Breaking Mental Bounds
Breaking Mental Bounds
By HuskieWolf Southpaw
I don't know where I got the idea for this but it just popped into my head! Social isolation, whether it'sá by people around you or you just not wanting to contact others, is a very serious issue. As is insecurity, something else I touch on. This story follows the life of Adam, a college student studying Computer Science. He makes only enough money as a pizza boy to pay for his rent for his shared flat and feed himself. To earn extra cash he buskers (Street Performs) by playing the guitar whenever he can. He is very Social Awkward and through this story (and hopefully more) we'll follow him on a journey or self confidence, discovery and maybe love. I've done this part a bit short just to see if it work :P Hope you enjoy it!
"That will be €12.50 for the two pizza's sir." The pizza boy said, with as much enthusiasm as he could muster.
Fumbling for change, the customer in front of him leaned on the door frame of his house, pulling out a wallet and handing the pizza boy the correct amount.
"Cheers mate." The customer said as he nodded.
Adam returned the nod. He didn't particularly like job, because it involved him meeting with strangers. Adam wasn't good when it came to talking to strangers. He would always stutter with long conversations or just make a complete fool of himself. But he was lucky with this customer. Sometimes all he would have to say is the amount for the order. He could handle small sentences without freezing. He always kept one thing to mind when he was working, "I can look like a dummy, but then get no money".Work also involved maths. Adam loved maths and always gave the correct change in a flash. After he got into his car he placed his elbow on the edge of the door frame, right near the window, and sighed. I hate my job he thought. His ramblings where then interrupted by the ringing off his phone. Mad World by Gary Jules. It had been his ring tone for a long time.
"Hello..?"
"Hey, need you back here to deliver another order. Last one of the day."
"Yeah..ok."
Adam started his car and headed straight back to base. On his way there he often saw his reflection in the front window, from the street lights around him. Adam was a pure white wolf. As white as winter snow. His fur was a soft as it too. He was about 6ft tall, and of medium build. He was always puzzled by this. He never worked out in his life, but perhaps it's from the fact he doesn't over eat. His hair was a darker shade of his fur. At the front it just stopped above his eyes. To the side it went just over his ear and at the back it just stopped at his neck. But it was Adam's eyes that were his best feature. Ocean blue, just like the water by beaches in the Caribbean. He hated it though. The one nice looking thing about him but he can't even say hi to a girl.
"What's wrong with me..."
He was interrupted by the sudden platter or rain on his roof. Just at the inter section he took a right into a car park located right next to his place of work, Pizza Palace. Walking in the door he took the box on top of the counter labelled "Delivery" and walked straight out. 46, North Pembroke Road. He knew the place. It was an estate. His only best friend, Kyle, spent his child hood there. Kyle...one of the few people Adam could really talk too. Kyle, a cheetah, spend most of his childhood in foster care, moving from house to house until he settled with a family or leopards in Pembroke. The two met in pre-school and have been friends since. They would always talk to each other about everything and anything. They each learnt each other's past, and excepted each other for who they were. Kyle parents gave him up and Adam just didn't like talking to others. No one really approached him in school except Kyle. Adam though, had a different reason for not wanting to talk to anyone....
"Crap..missed my turn off."
He did a turn on a round-about and set himself back on course. He pulled up out side the house and took a look at the two storey home. Getting out his car he felt the light rain gently stick to his fur. He liked the feel of the rain, the cleansing and relief it gave him. He walked up to the front and knocked three times. He heard the distant murmurs of chatting, escaping through the half opened window on the right of the door. Suddenly the door swung open. There stood a German Shepherd, about 6ft 1 in height. He had the Brown and Black fur pattern, with scruffy looking black hair, like someone just ruffled it with a paw. And he had emerald green eyes, which glistened in the light.
"Oh....pizza guy right?"
" Uh..Yeah. That'll be..€17 please."
The German Shepherd reached in the pocket of his baggy jeans and sound of change hitting of its self soon followed. Then he pulled out a €20 note and handed it to Adam who was looking at the Shepherd's green eyes. The Shepherd smiled a bit and Adam immediately diverted his eyes to the note and took it.
"Thank you.." Adam handed him back €3 "...here's your pizza..."
"You have really nice eyes." The Shepherd said with a smile.
A frequent compliment Adam got...but not from a guy. For a short period he blushed a barely visible shape of red, but felt it, and knew the Shepherd saw it. He took the pizza and closed the door slightly.
"Bye..and thanks for the pizza."
"No problem..." Adam replied with shyness.
Adam turned on his heel, rubbing his arm as he did so. Walking back to the car he couldn't help but feel eyes fixated him. As he got in his car he noticed the Shepherd was still at the door, which he now closed. Adam drove off, confused on what just happened. Getting back to work he punched out and headed home to his flat. Every green light from a traffic stop reminded him off those eyes. Adam never cared much for dating or love....but for that brief minute encounter with the German Shepherd, he could have sworn that he felt something inside...something for that one guy with the emerald eyes. He started to think to himself on what happened. But what good a I ? I can't speak to anyone without screwing it up. I almost did with that guy. But I'm not sure if it was because I couldn't talk or if I was just lost in the moment...
"NO!...no...no...I've no chance....I'm just a fuck up and that's all I ever do with chances like those....No one wants a cock up like me..." Adam was on the brink of crying.
Arriving home he said a brief "Hello" to Kyle who knew that Adam was tired. But he wasn't, he was just upset and angry with himself. Why can't I be normal he thought to himself, almost on the verge off continuing the flow of tears he held back while dribving. Just as the single ring of the clock struck midnight, it struck the time that Adam would go to bed. Tomorrow he would be working an afternoon shift, and then he would be busking down in the local mall. Saturday was a good day for him to do it. Busy as any other day for the shopping centre. After stripping out of his work clothes and leaving his boxers on, he climbed into bed and turned on his radio. Appropriately the song on was DJ Shadow-Midnight in a Perfect World. He felt his mind slowly drifting off, his eyes getting heavier and his body relaxes. He was falling asleep. The last thing he thought about where those eyes...and how he would never have the guy they belonged too. Just then a tear rolled down his eye as he drifted off.