Quiet Little Monsters

Stupid fucking douche. I hate him and his stupid green eyes. You know, he's not even a douche bag. He's the contents of a douche bag. Unfortunately, these thoughts didn't belong to an angry stranger on the street. These thoughts were all mine and they all concerned that big jerk, Finn Watson.

I was making my way to Dolly's the morning after Finn had told me of his girlfriend. It was really infuriating to be made the girl who threw herself on this guy. My cheeks burned just thinking about it.

Fortunately, Gavin and Bella were already waiting outside of the bakery when I turned the corner of Lily Oak St.

Here she comes... Gavin thought and held his breath while Bella thought, Good God. What is she wearing? Those HAVE to be curtains she just sewed into a dress.

"Hey," I murmured to myself. I liked my dress, it was a cream and pink flower printed sun dress I'd gotten from the thrift store. It looked sweet.
"Good morning," Bella and Gavin said aloud.

I smiled at them. "Good morning!" I greeted them back. I struggled with my keys as I turned my back to them to open the door. Gavin was trying really hard not to check out my butt and Bella was contemplating sending me to one of those extreme makeover shows.

We all stepped into the shop and I headed to the back. Gavin and Bella waited in the front desk while I got out their periwinkle blue robes from the closet. They were very cute, or at least, I thought they were cute. Not only were they the softest blue fabric, but they had pockets in the front made of a pretty floral print and in the middle read in white cursive: Dolly's. I took them out to the front and presented them to my new employees.

Oh. God. There goes my manhood, Gavin thought while I tried to block out Bella's whines of disapproval at the apron in her head.

"Thanks!" Bella said anyway and took it. Gavin grinned and said, "These are cool," as he grabbed his own apron.

Liars, I seethed in my head. This was why I hated being able to read minds. This was why I suddenly remembered why I didn't want to hire anyone in the first place. It would have been so much better if I had been kept in the dark. Their smiles and words of compliment would have been all I'd known. And I would go on in my ignorance; at least I would have been happy.

Gavin and Bella eyed my crestfallen face and Bella thought, Oh. She looks so sad. I mean they're really not that bad. They're kind of cute... I guess.

Gavin just pictured himself burning it in a bonfire but put it on anyway with an over enthusiastic smile on his face.

"Um. Well... Let's get started," I muttered anxiously.



It took little more than an hour until I opened up shop. Frankly, it surprised me how quickly Gavin and Bella learned how to work the cash register, how to use the ancient coffee machine, and how to ice cupcakes the way I like them.

In fact, I was so confident in them that I had retreated to the back to watch funny videos on the internet. Finn Watson was still fresh in my mind and I just wanted to crawl into a hole. Having employees sure made this easier. I didn't have to focus on the door so much when people weren't always in my face.

I was giggling like mad, watching a video of two kittens fighting for their catnip when Bella came busting through the tiny office in the back.

"Hey, Dolly? Can you come out here a sec? There's this guy who needs to speak with you. He says it's urgent?" I dug through her mind and saw the mental image of Finn Watson asking for me in the front. His dark hair was parted messily and he wore a white John Lennon tee shirt.

"Tell him I'm gone. Tell him I've just had to nip out because I am awfully busy and important. Yep. Bella, you tell him that," I rambled angrily.

Bella nearly laughed. This must be the boyfriend, she thought. I flustered at her thought but she closed the door anyway to pass on my fib to Finn Watson.

Unfortunately, not two minutes later, after I had finished watching my funny kitty video and was clicking on another video involving exceptionally cute felines, Bella came pouncing in the door again.

"Uh. This guy says he'll stand outside all day. Until you have to come out..." Bella said, trying to fight a smile. This guy is so determined. It's kind of romantic. God, wish Jeremy would put in this kind of effort. Last night was the most awful sex I've eve- I tuned her out there.

I debated on whether or not I could just tell Bella to tell him I was dead. That I had tragically passed in some freak accident and that she didn't want to have to break the news to him but decided against it. I gave out a pitiful sigh and stood up, trying to straighten out my dress.

Finn was there for sure and he looked rather flustered. I dug in his head and then was met with a barrier. I had hoped that now that I knew he was douche, it would somehow help me read his mind. Illogical.

"Let's talk outside," Finn said, glancing around the busy shop. Gavin eyed Finn and I suspiciously as he poured out a cappuccino for a customer.

Is this her boyfriend? Shit. I- I cut off his thoughts and followed Finn out of the bakery.

"Uh. So what's up?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry if you're upset about Harry."

"Harry?" I asked... That was the explanation! Finn Watson was gay! "Are you gay?"

"No," Finn scoffed, "Harry is short for Harriet. And Harriet is my girlfriend."

"Oh," I said dismally, "No. I'm not upset you have an androgynously named girlfriend. I could care less actually."

"Okay. Good. I didn't mean to lead you on."

I was holding back my fuming words. I knew this guy for three fucking days and he already was telling me he was "sorry for leading me on?" Excuse me. I was not the only one who kissed back that night. Screw dignity. I was going to be mean again.

"Oh, fuck you," I muttered, "Go away. I don't even like you like that."

Finn grinned. "I'll see you later," he said.

"No. I never, ever want to see your fugly face again," I shot at him.

I didn't even stay to see his reaction, but instead swiveled on my foot and stomped back into the bakery. Gavin was drying some mugs in the front when I plopped myself down on the counter and crossed my arms on my chest tightly.

Gavin looked up at me and gave me a small smile. "Something wrong?"

"Yes," I said curtly.

"Like what?" he said.

"Gavin, have you ever been so angry, you could punch someone?"

"Uh. Yeah," he replied simply. He thought of the time he found out his girlfriend left him in the dust to move to Hollywood.

"Well. Okay. That's all I need to know."

"Was that guy your boyfriend?" Gavin asked. Say no, he thought.

"Psh. No," I replied.

Finn Watson was a nobody. I didn't care if his dad was like me. I didn't care if he could help me. I didn't care.