Page 24 of Muted

Theo: Why is he giving you a ride? And don’t worry about it. Cliff can call him if it’s important.

Me: Because I don’t have a car and he didn’t want me taking the bus home so late.

Theo: You’ve been taking the bus this entire time??!? Woman, that shit is not safe for someone like you. Why don’t you have a car?

Jesus Christ. Why does everyone think I’m incapable of planting my ass on a plastic seat for thirty minutes?It’s not like people are being mugged left and right while utilizing public transportation. Most of them are too exhausted to lift their head from the windowpanes to realize their stop has arrived.

Me: Noted… and because they’re expensive. Anything else for someone like me? Or are you good now?

Theo: I just meant that you’re young and a woman… and pretty small. It’s dangerous to take public transportation in the middle of the night like that. There are only weird people who ride the bus late at night like that.

Me: Are you done?

I’m so unbelievably insulted and annoyed by him right now. It’s like the moment he found out how young I was, he decided I needed a father in my life.

News flash asshole, I have a pretty great father figure. I don’t need another one.

Theo: I wasn’t saying YOU were weird.

Me: I ride the bus at night. Yes, you were.

Theo: I was talking about everyone else.

Ignoring him, I turn off my screen. A minute later, my phone vibrates under my palm, and I turn on my screen. His text is short enough that I can read the full message through the notification.

I leave him unanswered, absolutely done with this day and done with people making assumptions without knowing a damn thing about me.

Theo: Susu… I wasn’t saying you were weird. I don’t think you’re weird.

Chapter 7

Battle

Theo

Me: I wasn’t saying YOU were weird.

Susu: I ride the bus at night. Yes, you were.

Me: I was talking about everyone else.

Fuck.

Fuck fuck fuck…

Me: Susu… I wasn’t saying you were weird. I don’t think you’re weird.

Groaning, I drop my head against the headrest of my seat and stare at the ceiling of my truck. I turn my phone off, knowing I won’t get another response from her.

Why the fuck do I seem to always say the wrong thing?This has never been something I struggled with.

After starting the engine of my truck, I decide to go to the gym for an hour and burn off this feeling. It pisses me off that Susu has been using the bus all this time, and I didn’t know. I send her one more text hoping to draw any kind of response from her, but don’t hold out hope.

Me: Did you make it home alright?

When Cliff approached me, asking if Chaz was back, I was shocked that he had taken off with Susu. Normal interaction with an employee was always expected, but I didn’t know that he was close enough to spend time with her outside of work.

Speak of the devil…

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