Delia
[Warning - Explicit sex scenes. May contain *Grape* insinuations]
Seven Years Ago—Whispering Pine, Human World
The neon sign of GameZone Arcade flickered erratically as I swept the sticky floors for the third time that evening. My shift had officially ended at nine, but a group of rowdy teenage boys from Cloud High School were still playing at the fighting game machines and showed no signs of leaving.
I glanced at the clock: 11:47 PM. My stomach churned with anxiety as I watched them punch buttons and yell at the screens. I was only nineteen, working two jobs to pay for Mom's cancer treatments, and I couldn't afford to lose this one by abandoning the shop.
"Excuse me," I called out tentatively, wringing my hands. "We actually closed almost three hours ago..."
"Yeah, and?" The tallest boy—Steve, I think his name was—didn't even look up from his game. "We're still playing."
"But I need to lock up and—"
