Categories > Original > Romance > Misinterpretations
Chapter 2
It's 9:48 pm on a Friday night, and what do you think a 16 year-old
girl would be doing? Party? Nah. I'm ok. I'd much rather listen to the
alternative jazz in a vast, mild, Barnes&Noble, while blending the
occasional customer a frapachino, and in between mixing coffee drinks
memorize how to solve algebra equations.
I know. I'm an animal.
Actually, I mean it wasn't that bad. Not EVERYONE was out at some
party, probably not even half of Bridgeview. Ya. Exactly. Five different people invited like thirty people to a party with kegs, and music, and lights. However their plans were crushed when nobody showed up. Everybody is studying for exams.
That's it.
Who am I kidding?
Whatever, everyone can get drunk and party and do whatever they want.
I don't care. I should study some more.
"You ok?"
"Huh? Oh ya, I'm fine." It was Rachel talking to me. Rachel had
been working there about five months before I even applied. I had been at
B&N for like almost a year.
"You just look kind of sick."
"No, I'm not sick, just bored." This was the truth. I never got
sick, unless I caught some totally bad infectious disease, or got really
really nervous or scared, I was healthy as can be.
"Ok well you still have to stick it out for another hour and a half
honey."
I sighed. A guy came up and ordered a pomegranate smoothie. I rang
him up while Rachel blended and poured.
"That's three forty two."
He paid and walked to one of the book shelves where he looked
fascinated by the summary on the back of some novel.
"You know what, I am sick. Sick of work." Rachel laughed. Rachel
was twenty years old and had only the best looks ever.
Tall, thin, and her hair was amazing. It was blonde, but had streaks
of a sandy brown and strawberry red everywhere on top. She also had it a dirty brownish color underneath and it was cut in
layers. She had a nose and belly button piercing.
She was really outgoing, and headstrong, but the problem with Rachel
was that she would get a boyfriend and talk non-stop about him and how they
would always be together but then they would break up and she would be
a mess. I always felt kind of awkward when Rachel broke down at work.
I would say things like "It's ok, he wasn't worth it" or "I'm sorry"
and Rachel would always smile and thank me.
And always, always after that I would say "You can forget about the
rest of your shift" and she would wipe away her tears and as she was taking
off her apron and hat she would object exactly four times before leaving.
It's like the law that I had to give her the rest of that shift off. I did it once and ever since then I have to every time.
I closed my algebra book, finally realizing that I had looked over
these equations so many times that I would dream about them. Or should
I say have nightmares about them? I looked at the clock.
10:14
A long, boring hour to go before Julia comes by to get us to that
movie.
"Hey Rachel I'm taking my break now."
"Okey-Dokey" she said not looking up from her Seventeen magazine.
I walked over to the side wall and hung up my apron. I hopped over the
counter. Rachel and I did that all the time.
Liz didn't approve much, but whenever we asked her if she would do
anything about our "counter jumping" she always said: "What counter jumping?"
"Aren't ya takin off your hat?" Rachel asked.
"Nah." I was, like Rachel wearing a black cap because we didn't
want any hair getting into the drinks. Unlike Rachel though, I wore my brown,
boring, non-streaked, non-layered, shoulder length hair in a messy bun
so that is stuck out of the little hole in the back of the cap.
I walked around for a little bit. I noticed Anthony (the CD guy)
looking at the latest CD from The Feeling. Anthony was different. Not like
retarded or anything, just different. He always looked kind of gothic. Dark
clothes, but he ALWAYS wore a black turtle neck and black pants. It was
only really hot days that he wore a black T-shirt with the pants. He also
had black hair and an eye-brow piercing. He owned almost every CD in B&N.
"Hey Annie."
"Do not call me that I'm Anthony"
"Sorry Annie, watcha got there?"
"The Feeling"
"Ok well later."
I weaved in and out of aisle's, glancing at the shelves. I'd seen
it all before. There were about fifteen to twenty people in the store. I was
weaving faster now going in and out in and out when I carelessly ran
into
someone. We both fell backward and I noticed this person had about ten
books that the crash had caused to hit the floor in various places.
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry." I said as I started picking up the books. I noticed that these books were the ones we had been reading in my English class. Pride and Prejudice, The Strange Case of Dr.
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, To Kill a Mockingbird.....
"It's ok, it was really my fault." Ok. This person was a boy.
He was also picking up some books too.
When we stood up I said I'd be right back and went to get a basket at
the front of the store, wait I should grab two.
He had those entire books just stacked one on the other so high I
couldn't even see his face.
"Here this is much more convenient." I said to him.
I put the books in the baskets. I looked up and saw him.
Whoa.
This was a cute boy.
