Stranger Than Fiction

Chapter Three

Summer of 1985

Dustin was at Camp Knowhere, Eddie and I have been spending almost everyday together. He's been really down on himself, he failed for the second time and has to repeat senior year again. I felt bad at graduation, seeing him sitting in the audience instead of with us. I've been trying to cheer him up and also trying to tutor him all while working at Sam Goody with him and Gareth. We take our lunch breaks next door at Scoops Ahoy since Steve works there, free ice cream! He works with Robin Buckley, she was friends with Barb but for some reason we never hung out, she's hilarious. Probably because she couldn't stand Nancy.

Eddie was showing some old lady how to work a walkman when the power went out.

"What the hell..." Gareth said, walking over to the lightswitch. I poked my head out of the store to see the entire mall was dark.

Eddie walked up behind me, "weird.....we can go fool around in the supply closet until the power comes back..." He said, half joking.

I rolled my eyes and went to help Gareth with a customer. "Ma'am, the power is out I can't ring you up until it comes back...." She kept nagging about computers taking over and mumbling something about "back in her day.." Whatever, Gladys... Just then the power came back on, Gareth rang up the old hag and life was good again...

"Mint chocolate chip please..." I said to Steve who had his back turned.

"Oh, hey, how's it going?"

"The next old person who comes in complaining about the music is leaving with a broken hip...."

Steve looked at me like I was a maniac, Eddie came behind me scooping me up. "Is it okay if I steal her back?" He asked Steve, who laughed and handed him my ice cream. Eddie had me over his shoulder...

"Eds, put me down you asshole..." He did and I slapped him.

"I'm really sorry but we have a line out the ass and there was some chick who made Gareth cry...." I rolled my eyes, taking a spoonful of ice cream.

"Be a manager they said, it'll be fun they said....my ass."

After our shift we all three went to Scoops to hang out, it was hot outside and there's no way I'm going to the pool. Billy just had to get a job there....

Steve was trying his hardest to flirt with some girls, I don't know when he lost his mojo but he's a total dweeb now.

"Maybe we could hang out this weekend..." he said nervously.

"Yeah, I'm busy..." the girl said.

"Oh that's cool, I'm working here next weekend, so the following weekend's better for me." He stuttered.

I looked at Eddie with wide eyes and he practically spit out his soda causing me and Gareth to erupt into laughter. The girl Steve was flirting with looked at us and Steve motioned us to shut up which only caused us to laugh harder.

"I'm sorry, I can't..." She walked away...

Robin opened the window, "and another one bites the dust, you are 0-6 popeye..."

Steve rolled his eyes, "yeah, I can count." I kind of felt bad for him.

Eddie took a couple quarters to the toy vending machine. This one had random rings in it. He came over to the table with two containers, "here..." we both opened them and weirdly enough, we got the same ring, a mood ring. We put them on our right hands and they acted as our promise rings. It was cheesy but I loved it.

I went to tell Steve goodbye but there were two girls behind me, he shoved me aside.

"Ahoy ladies, didn't see you there...."