asked, turning off the car and getting off.

"Well, after Nate's announcement today, we are all going to want to quit." Said Cooper, his hood covering half his head, but his long hair was covering most of his forehead.

I froze.

"No... what's his announcement about?" I asked, already slumping my shoulders.

"Should we ruin the surprise Coop? " Asked Landon, stupid smirk decorating his pale, bony face.

"Nah, I want to see the shock and disgust on her face." Said Cooper, nudging my shoulder.

"You're late boys!" Yelled Nate as he zoomed past us, his bright, blue Chevy in full view.

"Oh, sorry, good morning Sophia Grace." He yelled back.

"Morning!"

We rushed behind him, and made our way to the staff lounge.

"Hey homegirl!" Said Natalie and Jessie simultaneously, engulfing me in a bear hug.

"Hey, hey! How's it going guys?" I replied, putting my coat in my locker, and hugging them back.

Jessie always has the most glamourous jewelry that she makes herself -- oh yeah, she's super talented. She's about 5'5, has black hair and ombre streaks, and is quite literally the cutest person alive. She's very kind and very hard working, and she aspires to be an interior designer one day.

On the other hand, Nat designs her own clothes, is currently studying fashion designing, and her designs have won countless competitions. I think she already has a job lined up somewhere once she graduates. So aside from being breathtakingly beautiful, she has the charm, talent, and charisma to go with it.

"Why do you look so sad, girl? Ain't nothing worth getting sad about, and I mean nothing." Said Jess.

"No Jess, I think it's more of a 'someone' situation, not something." Replied Nat, narrowing her eyes at me.

Miss girl...

"Ladies, ladies. I'm fine. I just slept a little late, that's all." I replied, reassuring them. Of course, when I say stuff like that, no one seems to believe me.

"Mkay, sister. Lie to us, as if we haven't met Axel a day in our life." Said Jess, nudging me as they went to sit on one of the couches.

"Since when do you have friends?" Asked Landon and Cooper simultaneously.

"If y'all don't shut up, I'll accidentally push you down the stairs, and you'll accidentally get a fractured butt, and you'll accidentally never be able to walk again. Do you want to try that?"

They exchanged terrified looks, and followed me to sit down. I made eye contact with Jason, and he smiled a shy smile, then turned around. I don't know when he'll come to terms with the fact that we're okay? That he doesn't have to carry this guilt around forever. Sigh, poor guy.

Nate came in, and it got quiet real fast.

He stopped midway to the table on the side of the room, and gave us a side eye.

"Y'all don't have to turn mute all of the sudden. I ain't gonna fire you." He looked angry, and a little exhausted.

Yeah, that didn't help. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The room wasn't even empty. Morning shift included the meat department AKA Landon and Cooper as float. The produce department AKA Jason and Marcel. The bakery section AKA Nat and Jess. The cashiers AKA me, Asma, and Nicolette. And our lovely assistant manager, soon to be convicted felon if Jason talks -- Nate.

"So yesterday I got an email from head office informing me of this cute little addition they're going to be adding to our already long as hell list of stuff we gotta do. And y'all ain't gonna like it." He was quiet for a while, fishing out the email from his laptop.

"Okay, so it said that starting next week, someone will be coming in to train everyone on something they'd like to call "TheCornerCart". What is it, you ask? It is a new service provided by The Corner Store where people can now make online orders. Then, a designated worker will shop for them, and another lucky designated worker will drive it over to their house..." The groans filled the entire room.

"Oh, oh now y'all wanna talk, huh?" Laughed Nathan.

"Do we have to do this? Produce is a pain as it is, I can't be shopping for people who don't even know what they want in the first place.." Said Jason, looking like he was on the verge of tears.

"The head of departments won't be involved in this Jason, so you, Landon, and Asma don't have to worry about this -- yet. But head office wants us to at least start the program so they can see if they should start it in other branches."

"Wait.. so we're the lab rats?" Asked Landon.

"You are not anything. You're not a part of this, man. But if you or Jason so much as say or do anything to ruin my mood, I'm putting both of you on driving duty for a full month." He smirked.

"This is what happens when you open your halitosis pie hole, you idiot." Yelled Jason.

