"Ah, I." I blushed as he wiped my hair out of my face. I couldn't take my eyes off him. I didn't know when it all started, but I barely get sleep at night thinking of him.
"What's your take?" he asked.
I was about to say yes when Alicia appeared and asked, "Kaila, I saw the aliens left. Is everything okay?"
I distanced myself from Lil and said, "Um, yeah, everything's fine."
"And who is this boy?" Alicia asked. "Why does he look familiar?"
I grabbed Alicia's hand and said, "He's not your type. Let's go have some coffee."
"Wait, Kaila, where are you going?" I heard Lil ask, but I ignored him and walked away with Alicia.
"He's cute, isn't he?" Alicia asked. "Did he invite you to have a date? You two look good for each other, by the way."
"Right. But he's too perfect for me."
I and Alicia continued to a coffee shop. I hoped Lil didn't hate me for ignoring him. Honestly, I also want to date and have coffee with him, but my heart was pounding every time he was close. I couldn't stay calm. He's so attractive.
"Here's your coffee, ma'am." The barista put a mug of coffee on my table.
"Thanks," I smiled.
"You're welcome." He smiled and went back to the counter.
I looked outside the window. It was still dark. I'm glad that this coffee shop was opened this time. I just want to rewind after everything that happened. As I sipped my coffee, I remembered him again. I think I have found the one I'd like to spend the rest of my life with.
"Where are you going?" I asked when Alicia stood up.
"Just finish your coffee. I'll be outside. We still have lots of work to do," she said before going out.
"Okay." I looked outside through the window. Then I saw a shadow on the ground. It must have belonged to a tall man. I noticed that he was holding a pistol, and then bang! I heard a gunshot.
"What's going on?" the barista asked.
"Seems like someone's shooting outside," I said.
"Let's go and see."
"No, just stay here. I'll check it out." I finished my coffee and went outside. As I stepped out the door, someone hit my stomach with a gun. "W—who are you?"
"It doesn't matter who I am; what matters here is that you die. I'll give you three seconds to run. You might have the chance to escape," he said. His voice was deep and serious.
Did he really think I was afraid? Even though I couldn't see his face, I knew he was bad. He might be an assassin or a spy. This must be connected with what I've done to those gangsters and their mafia boss.
He counted, but before he could shoot, I snatched the pistol from him and kicked him in the center of his thigh. "Ahhh, shit!" He cursed, his hand on his thing.
"That might still be usable, but that's not the case here." I pointed the pistol at his head. "Tell me who's your boss, and I might show you mercy."
"You won't know anything from me," he resisted. "Ahhh, shit!" He cursed again as I hit him with the pistol.
"Last chance, tell me or die," I said in a serious tone.
The man still chose not to tell me, so I ended up killing him. I didn't expect that he'd choose to die rather than spilling the beans. Loyalty is indeed poisonous.
"Is everything alright?" Someone suddenly touched my shoulder. I looked back and pointed the pistol at him, but he stepped back and put his hands in the air. "It's me. It's me! The barista," he said.
I put down the pistol and told him what happened. "This guy is trying to kill me. What I did was just self-defense. Please call the police." I put the pistol in his hands and walked away, wondering which jungle Alicia had entered.
While walking down the streets, I met three drunk men. They were asking for a fight, so I gave them what they wanted and left them black-and-blue. This city is just too chaotic: drunk men, pollution, and beggars on the street. I wish I was born in the countryside. Everything has changed. In this modern and digital era, people are walking like zombies, always glued to their phones, thinking they could live forever, and dying without living at all.
I went to the bar where Alicia used to go, and I found her there, secretly stealing people's money. I stopped her. She was already drunk. People were looking at me. They might think I already lost my mind or am psychotic, talking with someone they couldn't see, and because of that, I put myself in trouble again.
There were strong men who wanted to fuck me, but I didn't allow them to touch me. I'll break their bones if they do. People started screaming, saying that I'm a monster for defeating those men. Thanks to Alicia's hellish training, everyone who underestimated me tasted their own medicine.
"Let's get out of here." I carried Alicia outside. She was still holding a bottle of beer. I stopped a taxi and asked the driver to bring us to the nearest hotel.
"What do you mean, ma'am?" he asked, confused. "Aren't you alone?"
"Uh, um, I'm sorry. I mean, bring me to the nearest hotel," I restated.
The driver smiled and opened the door. I pushed Alicia inside and settled down. The driver turned the engine on and started driving. I looked outside the window. The sun had just risen.
Alicia was still snoring. I didn't know what had gotten into her to drink in the bar. She must have a problem. I didn't really care about her, but I couldn't just let her stay anywhere, especially after what happened that day.
Alicia had fought with another ghost. She got wounded and had to give up the soul of the giant zombie to the enemy. I remember now; that boy must be Lil. He convinced me to stop Alicia from fighting.
After a few moments, we arrived in front of the hotel. I paid the driver and dragged Alicia inside the building. I asked the woman at the counter if they still had a room, paid for it, she gave me the key, and we continued inside.
"Finally! I can get some sleep," I said as I lay down on the soft bed. It's already morning, but I felt so exhausted. Within a few short minutes, I have fallen asleep.