Wanting to return a favor.

Like always, that Thursday after school I went to the gym before I had to go to work. Honestly, I was finding the routine so comfortable that I was a little worried about how graduating and going to university would change everything. I found the thought uncomfortable, but I wasn’t anything I could stop, so it’d just be a problem future me would have to deal with. Good luck, sucker.

Anyway, I was really into my exercise routine that day. I **** myself to be, mostly. Running with the treadmill on a higher setting, adding a bit more weight to the dumbbells than usual, doing one more rep in everything… It didn’t solve the issue, but it felt good to let out that… Um… Let’s call it extra energy.

There was something odd that day, however. Something… eerie.

The gym was a bit too quiet. I mean, yes, the usual regulars were there, all working out like always. The sound of the machines and soft chatter filled the place. I had grown used to all this background noise while I didn’t have my earphones on. But you know why I still call this an eerie silence? Because Mr. Carlos was there again now that he was back from his trip, and we weren’t hearing any of his motivational screaming at all.

I watched him doing his deadlift reps while I drank water and noticed a lack of enthusiasm in him. Not a lack of effort, mind you, just… He looked distracted even while focused on his reps, if that makes any sense.

I waited for him to be done and approached when I saw him also drinking water. I did that without really thinking about it, so when I was close, my mind went blank.

What should I even say? Mr. Carlos is an amazing guy, super friendly and helpful to everyone at the gym, but… I wouldn’t say we were friends. Again, that’s not to say I didn’t like and/or respected him, but he was a grown ass adult and I was just a kid. I still felt weird being so casual with Luke, and being with Diana was a whole different thing. Still…

“How are you doing today, Mr. Carlos?” I asked him, trying to sound all casual but unable to hide the concern in my tone.

I mostly expected him to… I don’t know, do the adult thing and just smile while telling me he was fine and that I shouldn’t have to worry about him. Instead, he let out a deep, frustrated groan.

“My daughter, my boy! I’m at a loss of how to support her in such an important time!” He rubbed his face with his hands, then put them on his waist and began to stretch. “She recently said she wanted to get a job, which took us by surprise, you know? She doesn’t NEED to have a job, and she’s a very introverted girl, so when she came back saying she’d found a job at a coffee shop, we were more shocked! Ah, but you probably know this, right? It’s your shop she’s working at.”

I chuckled. “Not MY shop, but yes, I work there too.”

“Have you seen her?”

I shook my head. “No, she works a different shift on different days.”

“I see…” Mr. Carlos sighed heavily while shaking his head.

“But what is wrong with her? I haven’t heard my boss complain about her at all.”

“At first I was happy that she was taking the initiative to grow out of her shell, but now she comes home looking exhausted and on the verge of tears. I try to ask her, but she says she’s fine and locks herself in her room again!” Mr. Carlos crossed his thick arms and tapped his foot on the floor with a deep frown of concern. “I hate to ask, but… You don’t think her boss is bullying her at work, do you?”

For a split second I almost got mad. Maria would never do something like that. At most she could be strict with some things, but overall she was the world’s chillest boss. Thankfully, it only took me that split second to tell myself Mr. Carlos was coming from a place of concern for his daughter and that he didn’t know Maria as well as I did.

I shook my head. “I really doubt it, sir. Maria is not that kind of person. But I’ll ask her if she knows anything later today. I have my shift in 45 minutes.”

Mr. Carlos smiled with some relief. “I see. Thank you, my boy. I’m sorry to have said that. If it’s not that, then I fear work may be proving too much for her, and if that’s the case…” He grimaced.

I think I understood what he felt. If she couldn’t handle a part-time job as a university student, then what would she do when she had to get a full time job?

“I’ll try to see what I can do, sir. Besides, if there’s anything wrong, I bet Maria is on the case already.”

“I’m very sorry to trouble you, Oliver, but… It would help me keep my mind at ease if you could at least ask and see what’s happening.”

“It’s no trouble at all,” I assured him with a smile. “I do owe you a lot, so it’s the least I can do.”

Mr. Carlos did seem a bit relieved after that. I was glad I could set his mind at ease for the moment, but now came the hard part: actually helping or figuring out how to help. At the very least I had a few ideas. If it came to it, I’d ask Maria to change my shifts to Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for a while. That way I could help Mr. Carlos’ daughter in the same way I helped Isabelle.

I really did owe Mr. Carlos too much not to give it a fair try.

Patreon.