"So, what's the list?" Mason asked, pulling Gabriel out of the car.
"Oh, don't worry. I have it on me. I'll just give it and she'll give me all the stuff in a stack." Chloe beamed, jumping up the curb and towards the small art shop called; Artist's Retreat. Chloe jogged ahead while Gabriel ran in after her. Mason locked the car and entered next. The place was grey walls and shelves. Different sections set up in columns like a library. A small space where they entered was occupied on their left with a brown counter and to the right were canvases hanging from the wall, displaying all sizes they carried and easels at the bottom.
"Hiya!" A guy jumped out from behind the brown table. Behind him was a small shelf, stacked with tapes, pencils, pens, erasers, sharpeners and rulers. The basic supplies of stationary. A Mac Desktop sat on the table in the corner of the table, facing to him. He was in a mustard yellow shirt, red apron on top of which read the store's name in bright yellow. His dark hair touching his forehead and the t-shirt showed off his bulky figure. He wore faded jeans under and his hazel eyes bore into them, "Chloe, it's been so long!" He chuckled.
"Hi, Mike!" She beamed and Mason found it odd how she knew his name when he wasn't wearing a name tag either. She was a regular here, he thought.
"Yo, Chloe's here!" He called out, "Ooh, and Lil Gabriel too!"
"The hell they-" At first he didn't know why he was announcing the arrival until from the aisle in the back, she came out almost roaring but pausing at his sight. She was wearing a loose button up black shirt, sleeves rolled up to her elbows and her clavicle showed off from the hair being pulled back into a high tail. She was wearing the red apron as well. That was the first time, Mason could see that a tattoo was poking out under her clavicle and seemed to be some sort of writing. On her neck was a two spike blaze, slender but sharp, yet faded by the edges, giving a mesmerizing look, rather than a cringe of dark black against the pale of skin.
"What are you doing here?" She asked them, "I told you I'll bring your stuff, C!" Raina growled.
"I need to do my project and you are working the other shift today too!"
"Well, you can do it tomorrow, right?" Raina asked.
"No. If I don't do it today then I can't go with Andrew for the movie."
"God." Raina muttered, looking away frustrated.
"Rainee!" Gabriel yelled. She looked at him.
"Whats up, Gabe?" She smiled and looked up at Chloe, "You know where everything is."
"Why?" She whined.
"Punishment." Raina muttered firmly and she moaned, walking away.
"I'll help her." Mike chuckled and followed out.
"Rainee, I want my crayons."
"I know. You didn't eat the red one again, did you?"
"No." He nodded.
"Gabe." She warned.
"I swear!" He yelled.
"Okay. I'll get you a pack." She smiled at him.
"Can I have a coin?" He stared at the gumball machine in the corner. She rolled her eyes and gave him one as he hopped away. She stared from him to Mason who blinked at her.
"What are you doing here?" She asked with clenched fists.
"Your eye... I could've sworn...." Her eye was almost clean but still squinted.
"Make up."
"Damn." He muttered.
"The fuck you want? I thought you want nothing to do with us."
"Not them. Just you. Did you go with Felix last night?"
"What?" She looked at him in disbelief.
"Felix. Did you sleep with him?" He whispered, reaching closer.
"No. You said he's your friend and you don't want me anywhere near him so I wasn't there." She shook her head.
"Its just weird when you would be sleeping with my friend and I..."
"Dating his sister?" She asked, walking behind the counter and Mason truly felt confused this time.
"What?" He came and leaned on the counter.
"Yeah. I mean, at least Felix was a better company. I figured you would be busy with his sister so I didn't bother you. But apparently, I still managed to do that somehow." Her face turned grim again.
"You think-" He started in a high volume but then dropped it, "You think I'm with Sapphire?"
"Felix said so." She shrugged.
"Sapphire and I... aren't together. We used to be but we're not now."
"Whatever." She mumbled, looking away.
"Is that why you were flirting with Felix all night?"
"I wasn't flirting with Felix. We were chatting." Gabriel back around with a red ball in his fingers.
"Ah, bud, remember? Don't spoil your lunch." He pointed out. Gabriel pouted and looked over at Raina.
"He's right, kiddo. After food. Okay?"
He dropped his head.
"You didn't answer my question. What are you doing with my siblings?" She turned to him again.
"Rainee, am I your sibling?" Gabriel asked with innocent curiosity.
"Yes."
"Is Mason your sibling?"
Mason's smile widened as her cheeks tinted red.
"Er, no."
"Now we wouldn't want to be siblings, would we, Ms. Monroe?" He leaned in and she looked away.
"What are you doing here?" She asked after a sigh.
"Your mum had to go to work so I offered to spend the day with them. Chloe wanted her things. I swear I didn't know you worked here. If I did..." He leaned on the counter, "I'd have brought your favorite flower. Black roses?" He spoke with a wink.
"Yeah. I like the ones with the thorns. Maybe you should pick'em out yourself."
"Oh, the love is radiant there." He smirked. Her frown deepened. He realized that she may have been all occupied by Felix because he may have mentioned that Sapphire was his girlfriend. He didn't know how it affected her but he liked that it did.
"Get out."
"I can't. I'm here for the kids."
"I can take them home."
"Yeah, when are you off?"
She was about to speak but then eyed her watch.