"You see this Nate? This is what law enforcement refers to as verbal abuse. Arrest him, and I'd like to recommend the harshest sentence. Be sure to mace him please."

Nate looked between the both of them, and it didn't help that they were on opposite ends of the room.

"One more word out the two of you, and you'll be doing both jobs until your feet are numb." He said threateningly.

Not a word from either of them all meeting long.

"Okay, so next week, our 'buyers' will have to come in on days they don't work and you're getting paid for it. They'll teach you about the technology you'll have to use, and how to communicate with the customers when they're home, and how to go through the process, start to finish. Any questions?"

Jason and Landon's hands shot up.

"Seriously, anyone? No? Okay then, thank you for coming to this meeting, I hope you all badged in for the extra time. Thank you!"

We all got up, and Landon and Jason's hands were still up, just looking at each other with grimaces.

"So.." Started Landon, "feel like quitting yet?"

"No, that's actually amazing..."

"What the hell do you mean?" Yelled Cooper, right into my ear.

"Ow!"

"Well, no duh, you'd think that, because you're not the one driving to people's houses." Scoffed Landon, actually rolling his eyes at me.

We put our stuff in the lockers and went down the stairs.

"But think of it, if people are all ordering from their homes, then they won't be here to bother us in person."

They were quiet for a second, contemplating my reasoning.

"Yeah... but that still means the driver would have to be the one to confront these people. So really, we're still losing." Said Landon, Cooper agreeing with him.

"Whatever, I still win." I replied, sticking my tongue out at him.

We parted ways when we were downstairs, and I went to my cash register. I sanitized my belt, and opened up. The store was pretty empty for a Tuesday, so I just looked around the store. Today I was put on the farthest cash register away from humanity and civilization, but a little closer to bakery than the ones I'm usually on. I could see Jess and Nat setting up their bread, cupcakes, croissants, and everything that's making this place smell great. They turned around, and waved at me, and I waved back. These girls are literal rays of sunshine.

"Excuse me, why are these trolleys dirty?" I heard someone yell.

Ugh, and they have arrived; beautiful.

"I'm sorry. Let me get you a better one!" I heard Justin say.

Great.

By the time my break time rolled around, I had only seen about 10 customers.

I closed my cash register and debated whether I should buy a coke or not. Of course my intrusive thoughts won and I bought a very cold bottle. And some sour skittles. I was going to get ramen but my inner voice won. I paid for my stuff and went to our break room. As I was opening the door upstairs to enter, Jason was opening it to leave.

"Oh..umm...my bad. S-sorry." He said awkwardly, completely avoiding my gaze.

"Stop, Jason." I said. This has got to stop, he can't keep avoiding me forever.

He stopped, but he still wouldn't face me.

"Look at me, Jason. Please."

It took a second, but he eventually turned towards me.

"Listen dude. There's no reason for you to avoid me at all. Whatever happened to me would've happened regardless. So, please don't avoid me. You seem like a chill person and I know we can be good friends, but you have to stop blaming yourself. Nothing was your fault, and you being there wouldn't have changed anything. So please, don't carry this burden, okay?"

He looked at me for a few seconds, opening his mouth a few times to say something, but he doesn't.

He put out his fist in a fist bump, and I bumped it.

"Thank you, Sophia. You are a wonderful person, and even though Axel told me not to talk to you again, I know we will be great friends. I can't promise that I'll be completely over it, but I'll try my best moving forward." He said, smiling half a smile.

Hey, I'll take it.

"Okay, that works for me." I replied.

He went on his merry way, and once again I was left thinking about Axel.

Why the hell would he say anything to him about me? Clearly, he doesn't care about me at all, so what the hell?

Ugh, why are boys so annoyingly confusing?

Irritated, I slammed my poor plate down and as a result of being mad, I took a bite without even heating it.

I don't even understand why I'm mad, I just know I am.

First, he leaves without saying a word, then he disappears without as much a text, and then he ignores the pathetic voicemail I sent.

Yeah, but you also disappeared.

I did, but at least I called him and told him where I was - he didn't even bother with anything.

He promised to be here, and being the idiot that I will forever be, I believed him. But all men do is lie, and honestly I'm done. I don't care if I imagined a whole future with him, I'm done.

"Hello!" Said Cooper, waving his hands in front of me.

Well, yelled more than said.

