Step 5: Get To Know Him
"And this is precisely why I didn't want a summer job..." he muttered and I'm sure I wasn't supposed to hear that but I did anyways. That's really unfortunate for him.
"Ah, look at Lucas, working. At Subways. Oh, wouldn't that mean that you have to serve me? I believe it does." He rolled his eyes.
"Alright Travis, what do you want?" he demanded, rather harshly for someone that was supposed to be a happy cashier. He really wasn't making my experience at Subways positive.
"Hm..." I tapped my finger on my chin thoughtfully. "What do I want, what do I want?..." I looked down at the choices even though what I wanted never changed since I was seven. I pretended to examine it, even scrunching my face at things I didn't like, such as olives.
"Pick a sandwich," he commanded. I looked up at him, false surprise written all over my face.
"What if I'm still deciding that?" I inquired, curiously.
"Alright then..." he said. For a second, I thought he was going to let it go but he turned around with rye in his hand. "You're taking a toasted rye with mayo, cucumber, onion, mustard, tomatos, ham, cheese, and olives."
I quirked an eyebrow questionly at him. "Drop the olives," I said. I saw a smirk before he turned around to toast the bread. "And how the hell did you know?"
"I saw the way you were eyeing the food. Looks like you just woke up to." I raised my hand to my head and realized I was sporting some bedhead. I groaned, wondering what kind of looks I was getting from people here. Not surprisingly, the restaurant was empty besides the odd person sitting in the corner.
We stayed in a silence that was surprisingly comfortable. He tapped his fingers against the counter, looking over his shoulder at the bread every so often.
When it was finished, he carefully took it out and cut down the middle. He started putting in the condiments and finally, the ingredients. He actually remembered what he said and when he got in front of the olives, he said, "I'm going to put olives in anyways."
I was about to cry in disagreement but he rolled his eyes. "Don't think you're special. Very few people actually order the olives, you know. I want to get rid of them."
I glared at Lucas who only sent me a smile back. Why was he speaking to me as if he was actually a server? Did he value this job so much to stand me, of all people?
"I'll need another sandwich," I told him when he began to rang up mine. He cocked an eyebrow.
"I was doubting how you'd handle a foot long... You need another one?" Another gay joke. Coming from the gay one. That definitely made lots of sense.
"It's for my brother," I said, not even bothering to insult him. As I thought of when I was outside, the faster I finish this, the faster I can get away from Lucas.
Quickly, I ordered his regular. I waited by the cash register as Lucas went and prepared what I asked.
When he came back, I asked to make both of these a combo. For risk of further speaking with Lucas, I decided that I'd just give the change back to Thomas.
And speaking of which, I still had no idea where he was. It shouldn't take that long to talk with a mechanic. I put both of our lunches on a table and pulled out my cell phone. I sighed in relief when I realized it had cooled down. Thank god for air conditioning.
I shot him a text, asking why it was taking him a hundred years. Was he lost or something? I felt something vibrating in my pocket. Looking down, I realized that I never returned the phone back to Thomas. Didn't I feel like an idiot?
I took a seat, figuring that Thomas would come here in due time. His food was here so it was practically impossible for him to escape.
My stomach growled at the thought of the sandwich inside the wrapper. I took it out of the bag and began to devour it. That was until I forgot one simple detail...
My face scrunched up as I bit into an olive. I nearly coughed it back out but resisted. I grabbed my drink and sucked the straw. That was disgusting. I picked all of the olives out of the sandwich.
I heard Lucas laughing from behind the counter. He was leaning against his hand and barely had his eyes opened. I wondered how long he had been working for.
"How long's your shift?" I asked, curiously. His eyes were completely closed by now and I thought he fell asleep standing up.
"Ten hours," he mumbled sleepily.
I gased. I couldn't help it. "I thought the max for anyone under 18 was eight," I said. That was the reason why Thomas decided not to work. It made absolutely no sense but that was his logic.
"Like my manager cares. Besides, it's always quiet except for the lunch rush." I looked around and then up at a clock. It was 1:45.
"I don't work during that. I get my break then." Well doesn't that suck for him.
