sunflower 🌻 [byler]

preface

“ahoy!” he forced just another smile for the sake of his newly found summer job, “what can i get you?”

“uh, you're new,” he nodded for the nth time as everyone kept pointing that out, “can i get a mint chocolate one?”

“mint chocolate? interesting choice,” and now, he forced a laugh out of the awkwardness of the conversation, “coming right up!”

do not take him wrong, he is having fun... at first, but with the amount of people searching for steve when there he is enthusiastically waiting for them to say their flavor of choice is quite offending.

he scooped three times out of the tub and gave the man the ice cream he wanted. he served three little girls with their favorite strawberries and cream and came after a group of boys the same age he was.

“ahoy!” another smile plastered on his face, only this time it wasn't forced, “what can i get you?”

“chocolate,” the boy smiled at him, he then asked about the other two, “make that three.”

as he was getting the chocolate flavored ice cream for them, he cannot think about the fact that he was the first person to not be asking about steve.

“here,” he handed each of the cones to them, the two boys rushed on the vacant seats where the mint chocolate man sat by himself, and left the other at the counter, “hi.”

“hey,” he was still smiling.

“hope you enjoy the ice cream,” he shyly said, as he gave back the smile the boy was giving.

“sure,” the boy raised the ice cream to show him that he will, “i'm mike.”

“uhm, i-” he was interrupted by a phone ringing, it was not his, he is not allowed to bring a phone to the counter, he does not even have a pocket to put it into.

it was the boy's, “i have to go.”

as the boy ran to his friends and left the shop altogether, the sliding window from the back opened.

“hope you enjoy the ice cream,” robin beamed with a mocking tone, “can’t believe i’ll have to make another tally.”

“stop robin, i’m not steve,” he exclaimed right before another customer came, “ahoy!”