Paradox
Courtesy of UnSplash
Sorry, we’re closed for today!
The cursive neon letters rocked gently against the window of the Cafe Luna door, the pouring rain blurring the characters. Levi interlocked his fingers behind his head and strolled over to the back counter where his two coworkers sipped coffee. Bending down slightly, he grabbed a beer from their refrigerator and tipped his head back, taking a large swig of the liquor. He heaved a deep sigh as he set the half-empty can down atop the black countertop before beginning to mop the floor behind it.
“Long day huh?” his coworker mused, “Friday nights are always awful.” The blond male swirled his caramel macchiato with his straw before shifting his gaze back to Levi. Despite the relatively exclusive nature of the cafe, their manager and two senior coworkers had a hobby of making life more painful for them. Every Friday night they ditched their shift and left the three part-timers on their own. Of course, this had to be during their typical nightly wave of sleep-deprived university students.
Levi glanced tiredly back at him, “Couldn’t agree more.” Nodding at his other colleague on the opposite side of Aaron, he chuckled, “You should look at Ren. Looks like she got the soul sucked out of her body.”
The blonde laughed. “Clearly, seeing as she dyed her hair gray and has a pixie cut now.”
The slender girl flipped them off without even looking up from her cold brew.
“Funny, I’m being picked on by a tiny man-child obsessed with cleaning our cafe who always happens to be stealing the senior’s beers on Friday nights. Oh, would you look at that, a dumb blonde with a recent caramel macchiato obsession. You used to always bitch about how sweet it was too. Changing your mind now are you, hypocrite?” she mocked, the corners of her lips quirking up and a playful glint finding itself into her dark eyes.
“You little-” Aaron fumed, “I’ll...I’ll-”
“Heh,” she smirked, eyes challenging him to say more.
“At least you finally stopped sucking the life out of your coffee like a goddamn vampire, ” Levi retorted. “Why are you drinking cold brew at 8 pm anyway? I mean I know the bitterness strikes a chord with your personality, But Jesus, you’re just asking for more sleep deprivation. At least Aaron’s got tons of sugar and milk to balance out the caffeine.” Levi rolled his eyes at the short-haired girl who promptly stuck out her tongue and went back to drinking back her cold brew.
Of course not before kicking Aaron in the shin after he tried to stifle his laughter.
Whining a few incoherent phrases, the tall male made sure to put a few feet between him and Ren before setting down his drink. He clasped his hands in front of him, elbows on the wooden surface, and made his signature puppy expression toward Levi, “You know since we all agree that we’ve had a long day, why don’t we-”
“No,” Levi cut in.
Putting the mop down for a brief moment, he grabbed his coworkers’ phones off the counter and placed them on top of the freezer next to his own. He turned back towards Aaron, ”You lazy bastard, it doesn’t matter what day it is, we always clean. You’re on dishes today. Have fun.”
Ren sipped her coffee dramatically as if watching a catfight in a soap opera go down before letting out a small giggle. At the sound of her laughter, Aaron closed the distance between them, putting their nearly comedic height difference on full display. He smacked the petite girl who had been looking up at him with bright eyes on the back of the head. And inevitably, they started bickering all over again. Levi only scoffed as they walked behind the counter side by side.
Fortunately or unfortunately, their quarrel was interrupted by the deafening sound of a gunshot and shattering glass. The shards from the broken window and the closing sign shone iridescently in the cafe lights before cascading to the floor accompanied by an almost pleasant tinkling sound. As deadly as the situation was, it was strikingly beautiful. Too gorgeous; almost as if the glass had been made for that very purpose.
The three seemed to freeze for an eternity.
Breaking the silence, Levi yelled at Ren and Aaron to get down under the counter. They dove down just in time for a second bullet to hit the mini-oven behind them that had been in the same line of fire as their chests just seconds ago. The trio remained crouched on the floor for a few more moments until the last shard of glass from the oven clattered to the floor. Ren sat wide-eyed with her back against the wooden structure, one hand clapped over her mouth, the other reaching for Levi’s. He silently intertwined their hands with his body still in the same position, knuckles going white on his other hand that gripped the middle shelf of the counter. Aaron shook slightly as he pressed his back against the base of the sink.
