"Oh no.. no..no..no..no.."
"What's wrong?" I asked frantically turning around to find Steve holding a blue t-shirt complemented by a red sailor scarf and some patterned white lines.
"Oh shit.." I blurted out as Steve turned around to show me his new work uniform for Scoops Ahoy, "Is that really-"
"The work uniform?" He interrupted, "Yeah it is."
Turns out, me and Steve actually got the job. How? I have no idea.
"I'm scared to see mine now.." You joked as Steve was now holding up the matching shorts to his uniform.
"Can you believe this shit?! I'm gonna look like a bloody BARBIE DOLL!!"
"Oh well, it's still money right?"
"Yea three bucks an hour.." Steve scoffed.
"Oh my.." You stood there stunned pulling out a similar uniform to what Steve had except it was a striped white and blue t-shirt matched with a dark blue vest and a name tag along with the same red sailor scarf.
"Yours is even worse.." Steve shook his head in shock.
"Oh hey matching shorts!" You sarcastically said as you pulled the same shorts as Steve from your box.
"That's not all..." He said disappointingly pulling out a sailor hat with the word 'Ahoy' pasted on in curvy blue letters, "It's going to ruin my BEST FEATURE!!"
"Which is?"
"My hair! Don't you understand?!" He hissed as he threw his hat back in his box.
This is going to be fun.
-time skip-
Me and Steve had finally started working as Summer was finally here. I was grateful I was out of the house as for the last six months my sister Jane and her boyfriend Mike were continuously making out with each other, which was not very pleasant to walk in on. I would always tell Steve about it but there was really nothing much he could do other than to tell Robin our co-worker to stop laughing. Robin became a really close friend of mine as every shift was with her and Steve, most days we would just bully him as he was so hopeless at flirting with any girl he served which led to us creating a 'You Suck' table vs a 'You Rule' table on the stores whiteboard. The tally was very simple, if he was successful on going on a date then he would get a mark for the 'You Rule' side but if he was not so lucky then he would get a mark on the 'You Suck' side which happened too often. But nonetheless working here was really really interesting.
I was in the back grabbing some more cups for the ice cream as we were running out while Steve was on his break eating a banana as usual.
"When do you think Dustins going to be back?" Steve asked with a mouthful.
"Honestly who knows.." I said as I scurried through a box, finally finding the cups.
"Hmm"
"I'm going back to the front.." I said carrying a stack of cups through the door to the front of the shop.
"Hey dingus your children are here!!" I heard Robin yell as I entered.
Steve opened the sliding window which separated the front of the store to the backroom, "Again?" Steve asked.
"Haven't you watched enough movies?" I asked placing the cups on the counter as Mike, Will, Max and Lucas stared at me.
Mike reached over and ringed the stores bell one last time. I sighed and signaled them to follow me through to the back were Steve was. He then led them to the back door of the mall which connected every shop but was only available to staff to use and for exceptions of course. I walked behind them and stopped to where Steve was leaning on the door checking to see if anyone was there.
"C'mon.. c'mon.." He hurried the kids as they were now walking down the hallway, "If anybody hears about this!"
"We're dead.." All four of them yelled back not even turning around.
Steve and I glanced at each other rolling our eyes as he headed back to working.
-a minute later-
Robin and Steve were serving customers as I was filling up the jars of lollies that we had displayed on our counter as all of a sudden the power went out.
"That's weird.." Steve murmered as he headed over to the light switch behind him and started flicking it on and off aggressively with his other hand holding an ice cream cone.
"What are you doing..?" I mumbled confused.
"That isn't going to work dingus."
Steve paused, "Oh really?" He said sassily then flicking the light switch on and off even quicker.
"Oh my god.." I rolled my eyes.
About 20 seconds went by and the power was still off.
"Are you going to quit that?"
"No." Steve hissed still trying to fix the power.
"It's not going to work.. just wait for the power to switch back on?" I insisted.
"Hang on.." He groaned annoyingly as suddenly he flicked the light switch and the lights appeared, "Let there be light.." He said proudly going back to serving his customer as me and Robin gave each other a look.
-an hour later-
"Alrighty, one scoop of chocolate. That's a buck twenty-five." Steve said handing the ice cream to a girl, "Anything else?" Steve asked the girl as she reached into her bag while he noticed that she had a t-shirt with the word 'Purdue' on it, "Ohh Purdue!" Steve said amused as he took the money from the girl, "Fancy." He continued.
"Yeah. I'm excited." The girl responded happily, as her friend licked her ice cream.
"Yea you know.. I considered it." Steve said putting the money into the cash register, "Purdue, but then I was like.. you know what? I really think I need some real-life experience, you know? Before I hit college.. see what it feels like.. kinda like.. uhh.. I don't know.. see what it's like to earn a working-man's wage.. you know..? Uhh-" But before Steve could say anything more the cash register had malfunctioned, "Oh.. I'm sorry.." He continued, "I think that's like really important.."
"Yeah totally.." The girl said sarcastically.
"Yeah anyways.. this was like so fun.. we should kinda like.. you know.. I don't know.. hang out.. maybe hang out this weekend or- oh sorry about that.. uhh.." He apologised as he had dropped the girls change everywhere but he still continued, "I don't know.. maybe next weekend or-"
"Yeah I'm busy." The girl said clearly lying.
"Oh uhh that's cool.. I'm-um working here next weekend.. so.. the following weekend is better for me.."
"Uh..no.. I'm sorry I cant." The girl said once more.
"Okay thanks.." The two girls began to walk away chatting to each other.
"I- this is.. my first day here.." Steve finally finished that interaction of a mess and sighed knowing me and Robin had listened to the whole thing.
"Yikes Harrington.." I said as he turned around to find me filling up the chocolate bottle with some chocolate from the big chocolate tub.
"And another one bites the dust.." Robin slid from behind the walls of the backroom and was now facing Steve and I with the 'You Suck' and 'You Rule' tally, "You are oh for six, popeye." She said as she drew a line under the 'You Suck' category.
"Yeah. Yeah. I can count." Steve said leaning on the counter with his arms crossed.
"You know that means you suck." I added.
"Yeah. Yeah. I can read too."
"Since when?" Robin asked sarcastically.
"It's the stupid hat! I am telling you. It is totally blowing my best feature!" He said walking towards the counter that me and Robin were gathered at.
"Yeah company policy is a real drag. You know it's a crazy idea but have you considered... telling the truth?"
"Oh, you mean, that I couldn't even get into Tech and my douchebag dad's trying to teach me a lesson. I make three bucks an hour and I have no future? That truth?"
"Calm down you still have the best co-workers to work with ever.." I said as me and Robin chuckled but it slowly died down when Robin stated,
"Hey.. twelve o'clock.."
Steve turned around to see some girls walk in, "Oh shit.. oh shit.. okay uhh.. I'm going in okay?"
"Good luck.." I said jokingly,
"And you know what?" Steve asked then threw his hat into the back room, "Screw company policy."
"Woww.." I said sarcastically,
"Oh my god.. you're a whole new man." Robin joined in.
"Right.. ooo.." Steve did a little dance then turned around to the ladies, "AHOY LADIES! Didn't see you there! Would you like to set sail on this ocean of flavour with me? I'll be your captain.. I'm Steve Harrington."
The girls just paused and stared in shock.
"Can I get you guys a little taste of the Cherries Jubilee? No? Anybody? Banana boat? Four people? Four spoons? Share in the booth? Anybody? It's hot out there."
"Oh my god." I whispered at how cringe Steve was while I noticed Robin drawing another line under the 'You Suck' table.