I considered making her going full yandere but decided not to yet.
Feed back on my writing is much appreciated.
A discord https://discord.gg/HFdpPgp
Fuck, how did I get myself in this mess. She's cute as hell, but I don't like her like that. I don't hate her either, she was cute and attractive but her aggressive clinginess was definitely off putting. I don't really know how I feel about her. I felt like I wanted to take two stepping back but at the same time I wanted to hold her close. I needed time to get away from this and reflect on my feelings without the cacophony emotions storming through me.
The expression 'hell hath no fury like a woman scorned' rang through my head. She wasn't the sanest person I've met, and she also didn't seem to handle rejection like a normal person. She would probably take a kiss to mean that we were dating or something more absurd. Fuck I hate friend zoning people but it feels like the safest option. It was strange that someone so cute and mild filled me with such unease.
Taking a moment I collected my thoughts. I put one hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes. She put the left overs on the ground and looked up at me expectantly.
"Listen, you're a really good friend and all but I don't think I am ready for that phase", I said as sincerely as I could while cringing at my own words.
"What are you saying Jetson?", a tone of disbelieve in her voice.
"It's just that we really haven't know each other for that long, and not sure were the right fit.", I said clumsy pulling lines from movies.
"But we've known each other for 6 months. Surely that counts for something.", she with confidence.
"It's not like that though. How many days have we hung out with each other, how many of those days did explore each others backgrounds and interests.", I said trying to explain to her that I just didn't know her enough to decide.
"But don't you like me? I like you.", she said. She looked up at me like she was having to explain that 1 + 1 was in fact 2.
"Uhh... this doesn't. I mean consider this, do you know my middle name or favorite food. You need to get to know the other person before taking that step.", I said stammering a bit.
"It's Edison but I don't know your favorite food for sure. You seemed to prefer rice and katsu chicken.", a she said with a gleam in her eyes.
"Um how...", I stammered. I never told her my middle name.
"Don't you feel this bond between us?", She said while placing her hands on my biceps and looking up into my eyes.
"But how did you...", I said while shuffling backward.
"I noticed what you would bring to work for lunch. Your full name was in the records back at work", she said the sparkling in her eyes growing into a flame of passion. I am pretty sure what she did was illegal. That was also a good 6 months ago.
"Oh I see", I said awkwardly as if knowing those things were normal. This whole conversation had me off guard and struggling to keep up with her logic.
"Jetson, starting a new relationship is always scary, but I am only asking for a little faith. A little trust goes a long way. Besides you don't have that much to worry about, I will take care of everything.", she explained while drawing me into a hug.
"What are you talking about? When did I say anything about a relationship?", I said thrown a little.
"Hehe, Jetson, weren't you listening. This relationship may to be knew to you, but I have been in it for months. So there is nothing to worry about, if you just follow my instructions and everything will be fine.", she said holding me tighter. When did she say anything like that?
What fuck, where did this come from? I could feel a chill traveling up my back to kiss the nape of my neck.
"haha very funny joke but that's not something you should joke about.", I said knowing full well she wasn't joking.
"Jetson there's no need to play this games anymore, it's just you and me here. Now come on it's just one kiss", she whispered in my ear. Fuck this. I pushed myself out of her embrace.
"Please stop Natalie.", I said in a commanding tone. I was done being nice, I was a fool to ever assume she would take a hint.
"I am not interested in you. Okay. You're crazy, you have no sense of personal boundaries and you're clinginess is suffocating. Just give me some space.", I said bluntly.
"You think I am crazy... but it's been all for you. If loving you is crazy then I am fine with that. As long as I have you.", she said trying give me another hug.
"Well you don't. I am fine with being friends but anything more is something I am uncomfortable with. I am tired and I am going to go now.", I said. This conversation wasn't productive. I turned around and started walking away.
"Wait no, please don't be mad with me.", she said in a pleading tone.
"I am leaving now, see you around.", I said while hoping that I don't.
"Okay we should do dinner some time. Oh and Jetson, my dad is a cop", she said with a desperate plea on her face. Her dad's a cop? Was that supposed to be a threat? Like he'd make my life hell if I didn't do what she wanted? Just another reason to avoid her.
I closed the door to my apartment and it took me a moment to register what just happened. It seemed like something out of a novel and not my life. I jammed the door shut and leaned a board against the door. The board was there to keep the door from swinging open at the slightest breeze, the door's locking mechanism was broken. We had complained to the RA's but they didn't give a shit and told us to fix it ourselves. I made a mental note to buy a lock the next time I was at work.
