Categories > Celebrities > Fall Out Boy > A Series Of Events
The Soda Jerk
1 review[Short Patrick Story] A piece of fluff basically. Patrick's job is one of a kind.
0Unrated
Patrick stump adjusted his glasses and hat as he slid the apron over his head. Another day at this job and it never seemed to become fun. And, it never seemed to get any less boring. His friends also never seemed to get tired of giving him a hard time either. His best friend really had a good time doing it as well.
"The only place in all of Illinois that still has a soda and ice ceam shop that hires a soda jerk and you my friend have that job." Pete shook his head as he took a sip from his drink.
Patrick sighed and shrugged. I mean, what could he say really? In all honesty Pete was right. It was a terribly geeky job to have, but, working at the shop was an incredibly easy job and Patrick liked that. He didn't want to have to work hard. Not because he was lazy, but because he had a lot to do in other aspects of his life.
Patrick's grandfather had bought the shop in the early 1950's and on August 12th, 1953, "The Malt." was opened. And, from that forward they have never missed a day of business. Including even being opened during some of Chicago's worst blizzards. It was also sort of a family tradition to work in the shop. Patrick's Dad had worked there while he was a teenager, and now it was Patrick's turn.
Two years ago at fifteen his Grandfather had offered him a part time job. It was definitely geeky, but it was the best paying job that he could get. Seeing as at fifteen wasn't even a legal working age. It always helped that now that he was older he could take any time off that he wanted. It helped him make a few extra bucks and it was easy for him to just leave and go play with the band he was in. It gave him a lot of flexibility and that won over geeky.
"Well, it's either I deal with being a geek and make the money to help pay for the apartment and the rental space for the band. Or, I get a real job that isn't that embarrassing to you and I have to quit the band and work all of the time, making half the money I do now." Patrick crossed his arms over his chest.
"I know, dude. I'm sorry, it's just hilarious." He laughed. "I gotta get to work myself. I'll see you at home later." He got up from the stool he was sitting at by the counter and walked out of the store.
Patrick watched him go and then pulled out a magazine and began reading it. He was now alone in the store. Despite all of the changes in the town, "The Malt." had always been a constant. Now a days there wasn't too many customers like there used to be when his Grandfather first started it, or even when his father worked there, but there were some of the same people who had come there since the beginning. They brought their kids and now their grandkids. It was a very family oriented place. And, it was perfect because they kept business alive, but not enough people so that Patrick had to constantly work. Most days he could just sit around and write music, or catch up on reading. And, there was always time to do homework.
Today was a pretty slow day. There had been a few customers in the morning, and then it had been Pete, but they didn't really consider him a customer seeing as he never paid for anything he ordered. But, considering it was the middle of December and it was snowing, having those few customers in the morning it was a pretty good day. Not many people came out for ice cream in the winter.
Patrick was hanging over the counter thumbing through a magazine when the bell sounded which meant someone was coming into the store. He stood up and put the magazine under the counter as he fixed his apron.
A girl came in and hung her jacket on the hook, shaking the snow off of it and then shaking a few of the pieces out of her hair. She came over to the counter and sat down on one of the stool's and gave him a wide smile.
"Hey." Patrick smiled as she sat down in front of him and looked around. He had never seen her before, she must be new in town. He knew pretty much everyone in this town one way or another. It wasn't very large, considering it was just outside of Chicago.
"Hello." She gave him a brighter and bigger smile. "Very busy, isn't it?" She gave a little bit of a laugh, but then sucked her bottom lip into her mouth. It was always a nervous habit of hers.
"It's a really slow day." He nodded as he wiped down the counter a little bit. He was trying deserpately to look incredibly busy. He was failing miserably though. "Can I get you something? Anything you'd like." He smiled.
"Uhm, definitely. Just a vanilla shake." She nodded, looking briefly at the menu that hung over her head. "Please." She remembered her manners.
"Sure thing." Patrick smiled as he turned to the counter where all of his supplies were and took out the ice cream, mixing her a vanilla shake.
"So have you worked here long?" She asked as he put the shake in front of her on the counter along with a few napkins and a spoon. He then brought over a straw for her so she could have it any way she wanted.
"Yeah, about two years." He nodded. "So, I've never seen you around town before, are you new?" He asked as he cleaned up the mess he had made before while making her shake.
"Oh, yeah. I am new. We just moved in about a week ago. I live on the corner of Kramer and Johnson Avenue." She nodded. "I'm Grace." She wiped her hand and then extended hers to shake his.
