And That's How It Happened

Chapter 6 | Day 6 & 7 | I Beg Of You

Song of the Chapter: Cover of Smooth Criminal by Naya Rivera (Santana Lopez) and Grant Gustin (Sebastian Smythe) on Glee

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The next day, at ten o'clock, I'm scooping ice cream for people who shouldn't be eating sugar at this time. But it's sugar. Who can blame them?

"Hey, Baby Doll."

"What's up, Hotshot?"

"I'll take the usual."

"You know how unhealthy this is?" I ask while scooping mint chocolate chip onto a scoop of peppermint.

"You're trying to talk me out buying something which will make you money?"

I roll my eyes as I pass him the cone. He smirks at me and gives me a twenty, placing the change in the tip jar. I smile slightly to myself as he walks away.

"Hey, don't forget, you owe me a trip to the bookstore!" I yell as he walks back to his friends. Who I notice has a different set of girls.

He merely lifts a hand in response to show that he heard me. Grinning to myself, I push my glasses up my nose and wipe down the counter and wait for the next customer.

At about three o'clock, Hotshot comes back in alone.

"Ready, Baby Doll?"

"Yeah, hold on."

I take off my apron and visor and grab my messenger bag. Following him out, he leads us to a small bookstore around the corner. The inside is actually a lot bigger than the outside. There's a circular rod above the door holding a curtain when I step in. To my left, there is a counter and behind it, a perky looking woman, watching all her customers.

"Welcome to The Nook! Please help yourself to anything here, we have refreshments scattered around the store. Ask if you need anything!"

I smile at her and Hotshot perks up at the sound of food. To my right is a little window seat with a table next to it holding lemonade and snickerdoodles. I wander to the shelves and pick out any books that sound interesting. Hotshot is behind me, doing the heavy work of carrying all the books I pick out. I find The Treatment and squeal with joy. I've been looking for this but none of the libraries happen to have it. Placing it on top of the stack, I see that it's now ten books high. Maybe that's enough. Considering I won't get to keep them. I feel terrible. I'm basically using Hotshot and he hasn't done anything that terrible to me.

"Are you okay?" He asks.

"Yeah, why?" I reply, trying to put on a neutral face.

"Well, you looked worried just then and I saw you cover it up," he points out.

He steps closer to me and I push my glasses up my nose, nervous. I hate the fact that he can read me so well. He barely knows me.

"I'm fine," I snap.

"Okay!" He says defensively.

"You know what? I can't do this anymore. You don't have to repay me at all. Just be happy you got laid," I say, taking the books from his hands and putting them on a table as I walk away.

He stands there, mouth open and I feel kind of guilty. But he is prying too much into my life. I have to stay as breezy as possible. He knows I'm hiding something and I have to keep it buried as far down as possible. Who knows what'll happen if I don't.

...

When I get back to the hotel after my shift, my family is standing in the lobby in front of the check-in desk.