BEE POV
***
AUGUST 30TH
It was getting late. The restaurant was finally slowing down and I could start my closing routine. I was glad that I was one of the first people off, but it didn't make my job any less harder.
As I folded the pizza boxes, Nick shot me a message asking if I was going to be streaming tonight. God, it was about time. I wanted to ask where he was all day, but I stopped myself.
It was a Wednesday, and I usually did a speedrunning stream on Wednesdays, but I had been feeling so overworked that I had to tell him that I wasn't sure.
School was right around the corner. Here I was, starting my junior year of college at 20 years old and getting absolutely nowhere in life. I wanted to throw those stupid fucking boxes across the room. I'd skipped a grade and started college early and for what? Working almost full time at a run down pizza place that everyone fucking hated?
I was being ungrateful. I was tired and annoyed and fed up. I couldn't say I was getting nowhere, because my channel was still rapidly growing in popularity. But I couldn't make a whole career out of a million subscribers, even if I really tried to.
I was tired and overworked. My feet ached. I knew my hours had been increased because of summer break, but fifty plus hours a week on top of streaming almost every night was enough to make me want to drink.
My phone began to ring. I answered it, seeing Nick's face appear on the screen.
"Why aren't you streaming tonight?" He asked, sounding just as tired as me.
"I'm exhausted, man, I just worked a ten hour shift and I've barely had time to sit down. I'm almost done, but I'm definitely going right to sleep when I get back." I muttered. I wished they would fire me already.
Nick sounded almost disappointed.
"Why do they have you working that much?"
"I don't know. Our pizza is shit anyways." I put him on speaker and continued to fold my boxes.
"So what are you doing now?"
"Folding boxes. And after I'm done with these I'm clocking out. I'm so sick of this place." I said the last bit in a more hushed tone. There was too many gossips working at the Pizza Palace.
"Oh, okay. I'm just packing for to go to Clay's." Right, I'd forgotten that they were planning to meet up.
"Ugh, don't remind me. Whatever will I do now that my two favorite boys are gonna be together without me?" I say sarcastically. "Send me a picture of his face while you're there. I promise I'm not gonna leak it." I stop and think.
"WAIT! You gotta send me a picture of the two of you together so I can set it as my lock screen. Cause I'm cute like that." I said proudly, glancing at the clock.
"Ugh, fine, but you better scribble his face out. I want to be the only good looking guy on your phone."
"Dude stop, you're suck a freak," I laugh, wiping the cardboard particles off hands. "Ok, well I'm done. I'm out. I'm leaving. I'm sick of it."
I grabbed my phone and put in one of my earbuds before walking to the front of the store and saying goodbye to John, the assistant manager. He nodded and watched me clock out before returning to cutting his last few pizzas of the day.
"Alright, well I'm about to start walking home. Stay on the phone with me?" I pleaded, walking out the door. Nick laughed on the other end.
"Fine," he said. "But only cause you asked nicely."
As I started to walk I stared down at my feet, causing myself to run directly into someone. I stumbled back and tried to catch myself before I made a complete fool out of myself.
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry," I immediately apologized, brushing myself off. "That was totally my fault, I'm so sorry." I started to walk away briskly, embarrassed out of my mind.
Nick laughed again, his voice echoing over the phone.
"Bee, stop. Stop walking, Jesus,"
Confused, I stopped.
"What? What's wrong?"
I took out my phone and made sure my earbuds were still plugged in all the way.
"Can you just turn around, please?"
I turned and looked back at the man I had run into. At first, I was confused. But as he started to walk closer to me, my confusion was replaced with realization.
"No, you've gotta be fucking kidding me right now," I whispered, staring at the man as he drew closer. I started to run towards him.
We engulfed each other in a tight hug that I hadn't experienced in years.
"Nick?" I mumbled into his shoulder. "Please tell me this is you and not some random homeless man,"
His laugh felt so much more raw and calming in real life. Nick pulled away from me and grabbed my shoulders, looking me up and down. I felt like crying.
"God! You can't just do that to me!" I finally yelled when I had composed myself. "You could've given me some warning! Oh my god, my apartment is such a mess..."
"It's okay," Nick could not stop smiling, and honestly, neither could I. "Happy birthday."
"Wait, what about Clay? I thought you were leaving for Florida?"
"Yeah, we're supposed to meet up next Wednesday. Not today. I purposely planned this." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly as I tried to take everything in.
"You could've given me forewarning—Jesus, I hate you sometimes."
"You love me."
I rolled my eyes and finally hung up on his call. "Yeah," I said. "I do."
I couldn't believe it wasn't a dream. I pinched myself as we walked back to my apartment, but I didn't wake up. I smiled to myself.