"Patrick." He cleaned his hand on his apron and then shook his hand. Both of them were a little bit sticky from the mess of ice cream. "It's very nice to meet you." He smiled, as he washed a few of the dishes. When he was nervous he had this habit of just keeping in constant motion.
"Likewise." She nodded as she took another sip from her shake. "Do you go to school and Yelder's?" She asked, as she looked up at him and made eye contact. She had been trying to get a good look at his eyes since she sat down and now she finally got the chance. They were an amazing green color.
"Yeah!" He got excited for a second there but then went back to his monotone voice that showed little emotion. He also did that when he was nervous. He was afraid of showing people he didn't know any sorts of real emotion. The less strangers knew about you, the better it was. "I'm a senior there. Almost done." He nodded as he had finished cleaning possibly everything in the store. He leaned on the counter next to her and waited for her to respond.
"Awesome, me too." She smiled as she looked into his eyes again and smiled.
Patrick had gotten comfortable with Grace and the two of them had spent the afternoon talking about everything from school, to music and their favorite bands, to funny things that happened to them while growing up. They had a lot of things in common, yet not enough for them to be too compatible with each other. She had told him all about New York, where she had grown up and he told her about the many things she could do while living in Chicago and how they had a pretty decent and kick ass mall if she got the chance to go.
"Oh my gosh. It's four thirty. I have to get home for dinner!" She laughed as she had just taken notice of her watch.
"Oh, okay." Patrick was a little bit disappointed, but his Grandfather had called about an hour ago and said it was okay to close up. He had yet to do that just because Grace was there and he didn't want her to leave. At least he got to go home now. Taking a nice deep breath he watched her as she put on her jacket and hat. "Grace, do you think I could have your phone number?" He had gotten his courage up and he hoped she didn't turn him down.
Grace smiled and took out a small piece of paper and wrote her number down on the back. She walked over to the counter and slid it across towards him. "Just make sure you bring me a vanilla shake." She smiled, brightly.
"You got it." Patrick smiled, victoriously. He picked up the piece of paper and looked at it before tucking it in his pocket, not wanting to lose it.
"Bye Patrick." She smiled as she pulled open the door and walked out into the falling snow.
"Bye Grace." He smiled as he watched her through the big window, until he couldn't see her any longer.
So, he might have been a geek for working this job. But, he was a geek with a job, a band, a future, money and now the girl. As far as he was concerned 'The Malt' was the best thing to ever happen to him and he would never tell anyone anything otherwise.
"The only place in all of Illinois that still has a soda and ice ceam shop that hires a soda jerk and you my friend have that job." Pete shook his head as he took a sip from his drink.
Patrick sighed and shrugged. I mean, what could he say really? In all honesty Pete was right. It was a terribly geeky job to have, but, working at the shop was an incredibly easy job and Patrick liked that. He didn't want to have to work hard. Not because he was lazy, but because he had a lot to do in other aspects of his life.
Patrick's grandfather had bought the shop in the early 1950's and on August 12th, 1953, "The Malt." was opened. And, from that forward they have never missed a day of business. Including even being opened during some of Chicago's worst blizzards. It was also sort of a family tradition to work in the shop. Patrick's Dad had worked there while he was a teenager, and now it was Patrick's turn.
Two years ago at fifteen his Grandfather had offered him a part time job. It was definitely geeky, but it was the best paying job that he could get. Seeing as at fifteen wasn't even a legal working age. It always helped that now that he was older he could take any time off that he wanted. It helped him make a few extra bucks and it was easy for him to just leave and go play with the band he was in. It gave him a lot of flexibility and that won over geeky.
"Well, it's either I deal with being a geek and make the money to help pay for the apartment and the rental space for the band. Or, I get a real job that isn't that embarrassing to you and I have to quit the band and work all of the time, making half the money I do now." Patrick crossed his arms over his chest.
"I know, dude. I'm sorry, it's just hilarious." He laughed. "I gotta get to work myself. I'll see you at home later." He got up from the stool he was sitting at by the counter and walked out of the store.
Patrick watched him go and then pulled out a magazine and began reading it. He was now alone in the store. Despite all of the changes in the town, "The Malt." had always been a constant. Now a days there wasn't too many customers like there used to be when his Grandfather first started it, or even when his father worked there, but there were some of the same people who had come there since the beginning. They brought their kids and now their grandkids. It was a very family oriented place. And, it was perfect because they kept business alive, but not enough people so that Patrick had to constantly work. Most days he could just sit around and write music, or catch up on reading. And, there was always time to do homework.
