Chapter 3

Finally, school is over for the day, now time for work. I honestly love my job which is probably not heard from a lot of teens -or anyone really- but I really do. I work at this cute little place across the street from my school and it's like a dreamland for nerds, they sell from comics to funk pops, records, and just a lot of comics of basically everything. My favorite ones are the Marvel comics, I'm a huge fangirl when it comes to anything Marvel/Avengers related things. That is why I work at the shop.


As I get there, I'm greeted by my boss, Rossi, and some other people who just hang in the back of the store playing cards or just talking about the latest comics or video games that came out. It's like my second home, or third I guess if you count the school.


Anyways, I get straight to work.


Obviously saying hi to the people there and putting my things in a locker that they have in the back for the employees.


My job is simple, I literally just clean up the place really. I first start by dusting off the shelves and tables that contain the comics and records. Then I organize the comics that are misplaced by alphabetical order. So yeah... my job is pretty straightforward. Organizing the comics by alphabetical order is actually a LOT harder than it sounds, there are probably around one to two thousand comics in here.


Especially with new shipments coming in every other week, it makes it even more time consuming than it normally should.


As I finish putting the records in order by singer/band name, I hear the door open meaning we had a customer.


"Hi welcome to G. & G. collectibles! My name is Andi and if you have any questions about anything just let me know and I will try to answer them as best as possible," I announce to the customer who just walked in, as I was making sure I had put every record in their correct spot.


"Hey, thanks. Umm... do you guys happen to have Marvel comics by any chance? Sorry, that probably sounds like a stupid question.." the stranger, who I figured out is a man by the deep and gruff sound of their voice asked me as I just moved on to the first shelf of anime books.


"Oh, ya of course. Are you looking for anything in particular or no..?" I asked as I go around the shelf to get to them.


As I round the corner, I noticed he's quite tall and masculine, maybe around 6' or 6'1. He is sporting a navy blue ball cap with a NASA patch in the middle along with a black hoodie that's paired with dark blue jeans, a pair of converse and shades, covering his eyes.


For some reason, I get an odd feeling of familiarity from him. But I shook it off as I realize I was staring.


"No nothing specific, well... actually If you have Captain America comics, that would be nice to see." He replied as he finished looking around the store and flashing me a beautiful white smile.


"In fact we do, you can just follow me and I can show you where you can take a look at those," I told him as I start leading him towards the back of the small store, where we have a large display of comics arranged in different categories on the wall.


"Here are all the Marvel comics and as for the Captain America ones, they will be right here on the third row and some on the fourth," I explain to the man while pointing out the exact requests he had given me.


"Alright great, thank you so much." The mystery man says while giving me a small smile.


"No problem, well if you need anything else or need help finding something just let me know," I say smiling back to him, then I turn to walk away to finish what I was working on.


******


It's now 2:50 and I got out of school about an hour and ten minutes ago, I have just finished organizing the second set of shelves on manga when I was lightly tapped on the shoulder. When I turn around to see who it was, I find out it was NASA guy, with one hand carrying around ten different Marvel comics and the other tucked in his jean pocket.


"Hey sorry I was just wondering if I could pay for these?" He says with a shy smile.


"Oh ya, of course. I can help you with that." I say to him as I walk around him to get to the counter at the front, where it holds other items as displays to the customers and where they pay.


"Ok, so the total is going to be twenty-one dollars and fifteen cents," I inform him as I put back the comics, after matching the prices with the correct comics and scanning them.


"Alright, um do you guys take card?" He asks me while taking out his wallet.


"Yeah, of course," I tell him while getting out a tablet with a little square attached to it that allows the customers to pay with their card.


As I set up the account and type in the amount to pay and grab the card to swipe it on the cube. I notice the engraved name on the card read: "Christopher R. Evans" underneath the expiration date.


I must have frozen longer than I meant to because I hear him in front of me asking if everything was alright. I just couldn't believe it, how did I not see it?? It should have been so obvious from the way he was dressed, with his damn NASA hat and the shades.


"Ya...ya sorry just kind of spaced out you know. It's been quite a long day..." I told him while giving his card back after swiping it and having him sign the screen.


"Don't worry about it, I know what you mean. To be completely honest with you... I don't really know exactly where I'm at right now. I was trying to get to this meeting I had in San Diego and I guess I took the wrong turn or wrong freeway, or something and well I ended up finding this place and so I thought, "why not?" He explained to me while putting his wallet back in his pocket and grabbing the bag that contains the comics he bought.


Ok, this cannot be possible. I mean, maybe the name was just a coincidence but when he mentioned the lost part. Then I knew that it really has to be him.


"Oh wow, really? That's crazy. Well, welcome to Upland." I told him while I continued to stand behind the desk, not knowing what to do. Heck, I think I might be in shock.


"Oh, so that's what this town is called. Well thank you, at least now I know where I'm at." He responds, seeming a bit more relaxed as he finally knows where he ended up.


"Well, I hope you enjoy the comics and find our town as great as them too,"


Seriously? "Find our town as great as those comics" could I think of anything more cringy to say?? Someone please just end my embarrassment now.


"Well thank you, and I'm sure I will." He replies giving me a warm smile.


When he turns around to walk out, I release a breath that I didn't even know I was holding in. Then after shaking off the embarrassment, I walked to a table in the front of the store that is full of boxes, labeled A through Z with random comics, plus it's my job to anyways.


As I am getting through the first section, hearing the door open and then close. Making me realize that I didn't even ask for an autograph or picture with him and that made me feel an even bigger idiot than before. I just stand there beating myself up on my mistake when I feel a small tap on my shoulder and turn around to find Chris standing there with his hands tucked in his pockets, the packet of comics were gone.


"Oh...um hi?" confused as I could have sworn he just left.


"Hey, sorry I couldn't help but wonder since you are the only person I met in this town if you maybe wanted to get something to eat..." -He must have taken my silence as a decline, as he quickly tried to reassure that it was not a big deal- "Or not, it's alright to say no. I understand since I'm a random stranger and all." he replies with a shy smile.


"Oh...oh! sorry I was just surprised you wanted to hang out with me. I mean like you're just someone who happens to be Cap- A total stranger and um you know stranger danger and all..."


I feel like an idiot, I don't even know what to do or even say as I try not to stumble over my words, and it's not like he is the one and only Chris Evans...


I guess I was afraid he would realize I knew who he was and would just think I only said yes to going out for lunch with him because he's Captain-freaking-America. Plus I'm pretty sure the last thing he wants to deal with is someone fawning over him at the moment.


He suddenly burst out laughing and I'm guessing I had a confused expression on my face, as he started to compose himself


"I.. sorry about that but I'm guessing you figured out who I am?" He asked with a smirk forming his face.

Comment