Auxiliary I: Friend

I bumped into him along the hallway, and he dropped whatever he was carrying. This was coincidental, or rather accidental.

I helped him pick it up. Basic courtesy.

“Thanks.”

Later, he knocked on my door, borrowing a blender I had bought, and returned it at the exact time he said he would. I found this interesting.

I later met him at the mall with a friend, seeking to buy a novel. Also a coincidence. I didn’t have much to do at the moment, so I browsed the shelves with them, but his friend left before we finished, lucky for me. I was kinda third-wheeling.

Well, I genuinely hadn’t planned to keep tabs on him, but two coincidences were enough to convince me the universe was vouching for it.

I’d already read most of what he bought, but I still bought one. It’d be weird if I didn’t.

He hadn’t done his shopping yet, so I accompanied him. Though I found myself regretting why I had done my shopping unbudgeted. Unlike me, he knew exactly what he’d come for, why he’d need it, and what his squadmates already had. We were out of the mall in no time.

But all the while I could feel them. The looks people were giving us… giving him to be specific. I understood why; I looked at him the same way when I first saw him that morning. But I ignored them anyway.

“Crazy how I spent so much money on the most irrelevant things,” I chuckled, as we were leaving the mall.

“Well, at least you bought that blender, I’ll need it again soon,” he laughed.

“Blah blah…”

“Life here’s been smooth for you I presume?” he asked.

Asking about mine when his life has been a mess so far…

“Yep, pretty much, can’t complain.”

“No slow internet, no annoying people?” he wondered.

“Well, now that you mention it, the guy living next to me has been quite the nuisance,” I said. He burst out in laughter.

“Knew it haha. Which room?”

“18. Wanna be his friend?”

We were laughing when a notification popped on his phone.

“Just remembered I have to get a new screen for my phone,” he said, checking the new message. The screen on his phone was cracked.

“Oh no,” he said in panic.

“What’s up?”

“I totally forgot about my squad’s Squad Echo session. I have to go, thanks for everything Caspian.”

He immediately ran ahead. I stopped.

I didn’t call after him to slow him down. I didn’t tell him it didn’t matter how early he got there… not against those bots.

I rubbed my forearms. They were still sore from that little incident.

However painful it was, all I could think about was the wallpaper on his phone. Simple yet detailed, depicting a light tropical sunset reflecting over a vast sea. It suited him.

‘You’re welcome, Oliver.’ I thought, as I watched him run off.