"Another day at work." Soda sighed as he approached the rough looking counter after opening up the shop.
"I'll be workin' on another chick's car which was never broken if you need me." Steve slumped through the doorway and into the humid and musty garage.
It was a gloomy, gray day. The patter of rain hit the tin roof of the store.
It was a soothing sound to Soda. It meant fewer girls will come in because they wouldn't want to get their hair wet or their outfits soaked due to the walk from their car in the parking lot to the store.
Soda assumed one or two people would walk through those doors from opening time to closing. Most likely to stay out of the dreadful weather.
Ding
Sodapop looked up from the car magazine he was skimming through and saw a soaked girl. The girl.
"Morning!" She shuffled her soaked Converses on the rug and rung out her braid of water. She tossed her rain jacket behind the counter and walked back to the garage.
"Morning," Soda whispered to himself confused.
She's the only girl he's ever encountered who likes fixing cars, has messy hair and doesn't care, and is able to stick up for herself. The list goes on but he prefers not to make it seem like he fanboys over her.
She is different than Sandy and her gals, that's for a fact.
Ding
Soda looked up to a real customer. An older guy maybe in his forties or fifties. He nodded his head in acknowledgment at Soda and roamed around. He wasn't sure if this man was looking for something in particular or just skimming the isles to waste time and hopefully stay out of the rain.
"Pepsi Cola Coke Sprite Dude! Would you stop getting every girl on the East and West side of town to break their STUPID hubcap just to see your greasy hair!" She shouted in disbelief walking out into the main part of the store.
The man shopping looked up from his browsing and smiled slightly. Fully engrossed in the two teens's encounter.
Ding
A blond-haired girl with a pink plaid mini skirt and a white blouse walked in carrying a pink umbrella gingerly, not to break a pink nail.
"For goodness sake Soda!" The 'girl' flung her arms up in frustration.
"Hey, at least you got my name right." He chuckled at her frustration.
"My god!" She huffed back to the garage.
"You seem happy on this sunny day," Steve smirked.
"Shut your trap, Steven." On the inside his joke made her laugh though she wouldn't show it.
"Girls?"
"Yes, one posh little princess out there!" She groaned and tumbled in the spiny chair.
Ding
She peeked her head out and groaned again. "I take that back, two posh little princesses." She slammed her fit onto the corner of the wooden door frame and rested her head against it for a second.
Steve chuckled at the girl as she got up to assist with the car and do actual work.
"Mind tellin' us your name? It's kind of hard to work with you when I just know you as 'Girl'. Unless that is your name."
"Sure, call me Girl." Girl shrugged and tossed the broken hubcap at Steve who now is sat in the rolley chair near a tool bench.
Girl kneeled and popped the new hubcap on. Steve found it interesting how he and Girl both stick their tongue out when their concentrating.
"Only three more to go, doll." Steve chuckled at the look of enragement she gave him.
"I thought she broke only one!"
"Now why would a girl go to such little effort if it meant she could only see Soda once?" Steve softly whispered now attempting to get on this girl's nerves.
"My goodness, what do they see in him?" She got up and popped off the three other hubcaps.
"I dunno, he's got tuff greasy hair and an attractive smile. That's why the boss put me back here, Soda sits there and looks pretty, I work."
"Im so sorry Steven, why don't they just get a stupid job here so they could see him?"
She popped off the last hubcap and took all three tossing them like frisbees to Steve.
"Hey!" He put his hands up to block his weird looking face from the metal flying at him.
"If you are not gonna work Steven at least dispose of these." She popped on the new ones and shuffled out of the shop.
"Hey is this the girl that was yelling at you Sodaah?" A girl questioned in her annoying screechy voice. It was the blond one. The other one had red cherry-like hair and stood anxiously waiting for Soda, she didn't look like she came to flirt.
"Cola call up the owner of the blue 1960s Mercedes Benz." Girl ignored the Soc.
"Whatever you say." He sarcastically said winking at her, which caused an eye roll.
"Whats up?" Girl asked the redhead who anxiously was waiting.
Now that Girl took a good look at the red haired one she noticed that the girl wore a plaid grey skirt and the typical cardigan but she also had a beige backpack with a cherry pattern imprinted on it.
"Oh I'm waiting to talk to Soda, it's 'bout his brother."
"Move it, girl," Girl nudged the blondie out of the way and let the cherry girl approach Soda. There was something about her that told Girl that this girl had her eyes on someone else, not Soda.
"Geez, be nice to our customers." Soda snapped at Girl.
"Your girlfriends." Girl corrected and the blond girl stormed out.
"Hey, Cherry!" Soda smiled at her and greeted.
"Hey, Soda. I heard your brother is sick 'n all. I brought him his work, so he can stay caught up. We are in the same grade and classes so if he needs help with anything I can help."
"Aww darn Cherry, you ain't need to spend yer' lunch break helpin' my brother." Soda took the work and shoved it behind the counter.
"It's the only time I'm away from my friends. They aren't too fond of Pony, him bein' a smart greaser an' all."
"He will appreciate it, thanks a bunch Cherry."
"Hope he gets better." She left a little more cheery than usual.
"Huh, I think that's the first girl you've been in contact with that you haven't flirted with." Girl got up from leaning on a nearby wall, arms crossed.
"Haha, does that include you?" He smirked.
"It does now." The girl walked over to the door leading into the garage, "call the person, remember!" She walked into the garage and slammed the door.
The man that's been just skimming the shelves made his way to the checkout.
"Your girlfriend?" He asked nodding at the door that girl walked through.
Soda scoffed. "No, she's a new coworker, we have a weird relationship."
"She's a hard one to get, I can tell."
"Will that be all?" Soda asked looking at his collection of purchases.
"Yep."
Soda tried doing the math three times.
"By any chance do you know how much this purchase is?" Soda asked.
"I don't have my glasses I couldn't read the prices." The man replies.
"Steve, could you help?" Soda shouted back at the two.
Girl looked over to Steve who was busy under another car changing oil.
"Can you go help?" He pleaded Girl.
"I suppose." She walked out and looked at Soda waiting for him to explain.
"Can you help me count up the total?" He asked her sheepishly. She picked up each item and quietly moved her lips almost like she was talking. She looked up towards the popcorn looking celling in thought. Not even a minute later;
"That would be 5.78." She responded and then walked back into the workshop.
A few hours later Soda walked in awkwardly after closing the shop. He had a hand on the back of his neck and his frame was slightly slouched.
"Uhh thanks, I'm awful at math, most of the time girls come in and flirt, and the only actual money we get is from car repairs so I'm awful at totaling the price and I dropped out so that doesn't he-"
"Soda, shut up. I don't care, it was a small thing." She shushed him and grabbed her coat and walked out because their shifts ended. "See y'all!"
"Ha, she reminds me of Dal!" Steve smirked cleaning his oily hands on a rag. Secretly Steve admired her.
"She does!" Soda's face lit up in realization.