(no subject)
002 - Middles
In the blink of an eye, half the summer was gone. Leaning against a stark white counter, Percy grimaced as she saw a group of middle school kids loitering in front of the ice cream shop. It wouldn’t have been so bad if they’d stayed outside, but no they had to come in the shop and be customers. As if it weren’t enough, they stared in awe at the menu for five minutes before ordering anything. To top it off, the brats didn’t tip!
“Middle schoolers are twits,” Percy complained to Jerry (her redhead co-slave) the moment the group left.
“Isn’t your brother in middle school?” he asked, not really caring about Percy’s woe.
“He lives several hundred miles away and going is on to high school,” she answered impatiently. “I told you already, my parents are divorced. Why don’t you ever listen to anything I say? I have a lot of issues you know? If I told you I’m thinking of committing suicide and you didn’t listen and I killed myself, it’d be your fault for not alerting someone or even trying to stop me.”
“Are you insinuating that I don’t care?”
“Yes.”
“As long as we’re both clear on that fact.”
He was beyond frustrating. Percy didn’t think he was teasing either. Jerry was solemnity and jerk embedded in a body, the bastard. Why did he have to be so cold to her? But she had to work with him because she needed the money for the school year incase she was detained in the dorms -not that the faculty would succeed in keeping her there- and she’d run out of her stock of Nutella.
“What did I ever do to you? Am I a special case or something? You’re never an asshole to customers.” She knew she sounded like she was whining, but he, like Rachael, always brought out the worst in her. Except Jerry was more tolerable than Rachael, and she almost liked him. Almost.
“I’m an asshole to everyone.” Jerry drawled, peering at her through red fringes. “I’m just feigning kindness so I don’t get fired.”
“I detest you so much.” Percy finally said, glaring at him.
“But I love you,” Jerry deadpanned, rolling his eyes. “It’s so fun standing here, listening to you bitch day and night about how horrible people are to you, and how much you hate me, and let’s not forget the threats and self-destructive tendencies.”
Percy frowned. “I don’t hate you. Hate’s a very strong word.”
“Hate, dislike with a passion, same difference,” Jerry amended as he grabbed a handful of gummy bears from the toppings counter and popped a green one in his mouth.
“No it’s not, hate is more venomous; and stop stealing my words.”
“I don’t steal. I merely borrow without asking or crediting.”
Sighing, Percy rubbed her temple. Talking to him gave her headaches.
“Can you just… not talk?” She asked.
“What do you think I’ve been telling you to do all summer?” he muttered as he pushed himself off the counter when the entrance door swung open.
Watching him give the mother-child guests a smile, Percy wondered how could he fake the expression so well when he really had nothing to smile about. It reminded her of years ago, when her mom first left home and later when her brother left with her mom. She never complained in a serious manner… not once.
Then again, Percy was never really serious.
“Are you going to stand there or are you going to help?” Jerry hissed, walking by her to put sprinkles on the ice cream that he’d prepared for the little boy.
Looking up, Percy saw that a group of teenage girls had walked in. Putting a smile on her face, Percy greeted the group and asked for their orders.
In the blink of an eye, half the summer was gone. Leaning against a stark white counter, Percy grimaced as she saw a group of middle school kids loitering in front of the ice cream shop. It wouldn’t have been so bad if they’d stayed outside, but no they had to come in the shop and be customers. As if it weren’t enough, they stared in awe at the menu for five minutes before ordering anything. To top it off, the brats didn’t tip!
“Middle schoolers are twits,” Percy complained to Jerry (her redhead co-slave) the moment the group left.
“Isn’t your brother in middle school?” he asked, not really caring about Percy’s woe.
“He lives several hundred miles away and going is on to high school,” she answered impatiently. “I told you already, my parents are divorced. Why don’t you ever listen to anything I say? I have a lot of issues you know? If I told you I’m thinking of committing suicide and you didn’t listen and I killed myself, it’d be your fault for not alerting someone or even trying to stop me.”
“Are you insinuating that I don’t care?”
“Yes.”
“As long as we’re both clear on that fact.”
He was beyond frustrating. Percy didn’t think he was teasing either. Jerry was solemnity and jerk embedded in a body, the bastard. Why did he have to be so cold to her? But she had to work with him because she needed the money for the school year incase she was detained in the dorms -not that the faculty would succeed in keeping her there- and she’d run out of her stock of Nutella.
“What did I ever do to you? Am I a special case or something? You’re never an asshole to customers.” She knew she sounded like she was whining, but he, like Rachael, always brought out the worst in her. Except Jerry was more tolerable than Rachael, and she almost liked him. Almost.
“I’m an asshole to everyone.” Jerry drawled, peering at her through red fringes. “I’m just feigning kindness so I don’t get fired.”
“I detest you so much.” Percy finally said, glaring at him.
“But I love you,” Jerry deadpanned, rolling his eyes. “It’s so fun standing here, listening to you bitch day and night about how horrible people are to you, and how much you hate me, and let’s not forget the threats and self-destructive tendencies.”
Percy frowned. “I don’t hate you. Hate’s a very strong word.”
“Hate, dislike with a passion, same difference,” Jerry amended as he grabbed a handful of gummy bears from the toppings counter and popped a green one in his mouth.
“No it’s not, hate is more venomous; and stop stealing my words.”
“I don’t steal. I merely borrow without asking or crediting.”
Sighing, Percy rubbed her temple. Talking to him gave her headaches.
“Can you just… not talk?” She asked.
“What do you think I’ve been telling you to do all summer?” he muttered as he pushed himself off the counter when the entrance door swung open.
Watching him give the mother-child guests a smile, Percy wondered how could he fake the expression so well when he really had nothing to smile about. It reminded her of years ago, when her mom first left home and later when her brother left with her mom. She never complained in a serious manner… not once.
Then again, Percy was never really serious.
“Are you going to stand there or are you going to help?” Jerry hissed, walking by her to put sprinkles on the ice cream that he’d prepared for the little boy.
Looking up, Percy saw that a group of teenage girls had walked in. Putting a smile on her face, Percy greeted the group and asked for their orders.