Melodies
Chapter 21: Sydney
I woke up to hearing Ashton and Alex bitching each other out in the kitchen, which was not how I wanted to start the day. As soon as I heard their yelling, I regretted letting them stay over for the night. I wanted to wake up in a good mood, go to work, come home and shower, then pick up Kell looking and smelling at least halfway decent. I didn't want to deal with the idiots I call friends.
"You fuckheads, what the hell are you doing?"
They silenced for a brief moment. Ashton eventually called back, "We're not doing anything."
I rolled my eyes. I totally believed that they weren't doing anything.
"What time is it?"
I would have checked my phone, but it seemed to have disappeared sometime in the night.
"It's almost one, why?"
I got up from the couch in a hurry, meeting them in the kitchen. "Is it really? God dammit. I have to work in like, half an hour."
"Big deal. Mystic doesn't even care if you come in on time, as long as you show up."
"That's how it is if they leave Jude in charge, but if Jude doesn't come in, I'm screwed because Greg's gonna be an ass."
Alex made a face. "I forgot that Greg was promoted. Sorry, bro. Listen, we're leaving anyway. Just use some body spray or something and go."
I rushed upstairs to find one of my work shirts, telling them to fuck off whenever they felt like it. As I was trying to make myself look halfway presentable, I heard them yelling up to me that they were leaving. I ignored them and pulled on a t-shirt reading 'All I want to do is smoke and fuck." Once I'd put on a clean-ish pair of jeans and finger-combed my hair, I was downstairs, rushing out the door with my phone, wallet, and keys, running almost straight into my mom.
She looked exhausted, which was completely understandable, considering she'd worked the late shift and had been awake for the last ten hours. She looked happy to see me, though. I hugged her, just kind of glad that she was home for once.
She squeezed me. "Going somewhere?"
I nodded. "I have work today."
She let me go and patted me on the back. "Go, don't be late. When will you be home?"
"I should be back around 6 for a little while, and then I have a date. Do you want me to stop anywhere and bring anything home for you?"
"I don't need anything, just a nap. Who're you taking out?"
"His name's Kell, we've been hanging out because of Courtney. He's got bright green hair, and he's just adorable. You'd love him."
"Bright green hair? Sounds like he could be a little rough." She winked at me playfully.
I grinned and shook my head. "He's a serious student, really hardworking. I promise you'll like him. I'll bring him home sometime if tonight goes well, okay?"
She put up her hands in mock defeat. "Just have fun. You are going to shower when you come back though, right? Because you kind of smell like 'boy' and a thin layer of air freshener."
"Yeah, I'll shower. I would have already, but Alex and Ashton stayed over and just left, so. You know."
"I understand. Go on, you'll be late if you let me babble in your ear any more. I'll be here when you get home."
"Alright, I love you, I'll be back around six." I leaned down to kiss her cheek, and then I was on my way to work, only to find Jude sitting at the front desk, staring at a bunch of cards from behind his thick glasses.
Mystic is a store downtown that sells body jewelry, incense, bongs, wishing bracelets, mood candles, and a few dumb shirts. Mostly, little 13 year olds come in and take pictures of themselves so they can look like "badass stoners," as one of them put it, a bunch of older guys come in and talk to Jude for hours, and I sit at the front desk and wait to see if anyone's actually going to buy anything. It's very rare that anyone actually does.
Jude looked up at me and smiled widely, looking stoned out of his mind. I smiled back and waved a little, heading to the back to check in with Greg if he was there, and to grab the new box of lighters that Jude hadn't brought out to the front counter.
Luckily, Greg wasn't there. I guess he was at home abusing his television remote or something. I brought out the lighters, taking the seat Jude had abandoned when one of his ancient friends had come in to talk to him about something. I unpacked the new lighters, arranging them in the display case.
Once finished, I just sat there and waited for something happen, daydreaming about my date with Kell.
"You fuckheads, what the hell are you doing?"
They silenced for a brief moment. Ashton eventually called back, "We're not doing anything."
I rolled my eyes. I totally believed that they weren't doing anything.
"What time is it?"
I would have checked my phone, but it seemed to have disappeared sometime in the night.
"It's almost one, why?"
I got up from the couch in a hurry, meeting them in the kitchen. "Is it really? God dammit. I have to work in like, half an hour."
"Big deal. Mystic doesn't even care if you come in on time, as long as you show up."
"That's how it is if they leave Jude in charge, but if Jude doesn't come in, I'm screwed because Greg's gonna be an ass."
Alex made a face. "I forgot that Greg was promoted. Sorry, bro. Listen, we're leaving anyway. Just use some body spray or something and go."
I rushed upstairs to find one of my work shirts, telling them to fuck off whenever they felt like it. As I was trying to make myself look halfway presentable, I heard them yelling up to me that they were leaving. I ignored them and pulled on a t-shirt reading 'All I want to do is smoke and fuck." Once I'd put on a clean-ish pair of jeans and finger-combed my hair, I was downstairs, rushing out the door with my phone, wallet, and keys, running almost straight into my mom.
She looked exhausted, which was completely understandable, considering she'd worked the late shift and had been awake for the last ten hours. She looked happy to see me, though. I hugged her, just kind of glad that she was home for once.
She squeezed me. "Going somewhere?"
I nodded. "I have work today."
She let me go and patted me on the back. "Go, don't be late. When will you be home?"
"I should be back around 6 for a little while, and then I have a date. Do you want me to stop anywhere and bring anything home for you?"
"I don't need anything, just a nap. Who're you taking out?"
"His name's Kell, we've been hanging out because of Courtney. He's got bright green hair, and he's just adorable. You'd love him."
"Bright green hair? Sounds like he could be a little rough." She winked at me playfully.
I grinned and shook my head. "He's a serious student, really hardworking. I promise you'll like him. I'll bring him home sometime if tonight goes well, okay?"
She put up her hands in mock defeat. "Just have fun. You are going to shower when you come back though, right? Because you kind of smell like 'boy' and a thin layer of air freshener."
"Yeah, I'll shower. I would have already, but Alex and Ashton stayed over and just left, so. You know."
"I understand. Go on, you'll be late if you let me babble in your ear any more. I'll be here when you get home."
"Alright, I love you, I'll be back around six." I leaned down to kiss her cheek, and then I was on my way to work, only to find Jude sitting at the front desk, staring at a bunch of cards from behind his thick glasses.
Mystic is a store downtown that sells body jewelry, incense, bongs, wishing bracelets, mood candles, and a few dumb shirts. Mostly, little 13 year olds come in and take pictures of themselves so they can look like "badass stoners," as one of them put it, a bunch of older guys come in and talk to Jude for hours, and I sit at the front desk and wait to see if anyone's actually going to buy anything. It's very rare that anyone actually does.
Jude looked up at me and smiled widely, looking stoned out of his mind. I smiled back and waved a little, heading to the back to check in with Greg if he was there, and to grab the new box of lighters that Jude hadn't brought out to the front counter.
Luckily, Greg wasn't there. I guess he was at home abusing his television remote or something. I brought out the lighters, taking the seat Jude had abandoned when one of his ancient friends had come in to talk to him about something. I unpacked the new lighters, arranging them in the display case.
Once finished, I just sat there and waited for something happen, daydreaming about my date with Kell.