GIRLS DON'T CRY

Chapter 2

 By the time I got home the rain was only a slight trickle. Before getting out of my truck I grabbed my bag and my still half full bottle of lemonade. Then with a huff I walked up the long red stoned path to my large house. The slight breeze from the rain caused the wind chime hanging on the front porch to make a tinkling sound. I smiled slightly at the familiar melody it made. I looked up at the angry gray sky and groaned knowing that the ice cream shop was going to be terribly slow today thanks to the storm. I grabbed the front door with the thought of ditching today and just getting started with my several homework assignments. Once inside I shook my head and said "Yeah right, like I would ever do that in a million years." The loud sound of crashing pots and pans brought me to the kitchen Where I found my mother looking wide eyed at the mess she made on the floor. "Hey mom." I said trying to hold back a giggle. It was just plain hilarious to see my mother trying so desperately to cook knowing full well she was the world's most worse cook. But day after day and year after year she tried to "whip up something spectacular" as she would say it. I must say that I do commend her for her efforts though no one but dad had enough guts to try her dinners. I could never understand why he tortured himself so but I guess that's what it meant to be truly in love with someone. "Hey hon how was your day." She asks as she wipes her forehead and bends down to pick up the pans. I shrug and say " It's not exactly over yet I'll get back to you after work." 

        " Okay will do." She says as she stuffs a pot under the sink. "Do you need help with that ?" I asked dropping my bag at the kitchen entrance. Mom waves me away and says " Nah you go and get ready for work you know how you are about being late. I nod and jog up stairs straight to my room. Right on my bed where I always put it before school is my Mick's Ice Cream Shop uniform ironed and folded. I snatch it up and head to the bathroom where I take a nice cold shower. I know for most people hot showers are a proper way to relax, don't get me wrong it is but right now I need to be wide awake. So I scrub my body until the skin is slightly pink and get out and pull on my clothes. Once done I rush to my room put on my crocks and rush downstairs. I scoop up my bag rush into the kitchen give my frazzled mother a quick kiss on the cheek and I'm out the door. When I hop back into my truck I hear " Crazier" by Taylor Swift playing and sigh loudly knowing that it's Daniel calling me. I pick up the phone and push the "ignore" button. "No, not right now Danny." I say to myself out loud. My drive to work was peaceful as the rain began to pick up again filling the silence and filling my thoughts. I finally pulled up at Mick's, parking directly in front of the shops entrance. 

              Before getting out I take a look at the time on my phone. I smile at   seeing that I was ten minutes early for work like always. I make it inside the shop managing to stay dry for the most part. At the counter Mick's seven month pregnant wife Cynthia swiftly takes orders and gives ice cream to eager customers. "Hello, my lovely." She says as I walk behind the counter to aid her. I smile and say " Hey to you too. How did you end up working the counter all by your lonesome?" Cynthia shrugs as she passes a little girl with no front teeth a strawberry ice cream cone. " Grace called in again and Joe went  to help Mick pick out another ice cream making machine to replace the broken one." I shook my head as I took a woman's order. "Well dont worry Sarah Janes here to save the day, promise." I say scooping chocolate ice cream into a medium sized cup. Cynthia giggles as she takes the last order from the large crowd around the counter.

                                                                                              ***

                       After the shop was cleared I pulled out my books and began to work on my report. Cynthia was sitting across from me with a bottle of water in her hand. " Whatcha workin on there, kiddo ?" She asks before she takes a sip of water. " Homework." I say as I jot down notes. Then suddenly the bell on the top of the door sounds. I look up to find a teenage boy and little girl walk in. Cynthia prepares to get up with a grunt gripping tightly to the back of the chair. "I got it." I say as I put down my pencil. She gave me a thankful smile that was a bright contrast with her slightly tanned skin. I swiftly walked behind the counter and gave them the shop welcome. " Welcome to Mick's Ice Cream Shop. What would you like today?" The little girl looks through the glass intently trying to decide what flavor she would want. The teenage boy who looked around my age or a little older spoke up. " Uh you know what? Little bit here will take a cookies and cream cone, right?" He says looking down at her with a soft smile. The little girl looked up at me her gray eyes gleaming and said " Yeah Marc dats what I want." The guy named Marc looked up with the same smile and said " How much is that gonna be?" I quickly rung it up and said" A dollar twenty- five."He hands over the money and our hands touch for a second. A small spark of electricity came from his hand that caused me to pull my hand back. I blushed and apologized before they left to go back out into the dying storm.