Rival Morality BxB

1

"Toss me a rag!"

I obliged and threw the light blue cloth towards the cook. I had been working at the diner for several years now; since I was 15. My dad left the picture shortly after my twin sisters were born leaving my mom to work several tedious jobs. Still, the income was not enough to cover our financial needs. To help compensate, I spend every second working at The Diner and collecting tips whenever I wasn't at hockey practice, taking care of my sisters, or at school.

It was almost 10:00 P.M. I began to close up as much as I could so that I could get home to my sisters. Then, the bell, signaling a new patron, dinged with the creak of an opening door. Rowan.

Rowan and I were rivals. I was the captain of my school's hockey team and Rowan was the captain of his. I, a forward; Rowan, a defender. We were constantly put at odds and had only one thing in common: we hated each other.

It wasn't uncommon for Rowan to show up at The Diner with his friends and try their best to inconvenience my job. Rowan and his two signature lackeys file in and scoot down into a booth.

"What's a man gotta do to get some service around here!" Rowan theatrically announces and his little group of assholes laughs.

"I'm sure you could just ask one of your friends to service you," I retort. "And we're closed."

"It's 9:54."

"Oh, so you can read?"

"Oliver," the cook says in a warning tone. "Customers are customers."

I glared at the back of Cook's head and reluctantly went to take their orders. "What do you want?"

"How about a smile for us?"

"How about my fist in your face?"

"I'd love to see you try. You haven't done a single thing wrong in your entire life."

I gritted my teeth and repeated, "What do you want?"

"We'll take 3 milkshakes. Chocolate."

And with that, I turned on my heel and walked behind the bar, scooping ice cream into three cups.

~

The three boys had kept me twenty-two minutes past the end of his shift. I finished cleaning off their table and slipped their measly twelve cent tip in my pocket. I peeled off my apron and hung it on the hook.

I walked out towards my bike, the one I'd been riding to work and back for years, and started pedaling towards home.

As usual, my mother's car wasn't in the driveway. I pulled out my keys and unlocked the door, shuffling inside.

"Oliver!" Isabel yelled when she heard him come through the door.

I plastered a smile on my face and gave my sister a hug. "Hey, how was school?"

"It was okay. By the way, the lunch lady said we need to add more money in our accounts if we want to buy a meal tomorrow."

I groaned internally and fished a 20 out of my pocket. I was planning to use it for my own lunch this week, but I'd survive without it.

"Here you go," I said as I ruffled Isabel's hair.

"Where's Ava?"

"I believe it's that time of the month for her," Isabel giggled.

"Does she need anything?"

"We're running low, but it should be fine for a couple days."

"Good, I'll pick some up after work tomorrow. Did you eat?"

"Yes, and I know, I know. I'll go to bed soon. Just wanted to catch you before you turned in for the night."

I smiled and replied, "You know you can come get me whenever, right?"

"I know," Isabel said with a yawn. "Goodnight."

"Night."

I waited until she went up to the room she shared with her twin before I quickly did the dishes and tried to clean up as much as possible. I jotted down a quick reminder to pick up sanitary products for the next day and folded the note into my wallet. I already felt like a dead man walking, but I still had a few more things to do before I could finally sleep.

I finished the remaining tasks and went to bed with the sound of birds chirping. A scant 30 minutes later my alarm rang. I rolled out of bed to start my daily routine and to get the twin sisters ready for school.

~

731