𝒸𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝒾𝓉 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓌𝒶𝓃𝓉

[Chapter 12] Just a Little Bit

"Thank you for choosing Fresh Street Deli, this is Kelly speaking—how may I be of service?" I cradle the corded work phone between my ear and shoulder.
"Yeah, uh, hello?"
I look at the clock. Only ten more minutes til you leave, Kelly, you can make it.
"Yes, hello? Can you hear me?"
"Hello? Hello?"
The elderly person on the other end mutters something incoherent about the wrong number and I elevate my voice slightly. "Hello, sir?? This is Fresh Street Deli, did you mean to call somewhere else?"
"Street? What street?"
I blink. "Well, sir—it's Fresh Street Deli but our address is actually on Middleton—"
"Are you close to Westwood?"
Another blink. "Yes, sir. We are like...directly in the middle of Westwood."
"Well, then what time do you close?"
Not soon enough.
"9 pm, sir."
"Okay."
The line clicks and I take a moment to process what just happened before hanging the phone up.
Crazy.
I look up at the clock again, deciding to kill the rest of my time by sweeping the small dining area of the deli.
"Was that an order??" Veronica asks me from behind the counter as I grab the broom and dustpan.
"I'm not sure," I answer honestly. "I think it was just a really confused old man. But don't be surprised if he shows up at like 8:59 to place an order or something."
"Ugh." She scowls, readjusting her pale green visor. "I am not trying to be here all night."
Glancing up at the clock, she grumbles under her breath. "Crawf is gonna be here literally at nine."
Crawf or Crawford is her...boyfriend?? I think?? I don't know and I don't ever ask. Everything I've learned about Veronica's personal life has been against my will.
Thankfully, she only talks to me if she has nothing better to do— i.e. if there's a manager around and she can't scroll on her phone, face time her friends or secretly hit her vape in the supply closet.
The bell on the front door jingles and I look up from sweeping. "Welcome in—oh, it's you."
Dakota scowls, letting the door shut behind her. "Wow, don't sound so excited to see me. I'm your ride, remember?"
I roll my eyes. "I have like two minutes to clock out."
"That's fine." She shrugs, strolling up to the counter. "Hey, Veronica, what's up?"
"Tired of being here," Veronica drawls. "You wanna convince Kelly to close for me?"
I shake my head as I sweep my collection of straw wrappers, crumbs and crumpled napkins into the dustpan. "Not happening, girl."
"Whatever. You want a smoothie?" She asks Dakota, who in turn hums thoughtfully. "Hmm. What sounds good today?"
"Papaya-Passionfruit Pump has been really popular lately," Veronica comments and Dakota nods. "Alright. I'll try it again, maybe my tastebuds have matured since last time."
Every time Dakota comes in to either see me or pick me up, her and Veronica have a tradition of Veronica making her a free smoothie and Dakota tipping her like five bucks in return.
I turn a blind eye and pretend not to know.
"Alright." Veronica turns to start haphazardly tossing ingredients into one of the blenders behind the counter.
"So, Kel—did you get your car detailed or something??" Dakota raises an eyebrow at me.
"What do you mean?" I begin to say before it dawns on me.
"It's like, spotless. Plus," she holds up a piece of paper. "This was in your console."
I didn't mention the interaction with Lake to Dakota. As far as she knows, Hunter just left my car at school and I figured that was the best way to leave it.
Why? I don't really know.
"Seems really unprofessional for a business card but," she shrugs, handing it off to me and I hastily take it.
Dakota converses with Veronica over the whirring blender as I open the paper and flip it over to read it:
If you ever need anything.
Followed by his number, just like he said.
I replay our interaction from this morning through my head. I find his claims hard to believe especially in comparison to the gross display at Hunter's party.
Still, I don't actually know him or what kind of guy he really is.
I mean, I can assume based on my repetitive negative experiences with the opposite sex but something felt...different.
His apology, his willingness to be honest—if his story was true, of course. It felt almost...vulnerable?
I don't know.
"Ooh—wait a minute." Dakota smacks her lips before taking another sip of the orange-tinted smoothie now in her hand. "It's so good this time."
"A little splash of pineapple juice." Veronica smiles proudly. "A lil secret menu moment for you."
"I'm gonna clock out." I tuck the paper in the back pocket of my khakis before picking up the broom and dustpan. "Veronica, you're good, right?"
"I guess." She scowls, before sighing dramatically. "I'm gonna ask Donna if we can close early."
"Good luck with that." I take my visor off as I walk over to the POS to clock out.
"If I'm lucky she'll fall asleep in the office again so I can lock up without her knowing," Veronica grumbles, tossing the now empty blender and lid into the sink.
"Thanks for the drink!" Dakota sets a five on the counter and Veronica's mood seems to brighten somewhat. "Anytime. Bye, Kelly, see you tomorrow."
"Bye, Vere." I wave some as Dakota and I walk to and out the front door.
"Wow, it got dark." I comment, letting the door shut behind me before starting down the sidewalk to where I see my Camaro parked.
"Yeah, another good reason you're not driving. I feel like night driving would be even worse for you." Dakota points out, glancing into the windows of the strip mall stores as we pass by them.
