Chapter Text
Strange, they called him. Some even went as far as to call him a slacker.
“He is sure to live a life of discipline,” a voice echoed inside his head. “He could live a quiet, peaceful life if he didn’t slack off so much.” Illuga shuffled his feet faster, rushing home before another voice could come as a distraction to him. His gaze didn’t lift from the ground, his feet moving faster. Don’t look up, don’t look up. When he looked up, two shoulders clashed, and he was met with the eyes of the most familiar yet odd looking man he’s ever laid eyes upon.
The young man clutched his shoulder with heavy breaths. Why did he look so familiar? Then, as if he had just discovered treasure at the bottom of the sea, his face lit up. He grinned, an uncanny, unsettling type of grin, one that would make you wonder how you’re still alive.
“You,” he took his hand in Illuga’s, shaking it as if they were in some kind of business meeting. “I see you at mass! Father has been wondering where you’ve been.. needless to say, he is not very pleased.” A giggle escaped his lips.
“Oh,” Illuga’s heart felt like an overwhelmingly endless pit in his chest. “You know, family things.. I’ll return when I’m ready to.”
The young man in front of him let go of his hand, and Illuga wiped off the sweat that had grown in the moments that passed. The strange man, his cross necklace shaking as he moved, exclaimed “Well, come back when you can, okay? I’d love to see you again!”
Illuga nervously chuckled. “Yeah.. will do.” He said as he began moving faster. What was up with that guy? What was his problem? He didn’t want to think too much about it. He stood in front of his apartment and sighed before pulling out his key.
The doorknob turned, and he was immediately met with darkness. The room, as dim as ever, was filled with none other than furniture, clothes and towels that covered half of the floor, and messy piles of papers. No doubt that they were job applications.
Illuga groaned at the sight. Maybe he was a slacker.
“I’ll do it tomorrow,” he’d say. “I’ll do it when I get back on my feet.” He still wasn’t back on his feet after 6 months of unemployment. Why was getting a job so difficult?
He preferred the word procrastinating over slacking. He was procrastinating, that’s all.
He walked into his bedroom, a direct copy of the previous room, but without the papers. He shoved his clothes off and messily threw them onto the floor before jumping into bed. He rolled onto his back, staring up at the ceiling fan that turned endlessly.
A million thoughts swirled in his head. He couldn’t take his mind off of the strange man from church.
“I’d love to see you again!” He said. Illuga scoffed. The emphasis on “love” almost made it seem like some type of joke. He hadn’t remembered seeing the same man at church. He wondered how the other knew him, though. A sudden memory flashed within his head.
He thought of the same man three years ago, sitting next to him during mass. His cross necklace, a string of white and blue beads, swung with every movement as he excitedly sat himself down next to Illuga. He held his rosary, his fingers intertwined, holding it carefully as his lips mouthed the words, “Hail Mary, full of grace..” one eye fluttered open, and he grinned as he noticed the other staring. He never questioned it.
He was about seventeen, only a few weeks since his seventeenth birthday. Somehow, the same boy always made his way into Illuga’s life. During admiration, he stood right next to him. During mass, he sat next to him, and slowly inched closer to him with the same wide grin on his face.
Suddenly, Illuga found himself on the verge of falling asleep, his eyes slowly closing. He thought about the man from church. He thought of his stupid uncanny smile and his white and blue cross necklace.