Advice

15. corner store

~ summer hiatus!!! did not mean to do that. anyways hello!!! i hope you guys have had a wonderful summer!! mines been pretty good!! also my birthday is in a week wahahahaha!!!! ~

(Uhhh i cant remember what time skip equated to so we're gonna go with a good old ///)

"My god, how long has it been since she started that call?!" I leaned into the plush of the couch, bringing a hand to my forehead. "It's been like a gazillion years. Man, Paints', I think I'm getting gray hairs. Can I go check on her?"

Painty taps their fingers on the counter. They're working on cleaning up my kitchen mess (which I offered to help with but they insisted on doing it on their own. What a cruel world we live in...) "Hm. Yeah, I think we're better off just leaving her be. Let's go to the store; I kinda wanted to eat that ramen." They narrowed their eyes, giving me a death glare. "Including the vegetables."

"...blah.

Oh hey!!! We should like- make it homemade. Like uh... get the noodles and meat and stuff separately. Then we can have enough for Testy too!!"

They rub a wet cloth against the counter, moving a dry one in its wake. "I thought you could only cook toast. And cup noodles."

"I can improvise. 'Quite the chef. I'm good with flavor. Yeah."

"Alright, one sec." They begin to open drawers around their kitchen, possibly searching for something. They pull out an envelope, bringing up a small wad of cash. "I've been saving this up for a long, long time to have a nice dinner sometime. I guess it's the night." Realization crosses their face and they quickly pull a twenty from their pocket. "I got this as a tip this morning." They tap a finger on the single purple card on their fridge. "From a therapist. 'Might give this to Test Tube.

...

Though she may take it the wrong way, so never mind" They shrug, stuffing the bills back into the envelope. I stand from the couch and hold out my hands.

"Lighty, I'm not giving you the envelope filled with basically my life's savings," they deadpan.

"Awww c'mon. I'm so super safe. I'm a ninja. The best one."

"Oh, fine." They carefully place the paper into my hands and point a finger at my forehead. "If you lose that envelope, you will be dead where you stand."

I push their hand from my face and shrug. "Don't worry your silly little head."

"I wasn't joking."

"Oh blah, blah, blah.

Hey, why didn't you take your bike earlier when you went to the pay phone? I mean- you couldn't have guessed that you were gonna have another person with you on the way back..."

"Cause I'm an idiot."

"Oh yes. So very true."

///

A brisk walk down the street from our apartment was a small corner store that apparently had all the ingredients we needed. No clue how since the place is the size of Painty's living room- but whatevs.

Painty shoots a finger gun towards the cashier as we mosey our way to the back of the store; filled with massive packs of vegetables. They grab a basket and begin to slide in bags of mushrooms and scallions. "Can you grab a bottle of cooking wine for me? I can probably find everything else. Oh- and some chicken breasts as well, maybe about four, that would be great."

"Yeah, sure!"

"Thanks, Lighty."

"Yup yup." I turn towards a different aisle, steadily glazing my eyes over the shelves.