He was tall and lean, and had great green eyes and his hair was light
brown, and long but not too long. Not like skater boy long, but not like crew
cut army short.
"Thank you so much." He said taking the baskets. "I'm Scott."
"Hello Hot." I said my eyes widening and my face getting hot. "I
mean Scott." I said quickly. "I'm Jemma."
He had grinned at this slip of words I had so clumsily spilled out.
God woman, you say SCOTT NOT HOT!!! Sc makes a different sound then H, you should keep that in mind dummy.
He freed his hands by setting the baskets on the floor. He held one
out.
"Nice to meet you Jemma." She shook his hand. "I'm new in
town. Do you work here or something?"
"Ya I work at the café' here I'm just on a break."
"Oh, so are you in high school?" He said squinting his eyes, and
soundinglike he wasn't so sure.
"Uh, ya I'm a sophomore at Bridgeview." Maybe I shouldn't be
giving out this information to a total stranger....
"Oh, Cool, I'm going to start there in a week. I'm a sophomore
too. I would start now but my parents want me to help move in."
"Is that why you're getting all these books, because we are reading
these."
"Ya, I mean I have a week to read them so I thought I would try and
be caught up when I got there."
"Cool, so I guess we are going to be classmates, lucky you get to
miss next week, there's a nasty vocab test on Thursday....Wait, what's your last name?"
"Oh, it's Harrison. I just moved here from North Carolina."
"Cool. I'm Jemma Summers. I guess I can show you around then or
something."
"Ya."
"Well I have to get back to my shift."
"I'll help your business," he said picking up the baskets and
following me to the café.
I put on my apron and walked to the other side of the counter. He said
he would order something after checking out the books.
"Hello Hot? That was bad honey, that was bad." said Rachel.
"Oh my god you heard that?" I asked.
"Yes, and let me tell you, that was entertaining."
"Shut up."
He came back and ordered a mocha frapachino with flavored whip cream.
He let me keep the change. After he left we had only two more customers
until 11:15 came and Julia picked me up.
"Any excitement?" said Julia as she started up her white geo prism.
"Just a few customers and a cute boy" I said. I explained the
whole thing to her and she was still laughing about the "Scott hot" thing when
we walked into the theater with a jumbo popcorn and two sprites.
"What am I gonna do with you Jem?"
"Give me lessons on how to pronounce Scott." We laughed as the
lights dimmed and previews started.
It's 9:48 pm on a Friday night, and what do you think a 16 year-old
girl would be doing? Party? Nah. I'm ok. I'd much rather listen to the
alternative jazz in a vast, mild, Barnes&Noble, while blending the
occasional customer a frapachino, and in between mixing coffee drinks
memorize how to solve algebra equations.
I know. I'm an animal.
Actually, I mean it wasn't that bad. Not EVERYONE was out at some
party, probably not even half of Bridgeview. Ya. Exactly. Five different people invited like thirty people to a party with kegs, and music, and lights. However their plans were crushed when nobody showed up. Everybody is studying for exams.
That's it.
Who am I kidding?
Whatever, everyone can get drunk and party and do whatever they want.
I don't care. I should study some more.
"You ok?"
"Huh? Oh ya, I'm fine." It was Rachel talking to me. Rachel had
been working there about five months before I even applied. I had been at
B&N for like almost a year.
"You just look kind of sick."
"No, I'm not sick, just bored." This was the truth. I never got
sick, unless I caught some totally bad infectious disease, or got really
really nervous or scared, I was healthy as can be.
"Ok well you still have to stick it out for another hour and a half
honey."
I sighed. A guy came up and ordered a pomegranate smoothie. I rang
him up while Rachel blended and poured.
"That's three forty two."
He paid and walked to one of the book shelves where he looked
fascinated by the summary on the back of some novel.
"You know what, I am sick. Sick of work." Rachel laughed. Rachel
was twenty years old and had only the best looks ever.
Tall, thin, and her hair was amazing. It was blonde, but had streaks
of a sandy brown and strawberry red everywhere on top. She also had it a dirty brownish color underneath and it was cut in
layers. She had a nose and belly button piercing.
She was really outgoing, and headstrong, but the problem with Rachel
was that she would get a boyfriend and talk non-stop about him and how they
would always be together but then they would break up and she would be
a mess. I always felt kind of awkward when Rachel broke down at work.
I would say things like "It's ok, he wasn't worth it" or "I'm sorry"
and Rachel would always smile and thank me.
And always, always after that I would say "You can forget about the
rest of your shift" and she would wipe away her tears and as she was taking
off her apron and hat she would object exactly four times before leaving.
It's like the law that I had to give her the rest of that shift off. I did it once and ever since then I have to every time.
