The Autumn Calling

Gee tapped his fingers impatiently against the plastic like material that made up the cheap music store counter. Honestly, the twenty two year old would rather be anywhere than there at the moment. Joe's coffee hut sounded nice, or maybe Ryan's Auto down off the parkway where he could fix up a pretty little number he'd been working on for over half a year.

Favour, as it seemed, was not on his side though. Gee was stuck cooped up in the dull room that made up the main selection of Audrey's Music Box, a store older than most of the people who worked there, and yet young enough that it really held no power.

He had two options; stay until closing like his shift stated he should, or wait for his favorite auburn haired wonder to arrive late as she did everyday and dump the responsibilty of running the always empty waste of space on her.

Of course that was if she arrived at all.
Alexe was nothing like Gee.

Gee was tall, 6'4" almost. His raven hair fell in a shaggy manor around his slate gray eyes and his entirely too pale skin almost glowed in the sun. His eyebrows were thick, but well kept by his younger sister Maria who insisted that as 'queen' or Springleaf High, her brother had to look presentable. Along with his eyebrows the young girl, a junior, spent an incredible amount of time pestering him about his nose and lips. Personally he believed he had a nose most woman got surgery for, but Maria believed otherwise. It was too button like or something like that. Gee didn't really understand it, though he understood why she picked on his lips.

Maria like lips to be full and bold. It was the sole reason she spent a full five minutes prepping her lips every morning no matter what. Gee's lips were thin, and like the rest of him, rather pale. You could miss them entirely if you weren't paying attention.

"You should wear colored chapstick." Maria had suggested one day over brunch.

Gee had sent her the 'are you high' look before quietly replying "I'm male. I don't wear lipstick."

Maria had only shrugged, bringing it up once more an hour later.

Mostly though Gee was a sour person. He wasn't social, or friendly. He was akward enough that keeping conversations alive was a task that took all of his focus as well.

He ony ever socialized freely with the petite girl in question; Alexe.

Alexe however was mostly what Gee was not.

Her skin was mildly tan, freckles spanning lightly across her high cheek bones and her lips were, in Maria's opinion, perfect. Alexe always coated them in a deep red gloss though, so Gee couldn't begin to tell you their natural color. Her hair was naturally a soft ash blonde, but Alexe had decided early on that she really hated the color and had taken to dyeing her hair a deep rustic shade very early in life. Her hazel eyes sparkled with what he often refered to as an annoying trust and dependance.

She seemed to believe that life was all rainbows and unicorns and that nothing could tough her.

The eight-teen year old was a perky person. Her short stature and happy disposition made a lovely companion in her, and in many ways Gee abused that.

He knew that if he needed to, he could place his trust in her and she'd keep it well.
Still day in and day out he dumped work on her, teased her, and all together made her life as much of a hell as he could manage without being donright mean.

You shouldn't ask why though. Honestly he had no clue why he tormented her the way he did. It was just a way to pass the time.

The bell on the door chimed softly bringing him out of his thoughts.
Speak of the devil.

Alexe approached him handing him a small paper bag marked 'Grendell's.'

"I thought you might be hungry." she smiled.

He opened said bag to find a sesame seed bagel down at the bottom pre-prepared.

"Thanks." he mumbled, his voice not quite used to forming the word.

Alexe just smiled in return and hopped over the counter to join him in aiding the non existant customers.

"You're late." he growled.

"I know." she giggled moving her hands to reference her dishevaled appearance. "My alarm didn't go off. The battery died or something. I came as fast as i could."

Gee just nodded and turned back to his bagel as if it was the most interesting thing on the planet.

"Grim?" Alexe's soft voice called out. "You aren't mad at me are you?"

He shook his head. "Just work."

"Okay."

Gee didn't speak to her for the next twenty minutes solid

"I'm sorry i'm late okay." She growled before storming off into the back room.
Gee didn't try to stop her, he only looked after her, blank and emotionless.

Yes he abused the tiny girl. One day with her could make you feel like you were going to hell and you deserved it, even if you did nothing.

And that was probably the reason that he told himself each morning that he hated her with all of his heart.