Angels

Jed

I pulled up the shutters on the shop and grabbed a duster from the shelf and cleaned the counter. Josh waved from across the beach and shouted "Jed's coming now!" I put a thumb up instead of shouting and disturbing the sunbathers. I saw Jed running along the pier and skipping down the steps. He was nothing special, just a young boy. He had a good boy's haircut and always wore a t-shirt on top of his shorts, even when he was swimming. He waved at me from the pier. I think he liked me to be honest. I liked him, but not as a really good friend. Just good acquaintances. He was wearing a big, dusty blue t-shirt which was Josh's because I'd seen him wearing it before. "You're working out back today." I said to him, I decided that I'd make the first move and declare my authority and make sure he knew who was boss around here today. He went round to open up the backroom. The backroom was only as big as a small walk in wardrobe. I pitied the poor people who had to work in there all day, or for even an afternoon. It was boiling and by the end of the day you were practically baked like a potato. So that is why I sent him straight out there. "We have a brand new shipping of water bottles if you want to unpack those." He looked miserable, I knew that helping out customers was his favourite job. But they didn't generally trust him. So I took it upon myself to let them see a familiar face serving at the shop. He walked slowly into the storeroom and hoisted out a large crate labeled 'water bottles.' "Yep that one." I said, leaning out of the kiosk into the sun. He was making a real fuss, moaning and groaning. "Put your back into it." I said, not even looking at him, just listening to the grunts and other noises he was making. "I'm trying!" He squealed, I laughed. "Hang in there Jed." I heard him huff behind me and stamp his foot. We also sold ice cream and snacks and drinks at The Shack, which was the name of the shop. Across the beach I spied a familiar face. I started waving my arms frantically. She didn't see me, I leapt over the counter and said to Jed "look after the place for a few yeah?" He nodded and strode up to the front of the shop. I ran across the beach. "Julia! Julia!" I yelled, she waved at me and started running. I felt like a movie, running towards eachother along an azure coastline as waves crashed against the unsuspecting sunbathers. She laughed, she'd obviously had the same thought. "What are you doing here?" I asked, "you don't usually spend much time at the beach." She smiled and looked out at the sea, she pulled her sunglasses down very quickly after taking a small glimpse of bright sunlight to the eye. "I came to see you. Silly." She winked and poked my tummy, I stepped back. What was going on I thought. She laughed, obviously I was missing something. "I'm joking." She said acting as if I had just said the dumbest thing she had ever heard, when in actual fact. I had said nothing at all. So I was not to blame. "Seriously though. I'm going to South Beach Mall to buy some new shorts and I thought I'd walk the scenic route along the beach." She explained. This seemed like a much more feesable response. "Ohh, and what brings me here I heard you ask?" We both laughed, she looked out at the waves, mounting up a large amount of foam along shore. "I think anyone knows the answer to that." She nodded towards the sea. I raised my eyebrows, turned around and nodded towards The Shack. She pulled a face which said 'oops!' "Tough break. I wanted to see if you wanted to come to the mall. But obviously not... You're working." Julia and I always went to the mall together. She didn't really enjoy the beach and the great outdoors. She was hydrophobic. Her elder brother drowned, he was out at sea alot he was in a secret force, as he was much older. So I tried going other places with her so as not to make her feel excluded. "You know," I said sweetly "you could always come and help out at The Shack and we shop after?" I flashed a quick smile. She sighed, she never said no to anything, she was much to nice. "Fine. But only cause I know how to handle these half-wits that don't know a surf board from a bottle of water." I laughed and we began to walk back to the kiosk.

I jumped over the counter again, almost kicking Jed in the face, but Julia was polite and walked through the side door. "Hey Jed." Now let me explain. Julia and Jed had met before, as Julia was familiar with helping out at the store. But it made things awkward when Jed fell madly in love with Julia, when he's around her he can barely get a full sentence out and he blushes all the time, and when he blushes, he really blushes. Jed put his head down and turned away from Julia. "H-h-hi Julia." She nodded, I looked at him. "Oi, what did we say? You're doing inventory today, you got me?" He nodded very quickly and ran out back. Julia got a coke out of the mini fridge where we kept the drinks and opened it, she started to drink it. "Aw." She said, I frowned, as if to say 'why aw?' "You're so mean to him... And you're not half bossy." I stole the coke off of her, she looked very shocked, I took three big mouthfuls and shoved it back into her hand. "Am not! I'm just... Authoritive, is all. I am not going to be tricked into working in that backroom all evening. Have you been in there?" She shook her head and I nodded towards it, she slowly and cautiously pushed the door so it was open even wider, she stepped in and practically fainted. "Blimey! You got a heater going in there or something?" I shook my head and raised my eyebrows. "Told you." Two girls were walking towards the kiosk, both with money in hand. As they came closer I realised it was Georgia and Ellie, I smiled at them both. Georgia placed a five pound note on the counter and said "I'll take a grape fanta and a lemon cold pop." I got the fanta out of the fridge and removed the cold pop from the freezer to my right, I took the money and handed her her £3.60 change. Ellie looked at the shelves, first at the top where our prices were hung, then at the back wall where there were surf/body boards and sweets. Then down at the drinks and ice creams. She said slowly. "I'll have... Urm," she was taking this very seriously. "Two packs of raspberry millions." I collected them from the back wall and was about to take her money when "ah ah ah." She said. "I'm not done, I'll have a cherry coke, a magnum gold and you know what... I'll have a toffee crisp for later." Georgia looked at Ellie. "You better eat that quick or it'll melt quicker than you can pay for it." Ellie sighed. "You're right, I'll have a grape cold pop aswell to cool it down when it gets too hot." She laughed. Now, Ellie wasn't exactly the skinniest of girls, and by ordering this much, she wasn't doing herself any favours. I placed all her confectionary on the counter "so that's, two millions, cherry coke, grape pop, magnum gold and a toffee crisp." I smiled. "That'll be £5.40" She whipped out a tenner from her pocket and handed it to me. "Jeez Ell." Georgia said, watching Ellie take a huge bite out of her toffee crisp almost wiping out half the bar. "See you tomorrow!" I called as they walked away, Georgia turned and smiled. Julia frowned at me "how do you know them?" I was busy organising change, and didn't even look up to respond. "Surf stuff, they joined the club today. The small one ws Georgia and the other one was Ellie." Julia nodded slowly, taking another long sip from her coke, you could tell she was really enjoying it. "Good to know." She said quietly. I looked at her; confused, wondering why she had said it so maniacly. She didn't look back at me so I continued concerntrating on my coins, when Jed came out of the back with a box of ice lollies, ready to be placed in the freezer. "Do you think I should just follow that last girl with these now?" He asked, I knew it was rude, and Julia did too, but none of us could help collapsing in to giggles, even when it wasn't that funny.