Gerry's Pizza was quiet with no custors.
Gerald was scrubbing dishes by the sink humming under his breath. The tune was calm, but his expression wasn't.
The bell at the top of the door jingled softly.
Gerald turned, expecting to see an early custor, then ca to a standstill.
Yesu stood by the door.
Torn and bloodstained, her clothes looked like they had been through the accident instead of her.
Her layered hair was a total ss, bangs completely out of place.
But her face looked… fine. Too fine.
"No one called you?" She asked.
Gerald blinked.
"They did. Early this morning."
He wiped his hands with an apron and moved to the front of the counter.
"They said it was a minor accident…" he looked her over, "... doesn't seem like it."
Yesu moved to a table. "Did they tell you about the bike?"
"Yes. Really damaged, they said."
"Burned actually."
Gerald's eyes widened. "There was a fire?"
Yesu hesitated. "Sothing like that"
Gerald folded his arms, studying her.
Yesu sat on a chair, glancing around. The whole place was spotless.
"You cleaned up?"
"Yeah, anxiety was starting to get the better of . Are you alright?"
Silence.
"Am I fired?" Yesu asked instead.
Gerald walked back to the counter, returning shortly with a plate of pizza. He dropped it in front of her.
"Eat first. You look like you lost a fight with the road."
Yesu smiled. "The road was lost, frankly."
She picked up the pizza and munched away.
Gerald's gaze shifted to her injuries and lingered longer than normal.
"That should have needed stitches." He said.
Yesu touched her forehead instinctively.
"It's nothing," she shrugged.
Gerald ambled to the counter, glancing at Yesu one last ti before going back to scrub the dishes.
As hot water from the shower rained down on her skin, Yesu watched dried blood wash off her injuries.
She felt no pain from the water hitting her wounds. The blood washed away, revealing skin that was already closing.
She caught sight of it in the mirror as she made her way out.
She stared at the wounds for a mont, shook her head and walked out.
***
The storage room at the back of Gerry's Pizza where Yesu sotis crashed was cramped and stuffy with crates and cartons all around.
But the bathroom worked. It had hot water. That was enough.
Opening her backpack, she realized she had run out of clean clothes. She would have to go back to her Housing Unit to get another set of clothes.
She sighed, pulled out a dirty long-sleeve shirt from her bag along with a pair of trousers. They were both black so the dirt wouldn't show.
She took a handkerchief and tied it across her forehead like a headband.
Now she was normally dressed and her wounds were fully covered, well almost. A scratch on her cheek was still visible, but not easily noticeable.
***
Yesu said goodbye to Gerald, walked out of Gerry's Pizza and threw the clothes that had been ruined by the accident, tied in a plastic bag, into the bin.
So shopkeepers along the street were opening and cleaning outside their shops.
"Good morning" Yesu greeted one as she strode down the hilly road.
"Ah Yesu.."
"Good morning" She greeted another.
"Good morning, Yesu. Not going to school today?"
"We'll see"
A laugh.
"Good morning" She greeted an elderly man with a smile.
"How are you, child?"
She went on this way till she was out of the street.
***
Yesu took the longest route to her Housing Unit. She was never in a hurry to get there, no matter how tired she was.
But as always she found herself standing before the lifeless, grey, run-down building way too soon.
No one guarded it. No one managed it.
People were assigned here. After that, they were forgotten.
District Housing Unit 7
A broken, rusty signboard at the front read.
Gerald had told her to take the day off to relax and she had decided against going to school, even though she felt perfectly fine.
Now the day felt longer than usual.
She walked briskly into the building, past the lobby, and bounded up the flight of stairs.
Her room, which she shared with three other girls who were all older, was on the third floor.
She hadn't been back to her allocated room in days. Maybe weeks.
The wooden door of the room was already half eaten by termites, and it made a rickety sound as she opened it.
Only one of her roommates was in, Kate.
"Hey." She said absentmindedly, sitting back against the blackened wall. Smoke rose out of her raised mouth, and a cigarette hung between her fingers.
"Hey", Yesu was already standing before her cupboard.
She opened the padlock with her key and picked out so clothes which she shoved into her backpack.
"Soone ca asking about you."
Yesu halted. No one ca for her. Ever.
"Who?" She asked without looking back.
"So Rank. Neat dude."
Yesu turned. "How did you know? He told you he's a Rank?"
"Nah. Just knew it."
Yesu resud packing. "What did he say?"
"Nothing. Just asking ridiculous questions. Personal ones."
"What did you tell him?
"Told him to fuck off. Sha though, he was really handso."
Silence.
"You related to Ranks?"
"I wish." Yesu scoffed.
She locked up her cupboard, picked up her backpack and headed for the door.
"Hey Yesu," Kate called.
Yesu faced her.
"Be careful out there. Ranks on this side of the South are nothing but trouble."
****
Yesu stood on the landing, pondered briefly on who might have co to ask about her then made her way down.
It was quieter than usual. Not empty, just still.
Voices carried faintly from the corridor ahead.
Yesu slowed. She recognized one of them.
It was the senior from yesterday, who seed like a long ti ago.
He stood with soone else, soone who didn't belong here.
Their conversation stopped when she ca into view.
Too quickly.
And then they looked at her.
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