3 People Talk

Anya hadn't left the apartment for days, and at this point she began to wonder if she was going clinically insane. She knew that if she went outside that she would get unwanted, maybe even hostile, attention. However, she had started imagining her stuffed animals as characters in her life, so drastic measures were in order.

"But there is no reason to leave the house," Anya reasoned with herself. "I can just get Alex to bring me food if I'm hungry. Not like she would wait for an invitation anyway." Anya paced around the apartment describing her options. "If I go outside, I'll have to shower AND get dressed. Do I have it in me? Maybe I'll just dress like a bum. Will wearing a facemask make me look crazy?" It was at this moment that Anya turned to face the entryway mirror. She looked at her reflection, her rumpled pajamas, matted hair, and dark circles under her eyes. "It seems that I may already be at that point."

Anya gathered her self and went to shower and got dressed. It took longer than she would liked to admit to comb through the mess that was currently her hair. She put on a hoodie, a pair of sweats, and a mask. Anya pulled the hood over her head and opened the door while grabbing sunglasses. She got into the elevator and awkwardly waited for the doors to open onto the first floor. The sun burned her eyes as she stepped out into the day. Man, she hadn't been out in a REALLY long time.

She pulled up a map on her phone. The whole reason this had started is that she had seen an add for a dine-in special at her favorite local restaurant. It was hard for her to pass up tonkatsu ramen with the broth pork still in the dish. Her mouth began to water as she thought of it, and she turned the corner into the market square where the restaurant was located. Anya hadn't been here in ages; she was far too busy to do a sit down meal usually. Well, now is a better time than any she guessed.

She walked up to the hostess station and politely asked for a table for one, avoiding eye contact with any employees. The hostess squinted at her for a moment before she plastered on her fake customer service smile. Before she grabbed a menu from the shelf she looked back to see if any other employees were nearby. Spotting a short, brown-haired waitress, she led Anya to a table by the windows overlooking the square. She sat down the menu and a pair of silverware while asking, "Do you need a moment to decide what to drink? I'll bring out some water first."

Anya shifted her head and lowered her voice into a deep timber, "Actually, I'll just take the tonkatsu special with some iced tea." She handed the menu back to the hostess and dismissed her with a short "thank you."

Anya looked around the restaurant. There was a tv up above a fireplace tuned into a news station. There were only two other people sitting across the isle, a young couple clearly on a date. They were discussing something like the weather. Anya didn't care to listen any further, and she began to play a game on her phone.

A few moments later the waitress appeared at the table with an iced tea. She set it down and went back into the kitchen without a word. Now, Anya thought to herself, this is the kind of service that I like. The waitress came back out with a steaming bowl of ramen and set it down in front of Anya. "My name is Robin; let me know if there is anything else you need. Enjoy your meal." She didn't expect a reply as she turned back and started to chat with the hostess at the front of the restaurant.

Anya looked at the bowl of ramen and almost cried. It just looked so damn delicious. The noodles were plump and there were plenty of veggie toppings. She poked at the pork belly floating in the broth before scooping up the soft-boiled egg into her mouth. Delicious... just absolutely amazing. Anya began to eat her meal slowly, trying to savor each and every bite.

In the background, a song began to play on the tv. Anya's heart dropped. She knew this song; it was her song. The station must not have pulled the commercial yet she thought to herself. Anya used to love hearing her music when out and about. She loved to watch people hum along and enjoy the day. Now, there was only hollowness where joy once was. It seemed like her soul was empty now.

"I can't believe they have the gall to still play that song on tv," the woman across the way said. "Like, we don't want a reminder that we idolized a piece of shit."

"I guess they have to finish out their contracts?" the man countered.

"Even so, they have some nerve playing her song after what she has done. Gummy Candy is supposed to be a family brand, right?" She looked at her date. "I don't think that Anya's song is going to promote their brand in any positive light. She's destroyed families. Did you hear that she's the reason behind..."

Anya shoved back her chair making a loud screech against the floor. The couple stopped their conversation to look over at her before returning to their meal. She hadn't finished her ramen, but she was done. Anya threw a 100 dollar bill on the table and left the restaurant. She knew how people thought of her right now, but it was still a shock to hear it coming out of a random person's mouth. Why did it still hurt so much? Dayton's "confession" was more than two weeks ago. Anya knew the answer, but decided to ignore it as she went back to her apartment. What could she do? Everyone knows that people talk.