I closed my algebra book, finally realizing that I had looked over
these equations so many times that I would dream about them. Or should
I say have nightmares about them? I looked at the clock.
10:14
A long, boring hour to go before Julia comes by to get us to that
movie.
"Hey Rachel I'm taking my break now."
"Okey-Dokey" she said not looking up from her Seventeen magazine.
I walked over to the side wall and hung up my apron. I hopped over the
counter. Rachel and I did that all the time.
Liz didn't approve much, but whenever we asked her if she would do
anything about our "counter jumping" she always said: "What counter jumping?"
"Aren't ya takin off your hat?" Rachel asked.
"Nah." I was, like Rachel wearing a black cap because we didn't
want any hair getting into the drinks. Unlike Rachel though, I wore my brown,
boring, non-streaked, non-layered, shoulder length hair in a messy bun
so that is stuck out of the little hole in the back of the cap.
I walked around for a little bit. I noticed Anthony (the CD guy)
looking at the latest CD from The Feeling. Anthony was different. Not like
retarded or anything, just different. He always looked kind of gothic. Dark
clothes, but he ALWAYS wore a black turtle neck and black pants. It was
only really hot days that he wore a black T-shirt with the pants. He also
had black hair and an eye-brow piercing. He owned almost every CD in B&N.
"Hey Annie."
"Do not call me that I'm Anthony"
"Sorry Annie, watcha got there?"
"The Feeling"
"Ok well later."
I weaved in and out of aisle's, glancing at the shelves. I'd seen
it all before. There were about fifteen to twenty people in the store. I was
weaving faster now going in and out in and out when I carelessly ran
into
someone. We both fell backward and I noticed this person had about ten
books that the crash had caused to hit the floor in various places.
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry." I said as I started picking up the books. I noticed that these books were the ones we had been reading in my English class. Pride and Prejudice, The Strange Case of Dr.
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, To Kill a Mockingbird.....
"It's ok, it was really my fault." Ok. This person was a boy.
He was also picking up some books too.
When we stood up I said I'd be right back and went to get a basket at
the front of the store, wait I should grab two.
He had those entire books just stacked one on the other so high I
couldn't even see his face.
"Here this is much more convenient." I said to him.
I put the books in the baskets. I looked up and saw him.
Whoa.
This was a cute boy.
He was tall and lean, and had great green eyes and his hair was light
brown, and long but not too long. Not like skater boy long, but not like crew
cut army short.
"Thank you so much." He said taking the baskets. "I'm Scott."
"Hello Hot." I said my eyes widening and my face getting hot. "I
mean Scott." I said quickly. "I'm Jemma."
He had grinned at this slip of words I had so clumsily spilled out.
God woman, you say SCOTT NOT HOT!!! Sc makes a different sound then H, you should keep that in mind dummy.
He freed his hands by setting the baskets on the floor. He held one
out.
"Nice to meet you Jemma." She shook his hand. "I'm new in
town. Do you work here or something?"
"Ya I work at the café' here I'm just on a break."
"Oh, so are you in high school?" He said squinting his eyes, and
soundinglike he wasn't so sure.
"Uh, ya I'm a sophomore at Bridgeview." Maybe I shouldn't be
giving out this information to a total stranger....
"Oh, Cool, I'm going to start there in a week. I'm a sophomore
too. I would start now but my parents want me to help move in."
"Is that why you're getting all these books, because we are reading
these."
"Ya, I mean I have a week to read them so I thought I would try and
be caught up when I got there."
"Cool, so I guess we are going to be classmates, lucky you get to
miss next week, there's a nasty vocab test on Thursday....Wait, what's your last name?"
"Oh, it's Harrison. I just moved here from North Carolina."
"Cool. I'm Jemma Summers. I guess I can show you around then or
something."
"Ya."
"Well I have to get back to my shift."
"I'll help your business," he said picking up the baskets and
following me to the café.
I put on my apron and walked to the other side of the counter. He said
he would order something after checking out the books.
"Hello Hot? That was bad honey, that was bad." said Rachel.
"Oh my god you heard that?" I asked.
"Yes, and let me tell you, that was entertaining."
"Shut up."
He came back and ordered a mocha frapachino with flavored whip cream.
He let me keep the change. After he left we had only two more customers
until 11:15 came and Julia picked me up.
"Any excitement?" said Julia as she started up her white geo prism.
"Just a few customers and a cute boy" I said. I explained the
whole thing to her and she was still laughing about the "Scott hot" thing when
we walked into the theater with a jumbo popcorn and two sprites.
"What am I gonna do with you Jem?"
"Give me lessons on how to pronounce Scott." We laughed as the
lights dimmed and previews started.
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