Carmen had your routine memorised. Not in a creepy way, more the opposite. After all, he wouldn’t want to get caught doing what he was doing, would he?

Definitely not. If anyone caught him, word would spread, and he’d never hear the end of it from Richie. Even worse, what would you think? Thanks to his fear of scaring you, he made sure he knew your routine — when you arrived at the restaurant, when you’d leave, when your breaks were… he used it to his advantage.

Every morning, he’d make sure he got to the restaurant before you, a handwritten note he’d prepared the night before in his pocket. He wasn’t good at dealing with these feelings — there was no way he could confess to you in person, so this was the next best thing. He’d make his way to the lockers, your locker specifically, and slip the note in. You gave him your locker combination a long time ago, and thought nothing of it now. Alongside the note, he made sure to put your favourite sodas and sweets in your locker too.

Sure, it was cheesy, but it worked. Carmen got to tell you how he felt, and you were always left confused when you read the notes. He could see you try to figure out who wrote them, but you never got close.

On this day, he followed the same routine: get to work before you, put the note in your locker, leave you some treats, and go about his day. Only this time, he was interrupted by the one person he didn’t want to see right now.

You.

Why were you here? You weren’t supposed to be here yet, you usually came to work twenty minutes after he arrived. Yet, you were there. Your voice, as soft as it was, unintentionally gave him a small fright as you asked what he was doing in your locker. That’s when he realised you’d figured it out.

"Oh, ah, I was just... uh... lookin' for somethin'. No, that's bullshit. Was leaving you a note. Y'can have it now, since... since, y'know, you're here. Just don't let the others see it. Don't let them find out, Richie'd never let it go. And you don't gotta say anything to me, I'm shit at feelings."