Cardinal

Chapter 4, Memories

I silently put nuggets into the metal basket, feeling the calmness of this task as the world around me was hectic. I had been here for around a week, and Harrison became my closest friend in a way. Him and I hung out at work, and we sometimes went on break together. I looked over to him and watched as he smiled and laughed with everyone. For some reason, he seemed so popular amongst people.

I wished I was as talkative as he was. I was usually the quiet person that sat in the back, away from everyone. But Harrison had that strange charm to him, something that drew you towards him and made you just want to be his friend. I placed the metal basket in the fryer before walking towards everyone.

"Jerry, can you help me do the Vocab for American History?" I heard Nya ask, in which Jerry rolled his eyes at her. It seemed as though he was the nerd amongst everyone here, therefore did most of the schoolwork for his friends.

"Yeah, just buy me a soda from the gas station across the street," he stated, before Harrison suddenly spoke up.

"Get me one too!" I heard him say, before handing Nya three dollars. He turned towards me as he asked if I would like anything.

"Oh um, just whatever Harrison is getting," I exclaimed nervously. Everyone stared at me like a strange alien, so I knew I had said something wrong. I felt my face fluster with redness as they stared, but as always, Nya drew the attention back to herself.

"Okay," she stated with a charming smile, "I'll get you guys everything." Suddenly, Caleb walked into the front, and everyone quickly scrambled back to work.

"Alright everyone, enough chat," he stated, before turning towards Harrison. "Harrison, can you ask Mary if she could come into work?" I looked over to him, expecting to hear a "yes sir" from him like always. Instead, I caught the last glimpse of him pausing. Suddenly, he said sure and quickly walked to the back of the store away from everyone.

It seemed as though I was the only one that noticed the sudden pause in Harrison, as if he was stopped by something. I felt his entire aura change from a joyful mood to something dark and silent. I quickly went back to drop food and silently worked with Jacob to ensure he had everything he needed. After a few moments, Harrison came back a changed man. He silently put on a pair of gloves and proceeded to make the burgers that were needed for the orders, occasionally helping me do something.

Within his silence, I knew something was going on with him. He was never the conservative type, always talking to others and cracking jokes as though this were more of a social gathering than a job. I wanted to cheer him up, but I didn't quite know how to.

"Hey Harrison, guess what?" I asked, in which he turned his head towards me.

"What's up Mallie?" he asked, causing my face to turn red for some reason. Whenever he spoke directly towards me, I strangely felt weak. It was a horrible feeling, but I pushed past this to try and cheer him up.

"Chicken butt!" I exclaimed with a smile, waiting for his reaction. The longer I waited, the more I realized how dumb I sounded. I turned towards the grill in defeat, but suddenly I heard a chuckle from Harrison.

"Really Mallie?" he asked before laughing to himself. Jacob silently chuckled with Harrison, but all I could do was smile at the fact that I made him smile. I still felt a saddening aura around him, but I knew that I could cheer him up, even if it was only partially.

***

"Are you sure I should go on break now?" I asked, as Carl nodded his head.

"Yes, hurry, go! I'm trying to get as many breaks out as possible at once, I'll be back there helping Jacob. Don't worry about us," he explained. I didn't agree with him, but I couldn't help but go along with his reasons. What else could I do other than listen to him. Quickly, I exited the grill and clocked out for my break.