"How'd you attend the party yesterday?" I asked. Did he take an entire break in order to go? I didn't even see him do anything besides go on the diving board and harrass me.
"It was Sunday, you idiot." I pursed my lips. Oh yeah.
"Don't steal anything," he mumbled to me as he began to walk away. I was about to ask what he was doing but I heard a chair scrap the floor. Taking half of my foot long with me, I walked over to see him sitting with his eyes closed.
"Okay, you're acting hungover." I told him, noticing that's exactly what Thomas did after a party. He just wanted to sleep it off.
I saw a smirk grow on his face. "How do you know I'm not?" he asked. A gasp escaped my lips as I thought back to the party. They gave him something to drink? How'd he get home?
"Don't act so surprised. I didn't you idiot. If you've been awake since 6am, you'd know how I feel." Six? I didn't even wake up that early during the school year!
"Why are you even talking to me?" he asked with his eyes still closed. I frowned.
"Thomas isn't here yet. My goodness, how long does it take to talk to a single person?" I demanded. He didn't answer me, probably because he had no idea what I meant.
"How's your knee?" he asked.
"Doesn't concern you," I answered immediately, wondering what he meant. My eyes wandered to my slightly cut up knee and I remembered that boulder-rock I tripped over. I grimanced.
"Hey, just asking man." His quiet steady breaths made me think for a second that he was asleep.
"Can you stop staring at me?" he asked sounding very irritated. "I'm trying to sleep here."
I smiled. "Your boss wouldn't like that, now would he?" I asked. He didn't look fazed at all.
"Go ahead and ask him. See if I care." That made me question why he even had a job. I voiced this aloud.
"My mom didn't want me in the house," he answered honestly. "I think it could be the fact that she's kicking my dad out of the house." I frowned, not expecting this sort of answer. Where was the extra spending money response?
"You could've always hung out with friends," I told him.
He hummed in response and maybe he didn't hear me. However, ignoring me was more likely for him. "Hanging out with friends would've required money which I couldn't get without a job, right? Besides, it's summer. Why would I want to see anyone from school?"
He opened an eye to glare at me.
"Why's your dad getting the boot?" I asked him. He looked like he didn't know whether or not to answer. He opened his mouth just as the bell rang, indicating someone was approaching. He quickly stood up, walking over to the counter.
I turned around and we saw it was just Thomas. He rolled his eyes and took his previous position in the chair.
"Hey Travis, have you seen my cell phone?" he asked. He approached me, his hands open, palms up. I handed it to him and he turned on the backlight. After checking the text, he stared at me. "Seriously, Travis? Didn't even have the decency to delete the text?" I was confused.
He showed me the text, where I told him to hurry up. Whoops.
"Well we have like three hours to kill. He told me my appointment wasn't valid or some shit. God, now I have to cancel with Annabelle," he grumbled, holding the phone against his ear. "Hey, Belle?"
I rolled my eyes and turned my attention back to Lucas. He had an amused look on his face and his eyes wide open.
"What?" I asked harshly. His face just looked happier at my outburst.
"Nothing... It just looks like you're jealous of their relationship." If I had an olive on me, I would've flung it at him. Since I enjoyed everything else on the sandwich, I kept my temper down.
"That's hilarious. Jealous of Thomas and Annabelle? Why in the world would that ever happen?" I demanded.
"Ah, little trouble in Nickyville?" he asked. I glared at him but he just chuckled. "He was at Subways a little before you arrived. He looked pretty frustrated with the fact that you hung up on him. I was in the back but I heard him yelling from there."
"Yeah well I never knew that my personal life was any of your business. What happens and doesn't happen with Nick doesn't concern you, just like my knee. Get it through that skull of yours and quit butting in." While I was ranting to Lucas, I hadn't realized that Thomas was finished talking to Annabelle.
He took me by the hand and dragged me off to the table where I left our food. "Don't get so worked up over it," he told me, handing me my plastic bag. He literally pushed me out of the restaurant.
"Travis?" Lucas called right before I completely closed the door. I couldn't help but turn back to see what he had to say to defend himself.
"That was a good thing you did with Hilary yesterday."
Well look who has the fucking heart. I flipped him off.
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