Smile Like You Mean It (One)

Chapter Twenty

Sal sat at the counter, his head resting atop of his hand, as his eyes slowly drooped shut. He was fighting to stay awake at work, with only two hours left to go on his shift for the evening. He had purposely opted for the evening shift, so that he could get home slightly earlier to spend some quality time with Bryony. It felt like forever since they last had time to themselves properly, not just passing ships in the night.

The entrance to the movie theatre opened, as Joe let Bessy step in first, immediately reconnecting their hands together, as they made their way up to the front desk, only coming to find Sal asleep. Joe cleared his throat, gaining no reaction out of the boy, before he took action into his own hands. He pulled at Sal's arm, causing his head to fall down and smash against the countertop.

"Ah!" Sal exclaimed, holding a hand to his head, as he looked up to find Joe and Bessy staring at him. "The hell was that for, Joe?"

"Two tickets to Sleepless in Seattle please."

"You are unbelievable sometimes." Sal muttered, as Joe shrugged his shoulders.

"You were asleep...what else was I supposed to do?"

"How about wake me up like a normal person would, you know, by tapping me on the shoulder!" Sal spat, causing Joe to flinch slightly.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of bed this morning." Joe commented.

"I'm sorry," Sal sighed. "I just...I'm exhausted, what with full time school, and always working here to bring in enough money to afford to live. It's catching up on me."

"Can't you ask your parents for some help?" Bessy asked cautiously. Sal shook his head, as a frown played on his lips.

"They want nothing to do with me." He replied, as he turned to fill up a bucket of popcorn for the couple.

"Surely they'd be willing to help if you were stuck?" She continued.

"My father doesn't even see me as his son anymore..." He sighed deeply.

"What about your mother?"

"She's...I don't know...she's just disappointed in me." Sal shrugged, as he passed the tickets to Joe. "Enjoy the film."

"Things will get better, Buddy, I promise." Joe smiled, as they stepped away and made their way down to their numbered screen.

Sal looked around the empty lobby, sighing to himself. He saw his manager walk out of the back room, as he strolled over to Sal, smiling at the boy. He handed Sal a small slip, as he looked at the check in his hands. Sal looked up at the man, perplexity staining his features.

"W-What's this for, Sir?" He asked.

"A bonus for all of the hard work you've been putting in, Son. You've really made a great start here, and I can't thank you enough for all of the shifts you've covered. I know that times are tough for you, and I wanted to give you a proper welcome to the team."

"Thank you, Sir...but I-I can't accept this. What about other staff members, it's not fair on them."

The man held his hands up to Sal, shaking his head.

"They got the same, Son. Please, just take it, and make sure that you spend it wisely." He laughed, as Sal shook him by the hand. "Go on, you go home. I can cover the rest of the night."

"Are you sure?" Sal asked, as the man nodded his head.

"Positive."

Sal shook him by the hand once more, before racing into the back room, grabbing his bag, as he slipped his hoodie over his shoulders and zipped it up. He stepped back out into the lobby, seeing his manager sat at the counter, awaiting for any more customers.