Today was a pretty slow day. There had been a few customers in the morning, and then it had been Pete, but they didn't really consider him a customer seeing as he never paid for anything he ordered. But, considering it was the middle of December and it was snowing, having those few customers in the morning it was a pretty good day. Not many people came out for ice cream in the winter.
Patrick was hanging over the counter thumbing through a magazine when the bell sounded which meant someone was coming into the store. He stood up and put the magazine under the counter as he fixed his apron.
A girl came in and hung her jacket on the hook, shaking the snow off of it and then shaking a few of the pieces out of her hair. She came over to the counter and sat down on one of the stool's and gave him a wide smile.
"Hey." Patrick smiled as she sat down in front of him and looked around. He had never seen her before, she must be new in town. He knew pretty much everyone in this town one way or another. It wasn't very large, considering it was just outside of Chicago.
"Hello." She gave him a brighter and bigger smile. "Very busy, isn't it?" She gave a little bit of a laugh, but then sucked her bottom lip into her mouth. It was always a nervous habit of hers.
"It's a really slow day." He nodded as he wiped down the counter a little bit. He was trying deserpately to look incredibly busy. He was failing miserably though. "Can I get you something? Anything you'd like." He smiled.
"Uhm, definitely. Just a vanilla shake." She nodded, looking briefly at the menu that hung over her head. "Please." She remembered her manners.
"Sure thing." Patrick smiled as he turned to the counter where all of his supplies were and took out the ice cream, mixing her a vanilla shake.
"So have you worked here long?" She asked as he put the shake in front of her on the counter along with a few napkins and a spoon. He then brought over a straw for her so she could have it any way she wanted.
"Yeah, about two years." He nodded. "So, I've never seen you around town before, are you new?" He asked as he cleaned up the mess he had made before while making her shake.
"Oh, yeah. I am new. We just moved in about a week ago. I live on the corner of Kramer and Johnson Avenue." She nodded. "I'm Grace." She wiped her hand and then extended hers to shake his.
"Patrick." He cleaned his hand on his apron and then shook his hand. Both of them were a little bit sticky from the mess of ice cream. "It's very nice to meet you." He smiled, as he washed a few of the dishes. When he was nervous he had this habit of just keeping in constant motion.
"Likewise." She nodded as she took another sip from her shake. "Do you go to school and Yelder's?" She asked, as she looked up at him and made eye contact. She had been trying to get a good look at his eyes since she sat down and now she finally got the chance. They were an amazing green color.
"Yeah!" He got excited for a second there but then went back to his monotone voice that showed little emotion. He also did that when he was nervous. He was afraid of showing people he didn't know any sorts of real emotion. The less strangers knew about you, the better it was. "I'm a senior there. Almost done." He nodded as he had finished cleaning possibly everything in the store. He leaned on the counter next to her and waited for her to respond.
"Awesome, me too." She smiled as she looked into his eyes again and smiled.
Patrick had gotten comfortable with Grace and the two of them had spent the afternoon talking about everything from school, to music and their favorite bands, to funny things that happened to them while growing up. They had a lot of things in common, yet not enough for them to be too compatible with each other. She had told him all about New York, where she had grown up and he told her about the many things she could do while living in Chicago and how they had a pretty decent and kick ass mall if she got the chance to go.
"Oh my gosh. It's four thirty. I have to get home for dinner!" She laughed as she had just taken notice of her watch.
"Oh, okay." Patrick was a little bit disappointed, but his Grandfather had called about an hour ago and said it was okay to close up. He had yet to do that just because Grace was there and he didn't want her to leave. At least he got to go home now. Taking a nice deep breath he watched her as she put on her jacket and hat. "Grace, do you think I could have your phone number?" He had gotten his courage up and he hoped she didn't turn him down.
Grace smiled and took out a small piece of paper and wrote her number down on the back. She walked over to the counter and slid it across towards him. "Just make sure you bring me a vanilla shake." She smiled, brightly.
"You got it." Patrick smiled, victoriously. He picked up the piece of paper and looked at it before tucking it in his pocket, not wanting to lose it.
"Bye Patrick." She smiled as she pulled open the door and walked out into the falling snow.
"Bye Grace." He smiled as he watched her through the big window, until he couldn't see her any longer.
So, he might have been a geek for working this job. But, he was a geek with a job, a band, a future, money and now the girl. As far as he was concerned 'The Malt' was the best thing to ever happen to him and he would never tell anyone anything otherwise.
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