Huh, Dao's not here. It's not like him to be outside.
It didn't take long for me to drift off into sleep.
_
It had been an interesting day to say the least. Dao had stumbled home from a party Gil had dragged him to promising to be his wingman. Apparently Gil ditched Dao, when he thought he had a shot at a doing two girls. I couldn't help but laugh at Dao's account, it was such a Gil thing to do. Dao had passed out at the party and was currently in our room nursing a hangover. I only had two class today and those passed fairly quickly.
Looking at my watch, I sighed in dread. It was time I went to work. I normally took my bike to the bus stop and rode the bus until I got to my work. Though it was only a 15min bike ride from dorms to work so it wasn't the end of the world if I missed the bus. I did have a car, but I didn't want to waste gas and the bus pass was free with the Uni's tuition. I ran into Gil when waiting to the stop. He was pretty chipper today. He was most likely doubt coming back from the gym, he took pride in his physique.
I worked at a local grocery chain. I was in the front-end department, which handled bagging, cashiers, and shopping cart retrieval. It was alright as jobs go. When the store was empty the cashiers would clean their area and joke around with their fellow co-workers. The hardest part of the job was putting on a smile the whole time and remembering the produce codes.
Today I was stationed on cashier 2 and I was supposed to be mentoring the newest cashier on 3. Stephenie was nice enough but would often get confused and flustered under pressure, but she knew the ropes enough not to need my help. I think she went to the local trade school in town and was training to be a cosmologist.
We had a on running joke where one of us would walk up to the other and say "boffum" and leave. It started as a joke when we were tasked with grabbing bags from the back and I asked her if the front needed plastic or paper. She replied "both of them" but she was speaking really quickly so I heard "boffum". Ever since then it was kinda of greeting between us.
The other cashier Greg was on number 5. He was a short white haired man, he had work there for years and seemed to enjoy the work enough. He was the assistant manager. He rarely opened up to us but when he did, he would talk about what he and his motorcycling friends had done. I got the impression that he wasn't working for the pay check and more for the company and not being cooped up at home.
All three of us would usually worked on the same days. My shift today was only for 6 hours and I would get off at 12am when the store closed. I would be given two 15 min breaks every 2 hours. I also had to close the front department. Unfortunately there weren't any buses running that late so I relied solely on my bike.
It was a pretty dead night, I 'faced' a few aisles and was boffum-ed from Stephenie while I was 'facing'('facing' or making the products look presentable). But other than that the shift past fairly quickly. Greg left and then an hour or two Stephenie departed as well. After tallying up the drawers for the night, I locked the front up. I didn't have to lock up the store, that was a managers job and right now people from the back were stocking the aisles.
When I got to the dorms I was exhausted. Crap I had forgotten to pick up that lock. Dao was gaming with head phones on and seemed to be disinterested on the on goings of the outside world.
"Hey", he said with complete apathy.
"Sup, Dao how was your night", I said while I getting ready for bed.
"Oh you have a letter.", he said pausing his game to look over at me.
"Oh?", I said trying to shake off my fatigue.
"Yeah some girl barged in here and asked to see you. When I told her that you were at work, she went off on one and searched our room for you. She then demand to know where you worked. She then went away for a bit and come back later with a letter.", he said while pointing to a letter that was haphazardly placed on my bed.
"Did you tell her where I worked?", I said while picking up the letter. Holy fuck, was there a novel in here? My stomach sank as I saw that it was the store brand stationary. It couldn't be a Coincidence, but I don't remember seeing her. But again she could have bought in it while I was on break or 'facing' the aisles. No I am just being paranoid.
"Uh yeah, she was really insistent on finding you, and I thought it could have been an emergency.", he said a bit sheepishly.
Ok, this is weird. I didn't need to guess who the girl was. I am too tired right now to really look through this. I tossed the letter on my drawer and collapsed on my bed. I didn't have work tomorrow and I could spend the whole day studying. The day after that I have work again.
_
I turned off my alarm, getting up and stifling around. I reluctantly started preparing for the day.
I went through my first class like a zombie. I made my way to the second lecture some general about engineering and sustainability. I didn’t fully awaken until a person sat next to me.
Wait, something is off here. I can feel it. I look over and see that she's there looking at me.
“So... what did you think of my letter? Also where were you yesterday?”, she asked in a facade of innocence.
A smile was covering her face. Fuck, what she is doing here? What letter? Oh crap that letter. She has to be messing with me, I know that she knew where I was yesterday. My thoughts were a mess.
