[OLD] Deep Underground

24. An Unplanned Role

Stumbling through the open doors of the pizza establishment, bone tired, at eight o'clock at night was not how I planned my Monday evening. Opening the glass doors of the main party room, I was met with the excited screams of children, and an over abundance of bright and colorful lights. Way too bright for night time. On a Monday especially. I thought grumpily.

Nodding a hello to the receptionist at the desk, I made my way through the room, purposely weaving through the crowds of excited children. I felt my phone buzz in my pocket with a text. I pulled it out, continuing to make my way across the room. Has it always been this big?

Glancing at the screen of my phone, I saw the text was from Mike.

Here yet?

My phone buzzed again.

Waiting for u. So slow. 🙄

I rolled my eyes, scoffing at his sarcasm, before responding.

In main p. room. So many kids today...?

I actually was confused over the apparent abundance of children. Sure, the location was popular, but there was easily enough people to completely fluster most of the staff. Glancing up, I saw a staff member trying to separate a group of boys across the room, fighting over a plushie of some sort. She looked absolutely exhausted. I winced in sympathy. My phone buzzed.

Special event. Pizza deal I think? Maybe prize corner?

I hummed slightly in understanding. From what I'd picked up, deal days were the worse for the day shift. Finally making it to the hallway, I managed to extract myself from the crowd of children and slip into one of the Employees Only Rooms. Walking over to it, I was surprised to see it open right in front of me, before crashing into something solid.

I groaned as I hit the ground, rubbing my head. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to make the black spots that danced across my vision disappear.

Without warning, my arm was grabbed, before I was jerked up roughly, and thrown through the open door. It slammed shut behind me, and I turned to glare at it, and whoever was behind me. "Rude." I grumbled quietly.

Pulling myself to my feet, I sighed, exasperated. Wrong room. My guess was Mike had wanted to meet me in the other Employee's Only room. This was clearly a dressing room of sorts. I walked over to the door and pulled on the handle.

But it didn't budge.

Frowning, I jiggled the handle a few more times. The store still remained firmly shut. I scowled. Locked.

I jumped slightly, hearing loud yelling start up at the opposite end of the room, steadily getting louder. I stared at the door on that end of the dressing room. Within seconds, it opened and two women and a man walked out, bickering over something.

"I told you, I will not perform unless you find a replacement for her!" One of the women snarled, folding her arms over her chest. There was a slight accent to her words. She was dressed in strange attire— a blue leotard that didn't exactly seem, ahem, appropriate enough for a kids' pizza place and a purple tutu, with small gold bells attached to its frills. Her face, arms, and legs looked as though they had been painted a metallic white color. Despite this, her makeup looked overall half done, and her hair hung in messy brown frills down her face. So, Leotard Lady.

"Well, the boss has yet to send someone yet so looks like you're gonna be alone this round Dancey—" The male, dressed extravagantly in a white and... bright pink suit with white heeled boots began to retort. The male, like the female, appeared to have white painted skin, with black lines drawn around some of his limbs. His face was covered in stage makeup and he wore what I assumed to be a long-haired white wig, done in a low ponytail. Faux white and pink ears were nestled in the pure white hair. And... Cupid?