His Sister

It's been almost a week since I realised that I have a crush on Custard Face but he still hasn't shown up at the store.

Mia: No texts either.

Has having a crush on someone always been this troublesome? I'm immersed in my own thoughts when a teenage female customer comes up to me. Woah, she's really beautiful. Blue eyes and black hair is always a great combo. Hmm, have I met her before or does she really resemble someone I know? Maybe she came to our store before or I passed her on the streets.

Beautiful girl: Is something wrong?

Uh oh, I totally spaced on that one. I quickly plaster a smile on my face.

Mia: Haha, no. I was just thinking that I might've meet you before.

Beautiful girl: Is that so? I was wondering the same! You look just like the little girl in a photo I saw in my brother's childhood album!

Mia: Photo?

Beautiful girl: Yeah! I think I clicked a picture of it in my phone. Wait a sec.

She fiddles with her phone.

Beautiful girl: Here it is!

She shows me the photo and I gasp. It's a picture of a little boy and girl playing near a stream surrounded by flowers. This place seems so familiar. The girl with the red hair and green eyes is definitely me and the boy with black hair and blue eyes is...

Mia: Jason?!

This stream, this was where we first met and played together everyday.

Beautiful girl: You knew my brother?!

Mia:.. Yeah.

Yeah, in fact I... No, not anymore. I don't have feelings for him anymore. But wait a minute.

Mia: Jason didn't have a sister.

Beautiful girl: Oh, you wouldn't know. My parents moved to the city from the suburbs a year before they found out that I was going to be born.

Mia: I see... I haven't introduced myself, have I? Nice to meet you, my name is Mia Cox; I was your brother's friend.

Cindy: Hi, I'm Cindy Leigh.

Cindy... Wait, isn't that girl who called Custard Face at the store that day?! What a coincidence; although I still don't know the identity of that other girl.

Mia: So... Cindy, would you like to have anything?

Cindy: Hmm, I don't really know. I saw your store's business card at my brother's house so I decided to drop by. What would recommend?

So, Jason lives here, huh. Why am being so nervous? I'm not doing anything wrong, I've only moved on. Mia: Well then, you should try the chocolate swirled strawberry pastries, the kiwi cheesecake or the custard.. tart.

Custard... Custard Face. My cheeks slightly flush when I picture his childish smile in my mind. That smile, it was so similar to Jason's when we were kids and his looks too. Hold up, did I develop feelings for him because he resembled Jason or because of the kind of person he is?

Cindy: I'll take the cheesecake: to go please.

Mia: Alrighty. That'll be 5 bucks.

I pack a slice of cake and hand it to her with the bill, taking cash from her.

Cindy: I'll ask my brother to come here as well, you both can catch up sometime.

Mia: That would be lovely.

She smiles and leaves the store leaving my heat heavy as lead. Am I really sure of my feelings? Or am I still waiting for Jason to show up? Just now when she said that she'll ask Jason to come here, I felt an usual feeling in my chest. I don't even know what to call it.

During my break time, I whip out my phone and surf through the posts on the app I've been using for innovative ideas (I guess) while sipping coffee. It's called 'PINovative'. Mmm, peanut butter and berry cookies; they look delicious. Great, now I'm craving them. It's an original recipe so I don't think I can buy it anywhere; I guess I'll just make them on my own. Tomorrow's Saturday so I have a day off, I can do it then. I'll have to stop by the grocery store in the way home though. I save the recipe and put my phone away.

After work, I head for the grocery store to purchase the ingredients as well as some domestic stuff. Let's see, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, sugar, flour, eggs, peanut butter... The list is so long. Ugh, how am I going to carry all this stuff all the way home?! I sigh looking at my overloaded shopping cart while waiting for my turn to pay for it in the line. At times like these, it's nice to have someone to help you with all this but surprise, surprise: I'm still single.

???: That's a lot of stuff you're buying; is your boyfriend carrying this all for you?

Mia:..!

That voice! I turn around to see the very person I've been aching to see for so long...