"So you go to Jupiter High?"
"Yes," I answered tearing at the hem of my shorts as I squirmed under the scrutiny of the very large man sitting across from me in the booth. "I'm, uh, in my last year actually."
"Interesting," he said nodding his head up and down. "Why do you want to work here?" he asked her.
"Because I need a job?" I joked questioningly.
The owner of the bakery stared at me and blinked. I internally winced at my stupidity but still kept my face composed on the outside. Then the owner smiled at me.
"Great," he chuckled his whole demeanor changing. "You're hired."
"Really?" I asked in surprise while I shook his hand. "When can I start?"
"Can you start today?" he asked passing me a hat that had the bakery's name on it, along with a matching apron.
"Sure," I said my voice squeaking in surprise as I put them on.
"Great," he said his voice becoming very serious and businesslike. "All of the ingredients for the pastries are in the kitchen and the recipes are in the big recipe book on the top shelf. Shouldn't be too hard. If you need anything, I'm in the office all the way in the back and River is coming in soon so he can help you get used to everything." While he had been talking he had been pushing me into the kitchen.
I looked around shocked and confused. I guess I got the job?
"I'm Dan, by the way," the large man boomed as he walked away to what I assumed to be his office.
I looked around my new workspace and soaked it all in. It looked like one of those retro old fashioned kitchens.
I decided to get to work, or at least seem like I was working. I peeked up at the cabinets until I found the one that had what looked like a thick book on top of it. I climbed up on the countertop and I stealthily grabbed the heavy book.
Since I was given no further instruction and I was very new, I decided to open it to a random page and make whatever I opened up on.
Drop Dough Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.
Figures I would get the worst cookie ever invented.
I plugged my phone into a speaker, pressed play on a random playlist, and got to work looking for ingredients.
I was like a ninja, in my zone while I darted from cabinet to fridge and fridge to cabinet. A song I didn't really know came on but it helped me get a good rhythm.
"What are you doing?" a voice spoke. In a fit of surprise, I ended up throwing the bowl that I had been stirring up in the air.
"Oh fuck fuck fuck," I groaned as I tried to rescue what I had just spent the better half of an hour working on. I tried to grab a towel and scoop it up, but when that didn't work I resigned myself to watching it ooze off the side of the silver stainless steel countertop.
I finally turned around to look at who spoke and realized it was the pale guy from the job fair.
"Hi," I said cheerily, cringing on the inside for making such a mess. "You, uh, startled me."
The boy sighed and opened a drawer that had cloths. He passed me one, walked around me, and started cleaning up the mess.
"I'm Enna by the way," I say, staying where I stood. "I mean you know that already." He turned and gave me a look with his brows furrowed. "You know from the job fair last week..." I trailed off nervously. His muddy brown eyes burned a hole through me and I couldn't do anything aside from wring the cloth in my hands.
"I know who you are," he answered me, to which I let out a small sigh of relief.
His piercing gaze looked me over and I rocked awkwardly on the balls of my feet.
"So are you going to help clean up your mess?" He asked after awhile.
"Right," I said quickly darting to help him clean. "Sorry about that. I didn't realize you were behind me and I was super focused and-"
"It's fine," He interrupted, throwing his cloth into the trash, the mess having now been cleaned. He disappeared into a room and I stayed where I stood confused by the whole exchange. He looked different today. Less flushed and sweaty, more sleep deprived. I wonder what his deal was. He must be new to town because I don't remember him going to my school or anything like that.
"Talking a lot."
