Oh, But You're An Explosion

I sat behind the counter and laughed as Erin ran up behind customers and made faces while they looked at records. They had no idea what she was doing, so it had become a bet. I bet that she'd get caught before two o'clock and she'd bet that she wouldn't get caught.

"-hey! Hello? Hello...?" someone said, breaking my view from Erin. "Do you have any Van Halen?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

I looked at him like he was retarded. "Have you checked under 'V'?" I asked incredulously.

"Oh, damnit! Adam! Stop flirting with Anna, Christ!" Erin yelled, leaving the customer she was making bunny ears behind and stomping her was over to me. She gave him a disapproving look. "You can't pounce on the new girl just because I'm not looking, you know." she said, clearly hiding a smile.

He began to laugh. "Oh, that was good. Pounce? Wow. High-five." He reached up his arm and slapped her hand, still laughing. I looked between the two, confused.

"Oh, Anna, this is our owner, Adam. Adam, this is the girl I was telling you about last night, Anna." she said, pointing between the two of us.

I started stammering. "Oh, oh! I-I'm s-sorry. I didn't m-mean to, uh... Shit..." I was hoping he wouldn't dislike me for being a smartass about checking under the 'V's.

He started laughing again. "Oh, it's alright. Actually, I kind of like it." he said, giving a growl. "Mmm, Feisty."

I raised my eyebrows as Erin slapped him in the arm. "Adam!"

His grin only grew. "Oh, baby, you know I'm kidding. I only love you." Then they kissed.

[--]

"So you're dating the owner?" I asked as we sat in her car, driving home. It was four and I was already tired from sitting behind the counter all day. It nearly bored me to sleep until Erin started doing something completely ridiculous, then I'd wake up. It's like the back of my eyelids were teasing me.

She smiled. "We're not only dating; we're engaged." She flashed her ring to me with a broad smile on her face. I hadn't noticed that ealier. "We've been for about... two years now. Have been since he graduated and opened up the store."

My eyes bugged. "You've been engaged since you were a junior?"

"Yep! I've worked at the store since I was a junior, too. We're the Troublesome Two, the Disasterous Duo, the-"

"-people that are going to give me gray hair?" I added and she slapped me.

"Oh, shut it. We just need to find you a guy and we'll be all set." She parked in the driveway and turned to look at me, her smile growing. "But, for now, we're the Troublesome Trio."

"That's lame." I laughed, getting out of the car.

"The Three Muskateers?" she asked, walking next to me up the pathway.

"Taken." I countered, opening the door.

"Damnit. Do you always have to be original?"

"Only when I feel like it." I laughed, walking up the stairs to my room. Erin followed me up the stairs quickly, afraid to be left alone with 'Cruella'. Just the thought of the nickname made me shake with joy.

We closed my bedroom door and fell down onto my floor. "That was a long day." Erin sighed, rolling over onto her stomach. "I wanted to go out tonight, but I don't think I can. And we have a shipment coming in tomorrow... Ugh, great." she groaned, rubbing her eyes.

I just took a deep breath, ready to say something, but my phone started ringing my mom's ringtone and I get to roll over to pry it out of my pocket, which nearly took all of the energy I had left in my body.

"Mph?" I answered groggily.

"Anna! How's Portland? And how's your father?" my mom's voice yipped from the receiver.

I groaned. "Well, Portland's a pain in my ass because Dianne's in it; she made me get a job. I don't know how dad is because I haven't seen him since I got here. I made a new friend, though. She's the one that gave me the job." I yawned at the end, my body quaking.

"What?!" my mom's voice boomed. "That whore made you get a job already? And where the fuck is your father? He said he wasn't going to be there when you got there, not that he'd not be there at all. I'm going to call his ass right this inst-"

"-no, mom. It's fine. I just want to go to sleep." I stopped her, knowing that there'd be no point in that. He'd say he would be there and just not show up anyways; that's how he was. Useless.

"Okay. But if she touches you, talks to you, or even breaths your air the wrong way, let me know. I swear I'll kick her ass." she seethed. I could practically hear the anger in her voice... and my mom never gets angry. She just hates Dianne, but who can blame her? She's a bitch.

"Okay, mom. I'll call you tomorrow." I mumbled into my carpet, trying to keep my eyes open.

"Alright. Oh! Wait! I called you to tell you that your truck will be there Friday." she said happily.

I smiled. "Thank you, mom. I'll call you tomorrow. Love you, bye."

I hung up after she said it back and instantly heard Erin snoring, so I decided I'd join in. I was so fucking tired. And I hoped that she'd forget I owed her twenty dollars tomorrow; she never got caught. Damnit.