Bubblegum Boy

[seven] Thursday, January 2

[7] Thursday, January 2

                The seventh time I see him it’s the day after New Years Day and everyone seems refreshed; happy. Except, of course, the one person I’d most like to be happy: Clint.

                “Hey, Nikola! They need you at the help desk!” I screw my face up. What is that even? I bite my tongue so as not to correct him; the last thing I need is decrease in my pay. Shoving a last fry into my mouth, I exit the break room, dusting my hands. I swallow the last bits at the back of my mouth and smile at the customer on the other side of the help counter as brightly as I can. And who else is the customer but Bubblegum Boy himself? Instantaneously my smile drops and I slouch, resting my chin in the palms of my hands.

                “What?”

                “You know, Bean Girl—”

                “No, I actually don’t know,” I interrupt and he chooses to ignore me.

                “In the seven month that we’ve known each other, you have not once said hello or hey or hola or w-”

                “Okay I get it, shut up,” I groan, scratching at some ink vandalized onto the table. “Now what do you need help with?”

                “Well, it’s actually Daniel’s birthday day after tomorrow and I was wondering if you wanted to help me find him a present, seeing as he’s the only human being that you actually like.”

                “False. I like my parents. And my cat.”

                “A cat is not a human.” I gasp.

                “How dare you?” He rolls his eyes and looks at me expectantly.

                “So?”

                “Yeah, okay,” I shoot him a half smile and he laughs, shaking his head, then heads toward the music section. “Maybe a…Glow In The Dark Pad?” I ask, picking the box up and holding it out for him to see and he shakes his head. When he smirks I let it out a tiny oh and throw it back down, realizing how it sounded.

                “How old are you? Grow the fuck up!” I snap and he laughs.

                “Give him some credit, He’s mature for his age.” He ignores my tiny, “Unlike you”.

                “Okay…” I set it back down and rest my hands on my hips. “How do you mean?”

                “CD’s,” he jabs a thumb back at the shelves filled with the clear, plastic cases. I raise a brow then follow him into the aisles as he shuffled through the discs.

                “So what, you going to get him some Elton John or something?” I mutter, looking through a shelf of oldies.

                “You listen to Elton John?” he asks, surprised and I shrug, half-smiling.

                “My dad does. And when you spend basically the entire first half of your life with him, it will grow on you. Why?”

                “Nothing,” he says, distracted. “Just…” he squints at a Beatles CD. “pegged you as more of a hard rock screamo music liker.”

                “Why?” I ask, suddenly defensive and he barely spares me a pointed look before changing the topic.

                “Got it,” he waves an old Coldplay album at me and I follow him to a register, hands tucked into khaki pants. “Thanks for your amazing help,” he smirks at me, fishing two ten dollar bills from his jean pocket. I make a face and shove change his way along with the CD in a bag. When he takes it he opens the bag to check and then looks back up, raising a brow. “Did you put the M&M’s in here?”

                “For Daniel. Don’t worry, I paid for it,” I reassure him and he smiles.

                “Not it’s not that. I just…okay I’ll tell him. Thanks.”

                “It’s not for you,” I wave a half-kidding pointer finger in his face and he whacks it away, then shoots me another grin.

                “No, really. Thanks.”

                “It’s nothing. I—I like Daniel.”

                “What? Oh, shit, you’re capable of feeling things? Oh, my god, is that pig pillow pet flying? Fuck, it’s the apocalypse! Save yourself!” Then he runs out the door, waving his plastic bag above his head like the dork he is, leaving customers and workers alike blinking after him.

A/N:

HEY IT'S NOVA AGAIN, REMEMBER ME? So there's the new chapter :D

Vote? Comment?

-Nova.