The ride back to the Academy is pretty quiet except for Dakota singing along to literally every single song that comes on the radio.
Finally, we're on the elevator on the way up to our room with Dakota still humming one of the songs under her breath as she types on her phone.
"So, what do you wanna do tonight?" I lean back against the wall of the elevator. "I wanna shower first obviously because I smell like tomatoes and lunch meat but after that do you wanna—"
"Kellyyyyy," Dakota drawls, not looking up from her phone. "I told you I'm going out tonight."
My eyebrows shoot up. "Um, you most definitely did not. With who?"
She scowls at me as the elevator doors slide open. "Last night, remember? I have to rebound from Justin. I'm going to Mr. Chen's with Jack."
"Jack?" I echo as we head down the hall to our dorm. "Who the heck is Jack? And what is it with you and 'J' names?"
"Well, Justin was my first real relationship after Hunter so I felt like it could be a lucky letter." Dakota shrugs, continuing to text Jack, I guess.
I blink, not wanting to be rude but also feeling like she's being incredibly blind right now. "Dakota. Justin cheated on you. More than once. How—"
"Kelly," she interrupts me in a snappy tone that informs me the conversation is now over. "You've never been in a relationship so I really don't expect you to get it."
She forcefully unlocks and then swings the door open as I stand behind her, stunned.
Maybe she's right but ow.
I shut the door behind us in silence and we continue in silence as Dakota spends the next thirty minutes doing her hair and makeup while I shower.
By the time I'm done and walk out in the bedroom, she's nowhere to be seen.
I exhale in frustration as I walk around, aggressively drying my hair with a towel before switching to a blow dryer.
There's way more I could've said about Dakota and her past romances. Stuff that I've  wanted to comment on for years but I've always kept to myself.
For this exact reason. Maybe I'm too abrasive or maybe I am just talking about things I don't get but either way, I've consoled Dakota's helpless crying too many times to be wrong.
With my hair finally dried 2-3 business days later, I busy myself with getting laundry together to take home and wash tomorrow.
The second my hands land on my khakis, I flashback to putting Lake's number in my back pocket.
Good thing I remembered before I washed them.
Pulling out the piece of paper, I examine it again as it raises the question of why is that a good thing?
Would it matter if I lost his number in the washing machine?
It's not like I actually plan on using it.
If you ever need anything.
There's definitely nothing I need from him.
Even still, I find myself folding up the note and setting it on my jewelry dish that's sitting on my nightstand.
After putting that out of my mind, I decide to play some music to distract myself as I clean up around the dorm.
Everything that belongs to Dakota, I leave exactly where it's at because the last thing I need is her coming back and being upset about something else too.
If she even comes back.
I scoff out loud.
Considering she was home early last night and tonight is Friday, there's a good possibility she'll end up sleeping over with whoever this Jack guy is.
I shake my head, the pop music I have playing not even upbeat enough to lift my mood.
I busy myself with wiping down the kitchen counter but it only makes me more angry when I discover a chip in the granite that I thought was a stain I could get out but now I have to accept that it is permanently there.
Eventually, I set my laundry bag by the door and give up on everything else.
I have the whole weekend to finish.
I pad back into the bedroom area and plop down on my freshly made sheets and comforter.
My phone buzzes with a notification from some random app but it makes me think to check my messages.
I know I zero-worded Hunter yesterday but I do want to thank him again for actually making sure my car was returned to me.
So, keeping with the theme of our newest conversation, I type out: thanks again and hit send.
Zero context, just the way he does it.
After that, I spend a few mind-numbing hours on Zapp again, debating whether I should bother waiting up for Dakota or not.
Asking her will likely only make her madder so I just don't bother.
Eventually, I start getting hungry and when I get up to find something to eat, the paper on my nightstand catches my eye.
I pause, phone in hand, one leg off the bed.
What are you doing, Kelly?
I shake my head, walking off to rummage through the kitchen.
Five minutes later, I'm back with a Pb&J sandwich, a Diet Coke and a family sized bag of pretzel sticks.
I pause in the doorway to the bedroom, the paper virtually staring me down from where it's sitting.
I huff in annoyance, trying to ignore the weird feeling in the pit of my stomach.
Settling back into bed with my snacks, I last a good two minutes before my gaze drifts to the paper again.
I pick it up.
If you ever need anything.
The only thing I can think of needing from Lake is my jacket that I'm 99.9% sure he has. Other than that, I can't think of anything he could actually offer me.
He knows Hunter, of all people—which is a red flag in itself. Considering he was the one Hunter had return my car makes me wonder how close they are.
How well he knows him.
"...don't cover for your brother. I know him, I know how he is."
I let out a small scoff as Mom's words float into my head.
I've always felt like I know Hunter better than anyone. Mostly because I've always been the one that's had to be responsible for him.
He's always been a delinquent of sorts, getting into trouble, not following the rules—but something feels...different.
Like he's changed somehow, and not for the better.
I tap the paper against my fingers, thinking.
Are you really about to open that door, Kelly?
After a few seconds of pondering, I reach for my phone.
Maybe just a little bit.