"Sorry I haven't read your letter yet, I got home and passed out immediately and I left the letter back at the dorm. I was at class and work yesterday. How have you been? I thought you were an art major, what are you doing in a engineering program?", I asked her dubiously.
"Because we don't share any classes silly. This was the only one of your classes that was still open, I was really lucky to get in.", she said as if stating the obvious. Wow she wasn't even trying to hide under an excuse like 'it sounds interesting' or 'I need it for credits'.
"How do you know what classes I have?", I asked shocked.
"I asked your sister of course. She's been a fountain of information.", she said. That wench.
"Why are you doing this?", I said bluntly.
"So we can get to know each other better of course. Weren't you the one that said we should get to know each other more before we started our relationship?", she said completely taking my words out of context and using them against me.
"But not like this. This isn't healthy by any standards.", I rebutted.
"Hey, I have been thinking about getting a job while I am here. Know of any?", she said while changing the topic. Fuck, she's going to try to work at the grocery store.
"no", I said in a uncaring tone.
"I was thinking retail of some sort again, though I've never worked at a grocery store.", she continued oblivious to my apathy. Fuck. What's a decent job?
"I have always wanted to work at a movie theater. You should try that.", I said offering an alternative.
"Nah, I am thinking grocery store. Where do you work again? We can help each other out, I would hate for you to get distracted with flirting with costumers or coworkers", she said clearly set on that idea and putting an emphasis on "coworkers". This whole conversation was too weird for me.
"good luck with that", I said dismissively as the Professor started talking.
Our conversation ended when the professor started the lecture. She didn't even pretend to act like she was listening and spent most of class bent over a drawing pad. I tried ignoring her, but ever so often she would stare at me. I would double my effects of taking notes when she did.
When the class ended, I was up and out of my seat and rushed to the door before she could get in a word.
"Hey want to walk me to class?", I heard her say to the empty seat beside her.
I spent the rest of the day studying and completing homework in my favorite nook of the library. I didn't want to return to my dorm, because I was afraid I might run into her again. I wanted to wait for Dao to for sure be there. Never go into battle alone.
After I was thoroughly sick of studying I went over to my dorm to find Gil and Dao bickering.
"Hey, sup.", I said greeting the two.
"Hey, Jetson can you believe Dao here doesn't believe me that I had a threesome.", he said has this was my area of expertise or that I could corroborate his account.
"Sure. How am I suppose to know if you did? Who were the girls", I said exasperated.
"It was the blonde one and the brunette in the Alpha Sigma sorority. Whatever lets just play halo.", he said. Gil considered himself a bit of player, but was pretty fun to have around.
Dao pulled up halo and pasted around the controllers. After a while all of us were playing I decided to ask Gil of all people for some advice. Hell must be having a blizzard.
"Hey Gil, have you ever been with a crazy girl?", I asked while I stuck Dao with a plasma grenade.
"Oh yeah all the time.", he said with a smirk.
"How do you get rid of the really clingy sort?", I asked.
"Normally I'd just sleep with their friends. Of course they do tend to get pissy when you do that.", he said with a laugh. That's what I get for asking his advice. "Of course, I guess the proper thing is to set boundaries and be clear of what you are and aren't comfortable with. But that's less fun", he said as if it was side note. That's all well and good until they ignore them.
"Fair enough." I said while Dao ran me over with a warthog.
"Remember that chick Rebecca? Yeah she was a real freak, she did this thing in bed where she...", Gil started saying. Dao cut in and said "Gil stay on target".
"Well for whatever reason she thought we were an item. So when she found out that I was flirting with other girls she tried to stab me with fork. Hell the next day acted like nothing happened and acted all love dovey.", Gil said, I started to question Gil's definition of clinginess, it seemed mild to say the least.
"Wasn't she the one that slashed your tires?", Dao said cutting in again.
"Nah, that was Abigail.", Gil said not missing a beat.
"You've got a problem dude.", Dao said laughing at Gil's expense.
"What would a virgin like you know?", Gil said to Dao.
"You're mother can a test that I am not.", Dao parried.
I thought about asking Gil to hit on Natalie, but I didn't hate Natalie that much. A knock came from the door.
"Come in", Dao yelled while I asked "Who is it?'.
Jen opened the door and walked. I sighed in relieve.
"Sup, losers.", she greeted us. She was neutral towards Dao but hated Gil. Which was understandable.
"Lovely to see you again Jen", Gil said in a playful manner.
