"I've got to go, Snow," Emma said, grabbing her bag as her shift came to an end and it was now my turn. "Be careful not to irritate your customers."
I made a peace sign with my hand in reply, "I can’t promise you that." She simply laughed at my answer and waved at me as she walked away.
I'm not going to lie, I have a tendency to irritate people here and there, but only because they irritate me. Don't get me wrong: I'm a nice person. I simply follow my guiding principle of 'Treat me right and you'll be fine, but treat me wrong and you'll cry.'
Today's sales seemed to be quite frequent, as the shop was buzzing with activity. A group of teenagers younger than me was occupying a corner of the establishment. They'd been there for almost an hour, but no one seemed to be leaving because they were having a good time talking and laughing about something.
My eyes flickered shut as I watched for a customer to show up. I jerked up, opening my eyes wide as I struggled to stay alert. Fighting the urge to sleep had been a splendid battle with myself - an achievement.
Just the mere thought of getting fired from my job caused my skin to crawl, the feeling of dread was overwhelming that I fought the urge to puke.
Although it might have been a bit dramatic...everything in my life is dramatic. And slowly, without a warning, I got used to it. A memory soon flashes back in my head. After my father's sudden death, our once colored life had faded into emptiness. The house that was filled with laughter and giggles was taken over by an eerie quietness.
Everything happened so fast that I couldn't fathom everything- I was lost between reality and fantasy. I couldn't see anything the way I used to before, I loathed everything in the universe. Everyone.
Life may be cruel but we have to stay strong. And so I did. If only I could just get popcorn and sit on a comfortable sofa while watching everything in the movie- which is my life. And if I hate a part, I could just fast forward or pause it or delete everything. If only there's a chance...
Eventually, my mother decided that we'd move into her hometown, which led us here, in Springfield, to start something new. It's hard, but we managed to adjust to life without a father. Slowly, we tried getting back to how we'd been, but there were still missing pieces that pulled us back into remembering our loss.
I'd never let anyone see me break. Never.
Springfield is a wonderfully refreshing and peaceful town. Me, my mother, and Nathan moved here two months ago after my father died… and I've been working at this ice cream shop for a few weeks now. It hasn’t been that long yet, and I just took this as a summer job since school would be coming for the next two months. I just wanted to earn and save money so that it wouldn’t be a burden to my mom. She’s raising us on her own after all. I have to be responsible.
The lingering scent of vanilla lingered in the air. I took a look out the window to my right. The late afternoon sun shone through the glass doors as I turned on the air conditioning to keep the shop cool. My shift starts from 1 in the afternoon until 6 in the evening.
The door chime jingled, making me stand up straight as a reflex, my posture perfect for work. A redhead girl with bright blue eyes walked in, and my face broke up into a bright fake smile.
"Good afternoon, miss. What would you like to have?" I asked in a cheery tone.
"One mint chocolate chip ice cream please," she answered, glancing at the flavors plastered above the counter.
"Coming up," I replied, grabbing a cone. I filled it with the ice cream she'd asked for. The monotonous routine continued -I gave her the ice cream, she paid, and I returned her change before she walked away towards a booth.
And my afternoon has always been like that.
Bored, I rested my left hand on the counter, leaning my head against it. When a thought occurred to me, my fingers began drumming on the table, itching to do something. It can't hurt to give it a shot, right? I'll play for a few minutes before stopping when a customer walks in. I'm sure I'll hear the doorbell…
I mean, I'm a hard worker, but we all have bad days...right?
I took out my phone and began playing a racing game while remaining silent. The hours and minutes flew by. A few minutes quickly turned into an hour.
I was so engrossed in my work that I didn't notice the bell ringing. Someone from across the room clears their throat. I brushed it off, knowing that the next turn would be critical...
Yet another coughing fit. This time it was loud enough to get my attention, and I snapped back to reality. I looked up to see if there was anyone there.
And when I saw that there was really someone in front of me, waiting to order, I immediately stood up, my face flushed with embarrassment at having been caught playing in the middle of my shift.
"If I were the owner, I could have fired you for playing in the middle of your work," he snarled. Despite his harsh tone, his face was emotionless and calm. My brows drew together. I was taken aback by this.
"Excuse me?" I asked, uncertain whether I had heard him correctly. I drew my brows furrowed. Is he being serious? But that's beside the point; I need to concentrate and not let him get to me again.
"Psh, workers and their services..." he muttered under his breath, which I overheard.
So I wasn't just hearing things. This person was having a problem with me. Sure, I've met a lot of people who were far worse than him, but that was just plain rude. I gave him a quick once-over: jet black hair, green eyes, and a red hoodie covering his head.
He looked like he was around my age, 18 or 19 years old I guess. And although I hate to admit it, he’s handsome. But what can that handsome face do if his attitude is rotten?
I resisted the desire to punch him in the face. Instead, I forced a smile on myself. Besides, I was only a worker, and this kind of situation was normal, even expected.
