Book 2: She's Out To Please (Duff McKagan FanFic)

Ch. 11: Promotion

I was sipping my water bottle of vodka, pushing my cart down the various twists and turns of the school hallways. Slash's recently stolen stereo-which I then stole from him-rested atop the pile of cleaning supplies on my cart. ACDC blasted from the speakers, and my fingers tapped in time to the music against the cart's handle. Despite my attempts to get lost in the music, my mind was completely carried away by thoughts of Mary.

I knew that she was somewhere close by. Just behind one of these nearby doors, in fact. But I had no clue what her schedule was, and no idea what class she was in at the moment. All I knew was that somewhere in this school, she was seated at a desk.

Her stocking clad legs would be crossed at the ankles, and she would be gazing out the window with those lifeless eyes of hers. Giving that baby blue sky more attention than she'd ever given me.

For some reason, I smiled at the thought.

Normally, I would be acting more appropriately during school hours. And by that, I mean not drinking alcohol and jamming out to rock n'roll in the hallways, but class was in session and I was fairly certain that I was the only person currently roaming the halls.

No people, no problems.

Maybe that's why I was so horribly shocked when I rounded the corner and nearly smashed into a foxy math teacher with my cart. Naturally, it couldn't be any other teacher in the school. It just had to be Kaz. That's how the universe works, right?

"Ah, Mr. McKagan. We were just talking about you," her eyes studied me carefully from just above her well-placed spectacles.

It took me a moment to catch my breath before I could even think to register what she was saying. Something implying that there was someone else with her. "We?"

I craned my neck to check the halls for who ever Kaz was talking about. My stomach dropped into my toes when I saw my aunt staring back at me from just over Kaz's shoulder. She looked horribly displeased. More so than usual.

"That's right. Your aunt and I," Kaz clarified, a smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. "I was telling her about what a wonderful job you've been doing. The tiles have never shined brighter."

Despite her words, I was painfully aware of the fact that both Kaz and my aunt were staring at the bottle in my hand as well as the stereo on my cart. Clumsily, although it was too late to try and hide it all, I tossed my bottle into the garbage bin in my cart and clicked the power button on the stereo.

The wailing guitars that had flooded the air around me came to an abrupt halt. The silence that ensued was somehow more deafening than my music. I gulped, a sound that nearly caused my ear drums to implode.

This is it. You're fired, Duffy. You've let Buck down for the last time!

"Gee, thanks..." I murmured half heartedly, forcing a weak smile up at the two of them.

"In fact, I was trying to talk her into giving you a promotion," Kaz continued. The devious glint in her eyes told me that she was enjoying every second of watching me squirm uncomfortably where I stood. She was pure evil.

"A promotion?" I stammered. "I haven't even been here a month."

"Indeed," my aunt murmured, seemingly agreeing with me. She crossed her arms over her chest and glanced over at Kaz. I sighed in relief that her eyes were no longer on me. "I think he's shown us that he isn't quite ready for a promotion just yet. He's hardly even ready for this job."

Ouch. Just because I liked jamming out while I cleaned tampons and mouse shit didn't mean I was a horrible janitor.

Perhaps it was the bottle of vodka that did it.