"Whatever.", she said dismissing Gil's reply. She turned to me and asked me bluntly, "What the hell did you do to my room mate?" she said in an accusatory tone.
"I don't know", I said defeatly.
"No really Jetson, what did you do? Her personalities made a complete 180 degree turn after Monday night.", she said still eyeing me like I was to blame.
"I really don't know. She's always been like that. What has she been doing?", I said while hating every minute of this conversation.
"She won't stop asking me about you. I swear, I can't get a moments break without asking to see pictures of you when you were a baby or asking me what clubs you did in High School.", she said. Welp... Fuck.
"You didn't show her any did you?", I asked dying a little inside.
"At first yes, but it got so weird about it that I stopped.", she said crossing her arms.
"Hell, Jetson you never told me you were into girls. You've been holding out on me.", Gil said laughing.
"Damn Jetson, why are you and Gil always getting girls?", Dao said baffled.
"You guys should have seen them", the wench snickered. "She was cuddling next to him and he looked like he was sitting on pins and needles the whole time.", Jen said with chuckle.
They continued to laugh at my expense while Jen chimed in with comments from our little outing. Geez with friends like these, who needs enemies?
Jen left after saying her bit and embarrassing me for the day. We played a few more rounds of halo while the guys made a few side remarks.
_
It was the next day and I was at work again. Donna my manager came up to me while I was wiping down the conveyor belt. Donna was aroung 40 with a bad smoking habit, it showed on her teeth and gritty voice. She was a decent as managers go.
"Hey, how's it going Donna?", I greeted her. She normally didn't come in afternoons, but stuck to the morning shifts.
"Nothing much. I just have to sit with HR through an interview. How's Stephenie handling everything?", she asked me. I had a sinking feeling in my stomach.
"She's doing okay, she picking up the ropes fairly fast. What do you know about the potential new hire?", I asked.
"Just that they requested Tuesdays, Thursdays, and the weekends. So there's a good chance you'll be showing them the ropes just like Stephenie.", she replied.
"Ok, um could Greg mentor them?", I said hopefully.
"Nah, Greg's not really the patient type. I have full confidence in you.", she said. It was true, it took a while to gain his trust. She turned away and walked towards the office ending our conversation. Welp that was that.
Stephenie came back her break and relogined into her register.
"Hey Stephenie, how are things?", I said greeting her.
"Ok enough. How are your class?", she replied giving me a smile.
"Interesting enough and giving a depressing amount of homework. What about yours?", I said. There wasn't much going in on the store today so this was my only source of entertainment.
"It could be better. Though something weird happened earlier in the week?", she said a bit distressed.
"What's that?", I asked interested in what she had to say.
"After work Tuesday, I was walking back from work and someone tried to run me down. Twice in fact", she said.
"Oh god what happened?", I asked her.
"I was crossing the street, on the cross walk. They just drove right through the light. Lucky I jumped out of the way. At first I thought they were drinking or distracted on their phones, but the same car did the same thing when I was crossing another street. I could have sworn the drove towards me on purpose.", She said a bit shaken.
"Damn, that's horrible. Did you get their plates?", I asked.
"No, I was a little too shocked.", she said angrily.
Our conversation was short when a customer pulled up and we went back to our stations. It was Natalie. Fuck.
"Hi, I am looking for the front office, I have an interview here in 5 minutes", she asked me giving me a brilliant smile.
"Yes ma'am. It's the door right next to the post office and pharmacy labeled 'employees only'.", I said in my best customer service tone. Fuck, having her take the same class as me was bad enough, but working together for 4 days a week for multiple hours was going to be a pain.
30 minutes later my manager, the HR lady, and Natalie came out of the office. That fact that Natalie had the company's shirt and apron dispelled my hopes that she didn't get the job. To be fair we were hurting for people and Natalie did have experience in retail.
The HR lady stayed back and talked with Natalie, While Donna walked over to me.
"Hey, Jetson you wouldn't mind showing Natalie the ropes while I fill out paper work would you?"
What should I do?
1. Be professional and teach her the ropes of job.
2. quit my only source of income, just so I don't have to work with her.
3. Pull your manager and HR aside tell them your not comfortable working with her.
4. Whatever ThatOne recommends in the comments(provided it's appropriate.).
Request to work in another department while looking for other jobs!
Man im loving this story so far. Keep up the good work
here take another chapter.
@cheesepop WOAH what is this blessing from the heavens above, this lowly mortal doesn't deserve it but shall shamelessly accept the new chapter.
1, 3, and 4 would have similar results as in chapter 5. IDK where 2 would have went.