Status: permanent hiatus - sorry
Benji
004; old friends, new friends.
The phrase ‘I need to see a man about a dog’ comes to mind, except I need to see a woman about a job. I’ve finally decided to relinquish my position as unemployed, and though it’ll probably be minimum wage and it’s not going to get me anywhere in life, I don’t mind. I’m only doing it because I get bored sitting at home all day and the extra cash wouldn’t be unwelcome.
I probably won’t tell Kyle or Mum that I’m getting a job, only because I’d rather Mum doesn’t make me start paying rent, seeing as I’ll have a regular source of income.
It was an old shop, with mismatched furniture and eccentric wallpaper. I was fairly familiar with it, seeing as the owner was an old friend and I often came here during the day.
A bell jingled overhead as I walked through the door. I smiled softly at the red-headed woman behind the counter.
“Hey, Cilla,” I greeted her.
“Reid, how are you?” She greeted me warmly. “Would you like the usual?” Her name was Priscilla and she was twenty-three. We’d known each other for years and she was very nice.
“Yeah, thanks. And I was wondering – are you still short-staffed?”
She said yes – seemed rather excited about me taking a job there – and immediately began to show me the ropes.
And everyone told me it’d be hard to find a job with no real qualifications.
*
Sometime during the day I found the time to text Benji and let him and Kyle know that I’d be about ten minutes late picking them up. Benji replied with a simple ‘okay, see you then’ followed by numerous smiley faces.
When I pulled up at the school that afternoon, I was able to spot them immediately by Benji’s small frame and blond hair, and Kyle’s lanky figure and dark hair.
They got in the car, assuming the positions they’d been in this morning. Benji leant forward to greet me, and I froze when he rested his head on my shoulder, inhaling deeply through his nose.
“You smell like coffee,” he grinned, moving away and resuming his conversation with Kyle.
I tore my eyes away from the odd boy and tried to focus on driving. I told myself that he was just weird, that he wasn’t gay, and that even if he was there was no way he was interested in me.
I probably won’t tell Kyle or Mum that I’m getting a job, only because I’d rather Mum doesn’t make me start paying rent, seeing as I’ll have a regular source of income.
It was an old shop, with mismatched furniture and eccentric wallpaper. I was fairly familiar with it, seeing as the owner was an old friend and I often came here during the day.
A bell jingled overhead as I walked through the door. I smiled softly at the red-headed woman behind the counter.
“Hey, Cilla,” I greeted her.
“Reid, how are you?” She greeted me warmly. “Would you like the usual?” Her name was Priscilla and she was twenty-three. We’d known each other for years and she was very nice.
“Yeah, thanks. And I was wondering – are you still short-staffed?”
She said yes – seemed rather excited about me taking a job there – and immediately began to show me the ropes.
And everyone told me it’d be hard to find a job with no real qualifications.
*
Sometime during the day I found the time to text Benji and let him and Kyle know that I’d be about ten minutes late picking them up. Benji replied with a simple ‘okay, see you then’ followed by numerous smiley faces.
When I pulled up at the school that afternoon, I was able to spot them immediately by Benji’s small frame and blond hair, and Kyle’s lanky figure and dark hair.
They got in the car, assuming the positions they’d been in this morning. Benji leant forward to greet me, and I froze when he rested his head on my shoulder, inhaling deeply through his nose.
“You smell like coffee,” he grinned, moving away and resuming his conversation with Kyle.
I tore my eyes away from the odd boy and tried to focus on driving. I told myself that he was just weird, that he wasn’t gay, and that even if he was there was no way he was interested in me.