Ghosts of the Past

I'm going crazy cooped up in my tiny apartment with the ghosts of my past, so I eventually abandon the video I'm supposed to complete editing by today and head out.

The breeze hits my face when I step out of the building, gently tugging at my hair. It would be peaceful if the commotion of the traffic weren't there, but I like it. I might feel a little more refreshed if I used my motorbike, but I want to walk. It's been a while since I went anywhere on foot.

I don't really know where to go, but my feet seem to have a destination of their own, so I follow them. I end up staring at a café I visit sometimes, but not frequently. The bell chimes as I step inside, and I'm glad to see that my friend Amelia is on her shift today.

'Art! How you doing?' she calls out cheerfully, heedless of the many people who turn around to stare at her and me. I smile despite myself and walk up to the counter.

'Not very well.' I admit truthfully. 'You?'

'Huh? That's unlike you.' She says. 'I'm doing fine, personally.'

I snicker. '"Unlike me". Yeah, sure.'

Amelia purses her lips, but luckily decides to not say anything more on the topic.

The bell chimes again, and Amelia turns away from me to attend to the customer. I wait at the counter, absentmindedly looking at the menu pasted onto the wall in front of me. Amelia hands the customer their drink and turns back to me.

'So,' she says, 'how's your channel going? Pretty successful so far from what I've seen.'

'Yeah,' I shrug. 'It's fine. I'm just aiming for one mil right now.'

'Damn, it would be so cool if you actually got one million,' she says, unnecessarily wiping an already clean glass with a towel. 'Then I could tell my friends, "Hey, I'm friends with this girl who has one million subscribers on YouTube." You won't be such a disappointment anymore.'

I wince internally, but laugh. 'Pretty sure I'll always be a disappointment.'

'Aw, don't say that,' she sets down the glass she was cleaning. 'Anyway, what would you like?'

'Hm?' I look up at the menu again. I didn't really plan on getting anything. 'I don't know. A sandwich, maybe.' I decide to get coffee even though I already drank some. 'And a coffee.'

'Ketchup?' she asks after heating up a sandwich, and I shrug a 'yes' in response.

'It's right beside you. Get it yourself.' She says, rolling her eyes. I shake my head and grab a ketchup packet from the box on the counter. She pours me a cup of coffee and sets it on the counter. I fish out some money from my pocket and give it to her.

'Mind if I come and sit next to you?' she asks.

'Aren't baristas supposed to not sit with customers?' I ask quizzically, and she shrugs.

'Eh, who cares. I don't even like this job anyway.' She gets out from being the counter and follows me to a table. I hesitantly sit down with her, sure that this will make Amelia lose her job.