Meeting the Jokers

Part 1

Make sure the café is clean for when the TV crew arrive, my bosses message threw fireworks over my screen. I mopped, cleaned the tables and made sure wherever our logo was, it was in front of where the camera was supposed to stand.

I hadn't been told who was coming- I expected Brad Pitt in a scene where he fights burglars in the mall. It was a long shot but maybe it could kick start a better life for me.

The assistant manager, Katie, was pacing up and down, muttering things like 'has the floor been cleaned? Yes. Should I change the specials? No. I already did.'

After I rewiped the tables, I tidied the clutter and made my way to the producers.

"Hey, excuse me?" I asked.

A man, who seemed a few years older than me, turned around, blowfish hair and big eyebrows, "yeah?"

"Will I need to leave or do you want me to stay here?"

"Oh stay here. It's just like your usual days work, but we're filming. Oh, and hell might break loose but stay calm," he winked, "I'm Casey."

"Olivia." I shook his hand.

"So, remind me, what are the actors doing?"

"Oh, they're not actors... far from it. They're just pranksters being told what to say in front of unsuspecting customers," he hadn't looked at me the whole time he said it, but was helping the director tilt the camera.

"And this big camera won't give it away."

"Olivia... there's a few things you need to know. Leave the technical stuff to the pros, and leave the pros to the technical stuff," he patted my shoulder and swayed away, pointing towards the specials board and table talkers.

I shrugged, like I do through life, and went behind the cash register, 5 minutes before the store opened. Before the cameras began rolling.

"Hey, excuse me?"

I focused from the till to the man standing in front of me, his hair as dark as the night, with emerald eyes.

"Yeah?"

"How much is a smoothie?"

"It's actually not open yet..." I cringed, then realising my mistake, "are you one of the pranksters?"

"Yeah, I'm Sal."

"Hi," I beamed, "if you need anything just ask."

"Thanks, absolutely. Also, if you see Q, tell him I found the sushi store," he bent down and laughed, "he hates sushi."

"Right. And Q is?"

"Just look for the guy with long hair... looks like he's homeless, wearing a green hoodie."

"Sure. Well, good luck."

"Thanks," he winked.

Wow, I thought, the first genuine guy I've met in a while.

The cameras began rolling and in the corner of my eye I knew the camera was facing me, recording my every move. But I stayed calm, made the smoothies and mentally jotted down the directions to the sushi store.

One of the jokers took an apron from the peg and put it on backwards, to which I snorted.

"You got a problem with me?" He yelled. He had long hair, just like Sal had said, with an overgrown beard.

"Hey, are you Q?" I whispered.

"Yeah." He learn over the counter and whispered, staring intently into my eyes.

"Sal told me to tell you he found a sushi bar... it's downstairs and to the left."

The was a short pause, then he yelled, "up your ass and to the left?"

"No... downstairs and to the left."

He shook his head, mumbling, and carried on shouting to the next customers. I couldn't help cringing, at how embarrassing it must be. The customers were most likely on their way to work- stressed; want to be left alone. They don't want a middle aged man swearing and yelling and dancing around them.

"I'm really sorry," Q said, after just 5 minutes of jumping round, "my friends are jerks."

"I got that," I smiled, "but that sushi place..."

He patted the counter and paced backwards, "say no more. I'm not going."

Sal secretly threw me a thumbs up and I knew I had found the guys I wouldn't forget about. Even if there was 2 more to meet.