He looked back and came around the counter. She gasped when he came closer and her body stiffened. He leaned closer into her ear and they heard giggling and then pitter-patter of steps echoing the place.
"I'm sorry." He whispered and moved back, matching her eye. Picking up her hand, he kissed the back of it and her eyes widened, "For being an asshole."
She gulped. More footsteps sounded and she snatched her hand back.
"You're not supposed to be here. Get out." She looked away. He grinned to himself and moved away. Flushed, she collected Chloe's things on the counter and started scanning. In about ten seconds, she'd bagged them up. Pulling out her card, she made the payment and put the receipt in her pocket.
"Go on, now. Go home." She told them.
"Actually, I was taking them to TJ's for lunch." He smirked. She exchanged a look with Chloe that he didnt understand but then sighed.
"Fine." She nodded, "Here." She pulled her card out and pushed ahead.
"What the hell am I supposed to do with that?" He scoffed, standing behind Gabriel and Chloe with crossed arms.
"For their lunch."
"Shut up, Raina." He waved a hand. She moved the card to Chloe. She took it and nodded.
"We don't need this." He fought.
"Yes, you do. If you use my card, you get discount." She sighed.
"Why?" He asked, shaking his head.
"She's a manager there." Chloe answered.
"You work there too?" His brows furrowed.
The door behind them opened and a couple of teenagers walked in.
"C, not more than one for him." She pointed. Chloe nodded and took Gabriel out. Raina didn't spare him a glance and picked up a carton from behind the counter before disappearing behind the aisle that she'd showed up from before.
***
He munched on the fries, sitting in one of the brown couch booths by the window of the diner. Round brown tables in the space between the counter and booths and the floor off-white marble, while the ceiling brown and the walls as well. Pictures of food hung around and the menu was on LED screens behind the counters. The table in front of him was chocolate brown table and Gabriel was currently making a small mess of bread crumbs. Chloe was eating her burger and fries, while Gabriel was struggling with his thin cheeseburger. They'd both ordered chocolate milkshake but he'd gone for a cotton candy.
"Chloe?" He called and she looked up.
"Hmm?" She gulped a bite.
"Why does Raina work two jobs?" He asked.
"I don't know." She shrugged with a twisted pout, "She doesn't tell why. I think mum knows..."
He nodded.
"Mason, it's useless, honestly." She snickered, "You could twist her arm to break but you won't get any answers."
"Hey, you don't know me." He grinned.
"And you don't know her." She pointed a fry smugly and chewed on her food.
***
The front door opened and keys jingled as Mrs. Monroe walked in. It was nine in the night and Gabriel was already asleep. He was sleeping on the couch and Mason had placed a throw over him. Chloe was reading a novel and Mason had just packed his bag.
"Oh, Mason, honey, did you eat?"
"Yeah. A lot." He groaned, sitting up.
"Raina isn't home yet?" She asked.
"No." He answered, "I thought she has a shift at TJ too."
"Yeah. It should've ended around eight." She checked her watch. He yawned and stood up, "Well, you should go home, honey. Your mum must be frantic."
"Oh, they're out of town. And Alex's crashing at his friend's place, so no one's too worried." He snickered.
"Oh, well, you're welcome to stay here then."
"What?"
"I mean, you took care of my kids all day. Now, I don't want you to wake up to any empty home."
"Oh, Mrs. Monroe-" he started but the garage door shut tight and loud in a distance and Raina walked in, tired and groaning, running fingers through her loose hair. She found him and her eyes turned from soft to a sharp edge, "-I'd love to stay. Thank you." He smirked.
"What's going on?" She tucked her AirPods away, walking to them.
"Er, Mason's family's out tonight so I asked him to stay the night here. I don't want him alone there."
"He is perfectly eligible to do so." Her jaw clenched. He made a hissing silent face, pouting a soundless whistle. Mrs. Monroe couldn't see this, as she faced her daughter with anger.
"Raina! What did i say about being polite to guests?" She scolded.
"He can sleep here then." She muttered at the floor in the lounge and jogged up the stairs. Mason pursed his smile away, giving a calm one to Mrs. Monroe.
"I will fix us up some dinner."
"Oh, no need. Chloe said you love Jimmy's pizza, so I ordered you and Raina two."
"Mason, you are a charm." She tapped his cheek and headed upstairs.
"I know." He muttered to myself, "Charming and smart." He snickered and turned to find Chloe grinning at him.
"What?'
"You're right. I don't know you." She grinned.
"Wait and watch little one. Just wait and watch."
"I am. You'll be dead before dawn." She yawned.
He snickered and opened his phone, reading through a few messages from Ben, Alex and Sapphire and then Cassandra from school, he pouted and lost himself in a thought. He had about five girls he could meet someday and have some fun hours. Also a party was being housed by Ben soon and he could enjoy that too on upcoming Saturday night. Thinking through all these plans, he didn't notice where the half hour later went, before rapid steps sounded. He turned his head around to see a cute girl walking down in a black track shorts that came to her knees. Her legs bare now and she wore a big, red and loose t-shirt with AC/DC written on it. Her hair up in a bun and feet in high socks. He only caught a sharp ink sign but couldn't read the entire tattoo on her shin.
"Looking fresh, Stormy." He called out. She paused and looked back at him with a pout. Nostrils flaring, she walked to the hall across the room and he dropped his head back, grinning like a fool.
"She'll murder you in your sleep." Chloe spoke quietly.