"I just can't take my eyes off of you. Tell me anything you want me to. Oh I can't take my eyes off of you. Nothing I can do about it. Nothing I can do about it."
My favorite part of the song blasted through my headphones, and I hummed along unconsciously. I sat there enjoying the rhythm and tempo until a small beep made me turn my attention to my phone.
From: The Store Core
11:30 am LaraTCS: are u guys here yet?
11:30 am CoopTCS: how are you even awake this early
11:30 am LaraTCS: cuz our shift....starts.....at....12?!
11.31 am CoopTCS: yes but that's like a whole hour away
11.31 am LaraTCS: so apart from the excessive jokes, you're also illiterate. Gotcha.
11.32 am CoopTCS: when my parents got divorced, I started using sarcasm as a defense mechanism so.. 🤷♂️
11:33 am LaraTCS: OMG I'm so sorry!! I never knew! 🥺🥺🥺🥺
11:33 am Me: relax he's quoting Chandler from friends xD also I'm on the bus - 4 stops away
11:35 am CoopTCS: did you really have to ruin the fun?
11:35 am LaraTCS: what fun? The ass whooping you were going to get for lying?
11:37 am CoopTCS: you seriously think you can hit me? Honey I work out and I play baseball - I'm invincible.
11:37 am LaraTCS: yeaaaahh about that. That's what I thought Loki was. Yet lo and behold....
11:38 am Me: yikes. A little too far. Loki was the it dude
While Cooper was typing, I took a look around because I am pretty sure I felt someone staring at me. You know how you just get this feeling? I looked around but no one in the bus seemed to be acknowledging my existence to begin with. Then I saw it, just as the red light turned green, and even though we made eye contact for a second. Driving in the lane next to the bus was a bright red Jeep Wrangler, driven by none other than Axel Jones. Since I looked at him just as the light turned green, he managed to look away at that specific time. Despite our encounter being a second long, I could almost swear I saw him smirk. Does this dude know how to smile properly? Like what is this? Some lame, corny teen fiction novel?! Doesn't he feel embarrassed doing that with the guy sitting next to him?
Anyways, whatever. I'm not going to let that bother me, or the rattling butterflies in my stomach.
But hang on. Does that mean he's not coming to work? I wonder who's going to train us
Why should I care? Jeez focus Sophia.
From: The Store Core
11.39 am CoopTCS: I'm joking calm down jeez. I'm on the bus and I'm a stop away.
Wait this bus?
"Next stop: Ponds-view at The Corner Street."
Somehow I managed to hear the bus lady's hushed electronic voice over my loud music and the excessive 'dings' from the group chat.
I got my belongings and stood by the door to get off.
"So any specific reason you went crazy looking around like that?" Asked someone as I got off the bus.
"So you were on the bus with me the whole time yet you let that creep who smelled like a mix of weed and pungent salmon sit next to me? You're such a good friend y'know."
"Hey how was I supposed to know you wanted someone to sit next to you? And besides I didn't notice you there until you started looking around frantically. Were you looking for something? Maybe someone?" He mocked.
The way he said it made me suspect he might have seen something.
"Nah I just felt like someone was looking at me." I shrugged. It's probably nothing, and I'm not about to turn it into something this early on. Or ever.
"Kay then let's do this." He jumped, giving himself those weird self high fives Barney Stinson gives himself.
Only less cooler.
And a lot more pathetic.
We made our way inside, and went upstairs to put our belongings in the break room. The break room is huge and I can tell that they care about their employees. As soon as I opened the upstairs door, I'm greeted by two leave vines on either side of the door, about 4 large tables with 3 padded chairs each, 2 vending machines with various snacks, a large TV that only plays Netflix, one sofa - the kind you'd fall asleep sitting on - a fridge, sink, various cabinets, our lockers in the far back, and finally two washrooms. It even has better matting than my house.
I don't know if it's because I have that effect on people or not, but the three employees who sat there just looked at me as soon as I opened the door. I looked to the ground and went straight to Lara's table.