As they tried regaining their bearings, they heard the shooter kick the door open and stumble into the cafe with uneven footsteps.
Ren heard the unknown gunman fumble to reload his firearm, clicking the third bullet into place. Instinctively, she squeezed Levi’s hand tighter.
He glanced at the girl before tightening his grip over her hand and brushing his thumb over her knuckles. To his surprise, and frankly, slight dismay, she pulled her hand away from him and turned around. Ren curled her fingers around one of the two wooden bats on the lowest shelf, placed in case of emergency.
She started towards the freezer where their devices were, snapping the other two out of their daze. Levi snatched the other bat and handed a muffin pan to Aaron. He immediately jumped to Levi’s side, the fear and shock in the poor boy’s eyes turning into full-on panic.
“What the fu-” Aaron stammered.
Another gunshot cut him off. Chunks of wood rained down from the wall behind them, besmirching the smooth gray paint of the wall. Ren who had gotten to the base of the freezer paused again. Her breath hitched and the bat slipped from her hand to the tiled floor. Rather than clutching the bat tightly, her hands were now held over her ears, tears beginning to collect in her eyes.
“He’s drunk,” Levi cut in, sliding to the corner of the counter to look at the attacker. He clutched the bat tightly to his chest, both hands trembling. His hair hid the fear in his eyes.
“What?”
“He’s firing randomly and he’s stumbling all over the place.”
“Maybe he’s stoned—or just crazy.”
“Aaron now’s not the time-”
“How about all three, you morons,” Ren remarked, eyes full of tears threatening to spill. She removed her hands from her head and placed one palm on the countertop, preparing to jump up to grab her phone.
“Looks like I finally found Ren,” the intruder slurred as a thump followed by a squeak followed his words. “Maybe we can finish what we started that one time.”
“Levi did fall,” Aaron said, somewhat hopeful.
“Yes, thank god I mopped the floors. This is precisely why I tell you guys—”
“You little Chinese bitch, go back to your country would ya, you got me expelled goddammit! It’s not my fault you dressed like such a slut that night, you were practically asking for it.” the still unknown man yelled, his words merging into each other.
Aaron and Levi’s eyes widened in anger. Aaron had to grab onto the back of Levi’s collar to keep him from tackling the intruder right then and there.
“He’s got a gun, you idiot!” Aaron hissed at Levi who struggled against his grip.
“But he—”
“You getting shot isn’t going to do her any favors!”
Levi’s eyes blazed before he finally gave in. Seething in rage, he wrenched Aaron’s hand off of his shirt. Both of them jumped as Ren balled her hand into a fist and banged with enough force to bruise. Her shoulders began to shake.
Voice thick with anguish, she screamed, “Would you put away your ego for once, and just admit you’re wrong? I said no! Just because I was wearing shorts does not mean I was giving you permission to touch me! A skirt does not equal an invitation!”
In her burst of rage, she impulsively shot up and reached for her phone.
Aaron and Levi watched in horror as one more gunshot rang out and a body along with a bat thudded to the floor. Dark crimson tendrils crept their way into the broken glass and debris, sinister swirls of color blooming into gray locks of hair.
One second passed.
Two seconds.
Ten.
The world stopped turning for three people, two voices cried one name, and a single figure lay unmoving on the messy floor; a diamond in the rough.
- - -
“Okay cut!” the director announced, “That’s a wrap for today!” The set erupted into cheers in celebration of the end of the shoot. Everyone bounded towards the fried chicken atop a stool out of the camera frame.
Everyone except for one.
Everyone except for the dark-haired boy who remained leaning back against the counter, muttering about the awful script. He relished in the dimness of the light and rummaged through a few pans before wrapping his fingers around a cool smooth pistol.