chronicles of charisma

𝐢.𝐢𝐢𝐢 - 𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐜

chapter three - alec winters

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❝Louis, I think this is the

beginning of a beautiful friendship.❞

—Casablanca (1943)

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Something interesting about my workplace is that we only have one computer with only one purpose, and that purpose is to check our schedules. It's an old, run-down Microsoft computer, the office kind, so broken that it doesn't even let you play Snake on Chrome. And so, I check my schedule since there's nothing else to do. 

Ennui.

Rocking in the swivel chair (the only good thing at this desk) and opening the daily schedule, I find that I don't have any guitar lessons today (hurrah!), the 6 coming in today are only scheduled for Otto and Sarah, (Sarah's my other coworker). Having no lessons is both a blessing and a curse, because I love the guitar like a religion, and I love playing it more, but I just cannot tolerate slow learners. At all. 

So I celebrate on not having to teach anyone.

 But then the curse side rolls along, which reveals that I have to spend the rest of the shift - Which is what? Six, seven hours? - tuning guitars and waiting for people to walk in to greet them and idle, with a fake smile on my face when they're around (we get breaks, of course, but still).

Ennui.

Usually, though, they don't. Customers, I mean. Even though this is a pretty busy area, we don't get a lot of visitors, students, et cetera. Mostly musicians who need their instruments fixed or need a new one. Which, I suppose, in some cases, isn't bad if you like being alone. And, I don't mind working solo, but for that long?

Yeah, no, not for me.

"Hey, you've got a lesson in ten," I tell Otto, who has just finished tuning the guitar he was holding. He plays a G major 7 chord, which I know is one of his favorites, and slowly looks up at me with a distasteful expression on his face. 

Unlike me, Otto's great at helping and teaching the people who come here, but the reason he has a grimace on his face is because he hates it more than anyone. This is due to our boss (who NEVER shows up anyway) one day notices Otto's amazing people skills, and gives Otto the most lessons out of the three of us (thankfully, boss-man also noticed my horrible people skills and gave me like, two people to teach). 

Sarah and I pity Otto, so sometimes we trade lessons with him in exchange for favors (like closing up the shop, going out to get us all coffee, you get the gist), though, so we're all more equal.

Returning to Otto's reaction to the news of his upcoming lesson: exactly what I expected. "Fuckkkkkk, really? I didn't even check the computer today, I thought it would be an easy day... Can you just- Tell me how many people I have, Alec," he says, pained. I hold up 4 fingers. Our lessons range from 30 minutes to an hour and a half long. And our shifts are about six or seven hours. You get why he's so pained. Otto groaned and slumped his head onto his hands. With my chair, I roll over to my best friend and pat his back sympathetically.

"I'd trade with you, but I also want you to suffer, so..." I say with a smirk, receiving in turn Otto's middle finger in my face. I start laughing, and soon Otto joins in too. "Oh, and by the way, Otto, do y'know when Sarah's gonna get here? 'Cause uh...she has a lesson in like, three minutes and there's no way I'm covering it." I say with mock seriousness.