Hypotheticals

6-Want one, Harrington?

Robin and Steve were shocked to their cores. It was the Saturday that started off the spring break and the store felt dead. Almost nobody was coming in to pick up movies. Robin said people probably want to sleep in and are waiting till later to rent. Steve assumed the same and they went along with their shift. 

Soon after they opened, around lunchtime, the shrill rings of the bell go off. Steve looked up to see two familiar faces. Max and Dustin, smiling widely, walked in with a large paper bag and a small cooler. "We brought lunch!" Max said as she held up the bag. Dustin lifted the cooler and shook it mildly, mirroring Max.

"Oh thank god I'm starved!" Robin, sounding relieved, hopped over the counter, and led the freshmen to the door. "Let's eat outside, it's nice out." She held the door open and the two walked out to the curb. Shaking his head and smiling, Steve followed. 

It was, in fact, nice out, as Robin said. The sun was shining and there was a nice cool breeze. "So, we have two ham, three turkey, and a chicken sandwich," Dustin pulls the food out of the bag, "take your pick." Max took the chicken sandwich, Robin took one of the turkey sandwiches, and Dustin another turkey. Steve chose a ham sandwich.  

"Right we also have some Pepsi if you want some." Max opened the cooler. Dustin and Robin grabbed a can, and Steve shook his head no. "So how's Hellfire going?" Steve asked Dustin. Dustin recalled as much as he could remember. Some may say he was talking a mile a minute. "And then we had this really big campaign the other day and me and Erica were the only ones left alive at the end. Well, till I died. She defeated the eenemy though." He finished with a big breath of air. 

Steve smiled. He was glad Dustin and the others found things that made them happy and kept them occupied. "What about you, Max? What's new with you? Any new music?" Steve looked over to her. "Oh uh nothing much is new. Same old Kate Bush, you know. Ha, Dustin did try to get me to join Hellfire. I didn't, by the way." Everyone laughed. 

Steve liked knowing that everyone was acknowleged in conversations, he knows it can be frustrsting when nobody talks or listens to you.  Just when everyone felt the conversation ws thinning out, faltering, they heard a rickety-like engine up the road. It was Eddie in his beat up old van.

When he reached the parking lot he chose a sopt and parked. He got out and walked over to the curb they were sitting on. His outfit was the same old Eddie style. He wore an Iron Maiden shirt over a longsleeve, under his signature jean jacket. His jeans were black and ripped as always, with a black bandana in his pocket. Steve swallowed hard and shoved his food into his mouth, preventing him from talking. He really didn't want to talk to Eddie. 

"Oh yeah I invited Eddie." Dustin pointed at the man walking over. Robin and Max smiled and shrugged it off, but Steve glared slightly between Dustin and Eddie. Eddie looked over the group and his eyes landed on Steve. he looked almost flustered, and Eddie admired that. He looked at the sandwich that Steve was holding. He opened the paper bag beside Max and helped himself to a ham sandwich.

Everyone had a good, comfortable time. Eddie will admit, he stared at Steve a bit much, but the latter was doing all the same, so who's to blame huh? He stood up to get a drink from the cooler. "Pepsi, huh?" He examined a can. "Want one Harrington?" Steve nodded entusiastically. Dustin, looking slightly puzzled said "Steve I thought you didn't want one?" 

Steve's face grew red as he took the can from Eddie. "Uh, a guy can change his mind. Right?" He said with his mouth full. he gluped it down and furrowed his eyebrows. Eddie opened his can, which fizzed over and dripped down the side of the can. He lifted the can up a bit and slurped the soda off the side, and the lip at the top. Steve found this rather wholesome and smiled. The observed looked up and made eye contact for a split second. 

Dustin and Robin were droning on with each other about wht genre of movie the other should delve into next. Steve didn't really think it concerned him, so he stopped paying attention. He picked up the can of pepsi in front of him and pulled at the tab. he waited for the pop and sizzle but there was no pop or sizzle. 

His struggles were noticed by Eddie who stood up to sit over by Steve. As he sat down he put his had out. "Here let me open it." Steve shook his head, determined. 

"No I can do it." He couldn't do it. He handed it over in defeat. Eddie popped it open with ease and handed it back, smiling. Steve had mixed feeling about it. He was feeling bubbly(for whatever reason) at Eddie's generosity, but frustrated that he failed an embarassingly simple task. 

"Thank you." Steve nodded and took a sip of his newly open drink. Eddie just kept smiling and looking off into the parking lot. 

"Alright, Stevie boy, we gotta get back to work, rush hour is soon." Robin got up and patted him on the back. "Nice seeing you guys, come back whenever. Thanks for the food by the way." They said their goodbyes and parted ways. Steve did not get up from the curb until Eddie's van was out of eyesight and earshot. 

He stood up and turned to the door. He sighed as he walked in. Eddie come back here, he thought.