peppermint to be // bronnie

v

"Ow! Fuck! Ronald, Come help me get this shit down!" Dave shouted from the back room.

It was five in the morning, two hours before the shop's opening hours and we finally decided to decorate for Christmas.

I made my way into the back room and to where Dave stood, trying to keep two boxes filled with decorations from falling over. I quickly rushed over to his aid and grabbed a box from him.

"What's in here?" I asked as we waddled out of the room.

"Ornaments, I think?" Dave replied. "I'm pretty sure the tree is in here." He was carrying a tall slender box, it was definitely the tree.

"Don't we a skirt-spread-shit thing to put down before the tree?"

"Hell if I know."

We sat the boxes down in front of the counter. "Vannucci, let me pitch you a deal." Dave huffed, leaning against the counter.

"Lay it on me, Keuning."

"I'll take care of all the indoor crap and you take care of the outside."

"Uh -- okay, I guess."

"Alright, we've got a deal."

I walked back into the back room and snatched up the box of Christmas lights.

"Ladder's somewhere in there too!" Dave called after me as I rushed to the door.

"Thanks, I know," I muttered. I say the box down by the door and went back to the back room. I took the ladder and carried it back to the door.

"Good luck!" Dave sang as I dragged the lights and the ladder outside.

I sat on the bench for a good half an hour untangling the lights. Then I tucked the chords underneath my arm and sat up the ladder. There was probably a safer way to put up the lights, but I wasn't really thinking too hard at the moment. Getting on the roof seemed like the only option.

Putting up the lights took about another half an hour and then I was back down the ladder. I was quite satisfied as I plugged it in and they lit up.

I walked back inside and saw that the Christmas spirit itself had vomited all over the shop. The tree sat decorated in the far right corner of the shop, tinsel lined the walls, lights hung from the counter. I wanted to laugh when I saw Dave hanging up stockings.

"This is actually great, Keuning," I complimented.

He quickly turned to me and grinned. "Yeah, I already feel like apologizing to our costumers who don't celebrate Christmas."

I grinned back at him, and for a moment we were just grinning at each other like a duo of fucking idiots.

****

If I said I wasn't waiting for Brandon for the better part of the morning, I would be lying. I stood at the register and with each opening of the front door, I felt a jolt in my heart. Eventually when the customers from the morning rush cleared out, my need for Brandon to walk in increased quite a bit.

"What's up, Ronald? You look like a lost dog waiting for his owner," Dave sighed, walking up behind me.

I couldn't even believe what happened next. My vocal chords betrayed me and I actually whimpered.

"My dude, it's okay, he going to come in," Dave chuckled.

I pouted, "why am I like this?"

Dave smiled, placing his hand on my shoulder, "there's been a bug going around and it usually spreads during the holidays. The bug, Ronnie, is called love."