"Are you going to ask for my order or what?" he demanded, this time, his voice getting louder. His expression remained neutral, the same as it had been before, almost as if he didn't have one.
I could tell he was irritated. His slightly clenched jaw suggested as much.
Enjoy reading? Please give me some gems so I can continue writing! Happy reading! These are already edited <3
With the tone he used to speak down to me in this shop, I couldn't help but go into full beast mode. Be patient. Snow, you need to be patient. "Thank you for your time this afternoon, sir. What exactly do you want?" I asked, a little more cheerfully than usual, trying to keep my rage at bay. "Strawberry ice cream," he demanded. He squared his shoulders as he crossed his arms as if he despised the idea of having to speak at all. I tried to suppress the urge to roll my eyes. Customers who are impatient are a real pain in the neck. And he requested strawberry, which is unusual for a guy to like... guess he has a distinct taste. I shook my head and reached for a cone. "Do you want it topped with anything? Any add-on
“Yes!” she yelled in excitement, almost bouncing her head from too much nodding. Mom's contagious smile infected me at this point. From what I could remember, Aunt Maggie has been my mother's best friend since they were in kindergarten, possibly longer. Mom sent me a smile, "She deserves to be happy after such a long time since her husband's death. And what makes it even happier is that " She trailed off, creating a suspense atmosphere. "Is that? What mom? Please continue!” I said, eager to know it. I was desperate for an answer because I didn't want to wait any longer. &nbs
It's the obnoxious strawberry guy from the store yesterday... There is NO WAY I'm going to ask him for help. But he's my one and only chance. Wouldn't it be a waste of time? I rush over to him, pushing past a few people who appear to have bathed in cologne. He had his hands in his pockets and his face was expressionless until I grabbed hold of him. "What are you-" he exclaimed, surprised. "Please don’t act weirdly. Pretend to be my boyfriend," I said quietly. Strawberry guy, as I call him, stares at me blankly, then looks at the men behind me and then back at me, his face neutral. "No, miss, he's not your boyfriend, he doesn't even know who you are-" the second guy began, but was cut off. "Do you have
Is it just me, or did the shop appear to be a little cooler than usual? With that glare, I feel like I'm going to freeze to death! Oh, no. If I could only match that glare… "Clearly, my name is Snow. It’s already written on my nametag. Why’d you ask?" I retorted. He smirked. "The name isn't right for you; it should be something like Stupid." My eyes widened at that comment. 'You-' "What's your favorite here?" he interrupted me before I could even say anything else.
"Do you mean anything?" he asked. Taking a big gulp, I responded. "Yes...Anything. Anything is possible. Just please don’t fire me!"He gave a sly grin at me, and that made my heartbeat quicken, nervous. Oh no. What in the world have I gotten myself into? I’m dead. I’m not even exaggerating. I’m literally in trouble. “Are you sure about that?" he inquired and I gave a nod to him in answer. "Then turn around, walk away, and stay as far away from me as you can," he said.I came to a halt at that point, knowing exactly what he meant. "Wait, are you making fun of me? Would you like me to leave?"He gave a nod. I blinked at that. Wow. Just wow. I couldn't believe it. Does he even have a heart? How heartless of him. I couldn’t help but laugh at that, wiping away my feigned tears.Strawberry guy looked at me as if I were a bother. "Why are you laughing?" he asked, quite alarmed at my state. "You're going in
“Yes, I’ll throw it away later,” I responded. "Tsk. Do what you want with it, but how dare you hang up on me earlier. Return to the store later by 1 p.m. Got it? Don't expect me to take care of all of the customers today." He threatened. I rolled my eyes. Is that how you request a person? Where are this person's manners? I feel like I’m losing brain cells just talking to him, “Then say please. If you’re sincere and want me to be back there,” I said, not backing down. He was just quiet and I continued. "See? You couldn’t. I don't care if you fired me; I'm never returning to that shop e
A familiar-looking woman was rushing toward us; despite the time we'd been apart, mom and I recognized her immediately; her blonde hair and emerald green eyes, as always, gave her away. "Maggie!" Mom exclaimed, both women embracing each other as if they were in the middle of a scene. I laughed, my nerves calmed by the sight of Aunt Maggie. Nathan regarded them both with interest as they exchanged pleasantries. "What have you been doing all this time?" Mom asks, crossing her arms in front of her and acting irritated with her friend. “You didn’t even bother to call me and tell me the news!”
I remember him from the living room as he looked like Hannah and I'm sure Hannah had introduced him... "Hello, are you Snow?" He inquired. His bright emerald eyes and blonde hair appear to be inherited from the rest of Aunt Maggie's relatives. I nodded, unsure what he was going to say. "Good thing I managed to talk to you alone here.” He said, “I'm Luke, by the way, Hannah's brother if you happen to forget my name," he introduces himself, flashing me a cute, boyish smile. Luke? Oh, now I remember! I was stupid not to remember such a handsome face...