I didn't even see him come in.

"What, what? Sorry, I'm here. I'm here!"

"Are you though?" He said, reaching for my container and eating from it.

With his dusty, crusty, bare hands.

"Cooper, get a fork what the hell?"

He slurped the pasta, and the alfredo sauce lathered the side of his cheek.

"Sorry!" He licked the side of his mouth, wiped it away with the side of his shirt, and went to get a fork.

"Did you hear anything from Lara?" He asked, taking my plate to heat it.

Oh wow, sometimes I forget about her, honestly.

"She should be in school. Law school ain't easy bro."

He took another bite, but not before his stomach made a God awful sound.

"Are you being fed at home, Cooper? Seriously, I'm worried."

"My parents went to see my grandma again, since she wasn't doing too well, and they took my sister. It was very sudden, they forgot to leave me any money at all, and I burned all the frozen pizza we had. I mean, I managed to salvage like two slices, but yeah. They're going to be gone all week and they have no idea how to work the e-transfer thing, and I would rather waste away than use my money, so here we are." He took another bite.

Damn, this kid really hurts my heart.

I took one more bite, and hoped my memory would remember the taste of this piece of heaven. Lara made a few more of these, so I'm definitely eating that when I'm back home.

"Here. You can have the rest of it, I'm stuffed." I lied, my stomach punching itself.

He eyed me suspiciously.

"No, I'm sorry. You can have your food back, I should spend my own money..."

"Shut up Coop; eat it. I want to enjoy my sour skittles anyways." I fished them out of the bag and looked at him again.

He had what I called 'insomnia sacks' under his eyes , his hair was a little messy, and his eyes a little sunken in. It looked like he wasn't sleeping properly or even eating at all.

He didn't even notice me looking at him, he was too busy devouring Lara's pasta. The way this kid reminded me of my own brother is crazy.

"Anything you want to talk about, Coop?" I said softly.

He tensed for a second, and somehow looked deeper into the pasta, like he was trying to find the meaning of life somewhere amongst the sauce. He was quiet for a few minutes, and I didn't want to ask again, in fear that I'd be intruding, but in the four months I've known Cooper, he grew on me, and whether I chose to believe it or not, I felt really responsible for him.

"My parents are getting a divorce." he finally said. His voice shook a little, but he cleared his throat and steadied it.

"Oh my God, Cooper. I'm so sorry." I didn't know what to do, so I just put my arm around him. He lowered his head, and I heard him sniffle.

Nope, he was just slurping on his pasta.

"They say they will, but I know they won't."

"Really? How do you know?"

Way to be a supportive friend you idiot.

He stopped eating for a second.

"I just know. Anyways, what's up with you and Axel? You're usually smiling at the wall, but today you're clearly frustrated. So, what gives?"

How'd he manage to turn this on me?

"I don't know Coop. He's being weird. I told him about his dad, and he up and left and never came back; never even looked back. He never returned a single text, and he didn't even reply to my voicemail. And then I found out that he told Jason to never talk to me again, because he think he left me to get attacked. What does he want from me?"

"Ugh... women." He sighed.

"What?"

"Do you want me to spell it out, Soph?"

I stared at him blankly, refusing to admit to anything.

He sighed, and wiped his mouth with his jacket sleeve yet again.

"Cooper, meet tissues. For the love of God." I passed him a whole packet of unopened tissues.

He chuckled and wiped his mouth with them this time.

"I've never seen someone care for someone else they way Axel cares for you..."

"Cooper, don't..."

"No, I'm serious Soph. He goes out of his way to protect you. He makes sure people here are looking out for you when he's not here. Whenever anyone mentions your name, he automatically smiles. He makes sure you're always happy. You tell me what that means. He is in shock, and maybe he's just taking taking longer than usual to figure it out. Maybe he just needs more time to process this, so he can come up with a solution rather than an excuse. Because knowing him, he's probably confronting his father and putting himself in harms way because he feels very protective of you. Sometimes it scares me just how much he feels the need to protect you. That doesn't come easy, and it just goes to prove that he hasn't disappeared because he's scared, or because  he's avoiding you -- but because he truly cares..."

"He's right, love." Said a voice that felt like a breath of fresh air after the suffocation of drowning.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.

"Axel...?"