Cooper said he was going to get a few snacks to eat while we were being trained and couldn't drag me with him so he said he'd meet us when he saw us again.
I bumped into something and almost fell back.
"Oh I'm so sorry!! Are you okay?"
I just had to walk with my head down didn't I?
"Yes oh my God. I'm the one who should apologize! I'm the clumsy one. Hi I'm Sophie. And I'm guessing you're Asma?" I ask, recognizing her from yesterday.
"Yes thats me!" She smiled. "You were here yesterday weren't you? Welcome to our awkward and kind of dysfunctional family! Hey my break is over but if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask!! I'll see you later!" She said, running to swipe her card by the door.
"Thank you!"
"Jeez finally you're here. I was about to fall asleep. Wait where's Cooper?"
"He said he'll meet us downstairs." I said, putting my stuff in my locker
"Let me guess. Stocking on food like it's the apocalypse again?"
"It's like you knew him your whole life." I laughed. "Come on let's go. We have like five minutes - should be enough to find where we need to go."
We went down the stairs, and guess who we bump into. No just guess. Please.
"Hey ladies." Smiled Axel with his dimples in full view, with the same guy I saw sitting next to him in his car.
"Hey." We say in unison.
I've never noticed this before but he smells amazing. A mix of Axe with some other perfume. Kind of gives off a cinnamon / vanilla vibe. I'm telling you; heaven.
For the love of God Sophia focus.
"I was told to train you today, so looks like we're going to be spending the next six hours together."
"Dude are you going to introduce us or am I going to standing here like a third wheel?" Said the blonde guy next to him.
"But you're the fourth person here?" Asked Lana.
"Yeah right. If only you knew." Smiled blondie.
"Ok thank you shut up please." Whispered Axel, smashing his elbow against the guy's ribs.
"Ow!"
"Oh right sorry where are my manners. Sophie Grace and Lara, this is Landon. Landon, this is Sophie and Lara. He works the meat department and a part time pain in my ass." He joked.
"Don't listen to him, he's just jealous because I'm the pretty one. Nice to 'meat' you guys. Get it? Cuz meant department? Yes? No?" He chuckled uncomfortably, scratching his head.
Lara laughed for whatever reason, and I just gave Axel this look. He mouthed "sorry" and we just laughed.
"Anyways, Nate needs us in his office, and he needs to talk to you Landon, so I guess we're all going there." He started before he got interrupted by his phone ringing. It rang for a second and a half before it stopped.
"Oi." He said as he redialed the number.
"Cooper, I only gave you this number for emergencies, not to play ding dong ditch. It's not a ditch if I can see your ID."
"Sorry, I was just trying it out to see if we had service. And also to follow your very distinctive voice until I found you guys." He said, coming from our right.
"What do you mean by distinctive?" Asked Axel, a little insulted.
"I'm sure he's referring to your weird pitched voice where sometimes we can't tell if your a fifteen year old or someone who smoke seven packs a day." Said Landon, laughing so hard he started rolling on the dirty floor.
Guess who else started laughing along. You guessed it - my girl Lara.
"I definitely don't not mean that." Said Cooper, wiping away imaginary tears.
"Let's just go please." He said, storming out like Ross from friends.
That little tantrum made Landon and Lana laugh even more now. Cooper and I just stood there , confused on what we should do next.
"Okay guys seriously let's go. We have to meet Nate like two minutes ago." I reminded them. Landon got up and opened the door, still laughing at his dumb joke.
We made our way past the produce section and into a small door that lead to the manager's office. There, Nate and Axel were waiting for us.
"Welcome to your official first day guys!" Said Nate. Is this guy always this happy?
