love me - stranger things²

[015] dock house.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

dock house.

JENNIFER LOOKED UP AT THE CLOCK FOR WHAT FELT LIKE THE HUNDREDTH TIME, A GROAN OF ANNOYANCE LEAVING HER LIPS WHEN SHE SAW THE TIME. She'd come to the conclusion that Eddie wouldn't be coming into work today considering he was already two hours late. It wasn't the first time the boy had skipped work without letting anyone know, but it didn't make it any less annoying. 

Once she finished ringing up the customer she was dealing with, Jennifer game him a vague smile as he walked out. The door bell rang, the door closing behind the middle-aged man; in response, Jennifer let out a groan, one of her hands coming up to massage her aching neck. 

The girl stepped out from behind the register, pulling out a box full of cassettes and began stocking them onto the small spinning shelf that sat on the counter. Jennifer's hand reached into her jacket pocket, pulling out a lighter and her pack of cigarettes, quickly putting one between her lips and lighting the end of it. 

She inhaled deeply before exhaling, a cloud of smoke coming out of her mouth when the door bell rang again. With her back facing the door, the girl lightly rolled her eyes before turning around, surprised to see Max and Dustin, along with Steve and Robin who, she believed, were supposed to be working. "What the hell are you guys doing here?" She questioned, taking the cigarette from her lips and flicking the ash off into the ashtray that sat on the counter. 

"Come on, we need your help to find Eddie." Dustin was the first to speak.

Jennifer furrowed her brows in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"That kid that was murdered? It happened in his trailer." The girls eyes widened.

"Whoa, whoa whoa. I'm sorry? What murder?"

"Didn't you hear? Someone from our school was murdered." Robin now spoke up.

"Uh, no. I haven't had time to turn on the radio let alone actually listen to it. Munson's almost three hours late, and I've already accepted that he's skipping work, but that doesn't excuse the fact he didn't call in so now I'm doing all the work on our busiest day of the week." She ranted for a moment, taking another hit from her cigarette which earned an unimpressed look from Robin.

"Come on, please, we need your help." Dustin spoke up again, pleading with the older girl.

Jennifer stepped behind the register, the action silently telling them that she wasn't just going to up and leave her shift that easily. "Didn't you hear what I just said? It's our busiest day of the week and I'm literally the only person here." She complained.