Smash!

•F O U R T E E N•

Jamie's POV

"You're back early." Riley greets me from the couch as I open the door. Well, maybe greet isn't the correct word. He doesn't even look up from his phone.

"It's odd, right? That's because I just had an odd day." I say, plopping down on the ledge of the couch I start to fold up my apron. "First, my boss opened the store for me. Which never happens. Then he offered me an extra lunch break, and gave me the rest of the day off. He didn't spilt the tip jar either. Wait, it gets odder. Out of nowhere he gave me a promotion! With a pay raise! A big one!" I explain.

"Oh god, maybe he's back on drugs." I gasp at my realization. It would explain his sudden spilt personality. Last time he was using my boss tried baking the world's biggest cake, and got first degree burns.

"I doubt a few nice gestures means pounds of cocaine." Riley scoffs. "Just take the money, and don't ask questions." Riley adds, not looking up from his phone.

"I guess," I start, with a shrug. "But why now? Why is he treating me like a human being all of sudden?" I ponder.

"Maybe the union caught up with him." Riley jokes.

"Wait!" I fish through my pocket. "It gets even odder. Look what was in the tip jar!" I show Riley the crinkled up hundred dollar bill. The green bill looks like it was wedged into a hooker's gstring, but who cares? It's a Benjamin! The dark hair guy whistles, a small smirk on his face.

"You could rent a male hooker with that money. How are you going to spend that money?" Riley questions.

"On groceries!"

"... really, you loser?"

------

"This is your idea of splurging, huh?" Riley asks dryly as I push a black shopping cart around the produce section. Nodding enthusiastically I inspect a bushel of green asparagus.

"Most people our age go to the mall, or get weed." Riley comments, scrunching up his nose at the stocks asparagus.

"I might have the body of a twenty year old, but I'm actually Benjamin Buttoning. Thus, I'm eighty." I joke, lovingly gazing down at the squash.

"That would be a lot funnier if it didn't explain a lot of things." Riley scoffs, pushing the cart out of the produce aisle.

"H... hey! Wait for me, Riley." I rush after him. "The vegetables are that way!" I point back at the piles of apples.

"And I'm going this way." He points down the snack aisle.

"Blah." I gag.

"I don't judge your life choices, you don't judge mine." Riley says, nudging me back towards the vegetables and fruits. "Meet me in the frozens." He adds as he pulls bags of chips off the shelves. Cringing, I choose to look away and go back to where I belong; the produce aisle. I stock up on just about everything green. Every leaf. Every bushel and stock. With an armful of fruits and veggies I cross to the other side of the market to the frozen section. I find Riley with his dark head inside in a foggy industrial freezer filled with ice cream.

"Oh, come on."

"Don't judge." Riley jabs a finger in my direction.