"So here are your vests, and Axel will take you upstairs for a little meeting and tell you everything you need to know before beginning. Just a heads up, smoking is never allowed anywhere here because this is first and foremost a family store. You can't have your headphones on at all. We aren't allowed to make change to any customer because the last time that happened, the customer gave us four counterfeit hundred dollar bills. Don't worry, no one got fired because it's a learning process and such, but now it's not allowed at all. You can have snacks with you but make sure they're resealable." He said, directing that last comment against Cooper. "And finally, try to have fun. We're all here to learn and enjoy ourselves and make new friends. If you have any concerns of any kind, please don't hesitate to come to me, or Axel. I'll see you guys around, and you Mr. Meat department we need to talk." He concluded, picking up another call and dragging Landon along with him.
"Okay follow me this way." We went a little more inside the big office, into a smaller office with a medium built meetings table in the middle. We sat around it while Axel looked at a few papers.
"Okay so here are your badges." He started, handing us our clip on badges.
"Yo why does mine say Copper?"
"Must be a typo." Shrugged Axel.
"Why doesn't your badge says Ariel then?"
"Cooper it's fine. We still know it's you."
"You do. Not anyone else though."
"Okay fine. I'll tell the bookkeeper to fix it for you." Said Axel through gritted teeth, like he was was talking to his annoying younger brother.
"Did something traumatic happen to elicit this response? Cuz jeez dude." Said Lana.
"Yes. If you MUST know. When I was a kid, the teacher accidentally wrote my name as Copper, and due to my voluminous curly hair, the kids started calling me Copper the floor mopper. It stuck for the whole year and I hated it."
That got Lara and Axel laughing so hard. Since their laughs were contagious, I started laughing too - to my poor buddy's dismay.
"Okay. Let it out now so I don't ever hear about it again. Like ever."
"Awwww is little mop boy sad?" I joked, scruffing his hair.
Cooper just pouted, and fixed his hair again.
"Okay keep laughing, but one day I am going to find out something about you and never let you see the end of it." He said crossing his arms, still pouting.
"It's ok guys come on. Let's leave Mopper. I mean Copper.... Yikes I mean Cooper. Let's leave Cooper alone. I need to get over these basics with you." Said Axel, as he passed out a few papers.
We had a good laugh out of it, and I'm glad we enjoyed that because that was the last fun thing we did all day. For six hours we sat there, going through the entire handbook. I'm sure we would've finished faster if Cooper didn't make a joke every three minutes.
"Guys I'm exhausted. My butt was glued to that chair I'm sure there's a distinct print there." Said Lara stretching in a weird way I thought she would snap in half.
"We would've finished a whole hour sooner if Mr. Copper the Heart Stopper here didn't feel like bickering with Axel like an old married couple." I said, putting on my jacket and getting my bag. "What. Don't feel like talking now?"
"Naaa. I've exhausted my fuel for the day. My dad's picking my up, so I'll see you guys tomorrow." He said yawning. He high-fived us both then dragged his feet down the stairs.
"What about you? Do you need a ride?" Asked Lara. "My brother's picking me up but we can definitely drop you off."
That's really sweet, but I can't have them knowing where I live.
"Naaa it's fine. I love the bus anyways. Thank you so much for the offer though."
"Anytime girl. Good night." She waved her hands as she opened the door and left.
I got the rest of my stuff and went to buy chips. After I cashed out, I went to wait for the bus. A few seconds later, a bright red Jeep pulled up in front of me.
"Hey. Would you like a ride home?" Asked Axel.
"No thank you I'm ok."
"I won't kidnap you, I promise."
"Buddy. You're looking at a two time taekwondo champion here. But seriously. I'm fine. I like the bus." I replied, looking around restlessly.
He gave me this look, like he was analyzing me and it put me on edge. The last thing I need right now is this.
"You like the bus huh? Okay suit yourself. I'll see you." He said, throwing a peace sign at me and leaving. Before he turned right, I caught a glimpse of him in his rear view mirror.
Before I had the chance to process what that could even mean, my bus pulled up. I sat down, and my mind started wandering places it shouldn't. But it always found its way back to one thing: what do I think of Axel Jones?