Summer Mind Games

Chapter 1

It's May first, I am back from University and starting my summer job my parents got me. I am excited to start it, I have just been sitting at home alone for the last month. My cousin is working with me too so at least I already know somebody. I wake up at 5:30 because I need to be two towns over by 7. I throw on some leggings and a t- shirt they gave us to wear today. I throw my blonde hair into a ponytail and put on some concealer and mascara. Then I run upstairs and fill up a water bottle, grab my lunch, and slip on my steel toed running shoes I had to get for this job. Never did I think I would be working a job that requires wearing steel toed shoes. I get in the car and drive in with my step dad. We finally get there and my step dad goes into his shop with this coworkers and I walk up to the front office by myself. As I am walking in Erika grabs me, my cousin. She also has long blonde hair and blue eyes. We don't look identical that is for sure but the resemblance is there. 

"Mack! I'm kinda scared to go in, but this guy I am talking to is working here too." 

"No way, where did you meet him? He is going to have to see you in this nasty outfit lol" 

"He dm'd me a few days ago, we have been texting the whole time, he should be getting here soon too. His name is Brayden, don't say anything if we see him though." 

"Okay I won't, but I am going to tell you if he is super ugly just a warning." 

We laugh and walk into the break room. This is where the training is going to take place today. A full day dedicated to learning how not to kill ourselves with a lawn mower, which granted I have no idea how to use. Erika and I find a seat near the front and look around the room. There are a few people here already. There are a few girls that are quiet looking and to themselves in the back row chatting to each other politely, I doubt they know each other. I see a blond guy that I went to high school with but never really talked to, a mousy looking boy, a tan girl with dark hair, and a few huge burly guys which I have no idea how they can be in their second year of university like the job indicated you had to be. After a little bit Brayden walks in with two friends. Brayden is tall and dark haired, nothing special to my eyes but Erika thinks he is gods gift to the earth. His friends are two guys, one is tan and latino, and the other white with brown hair and blue eyes. The one catches my eye. Brayden comes over and starts talking to Erika and she introduces us. I say hi politely and he asks if we are related. I quickly lose interest in the conversation as they are talking about inside jokes they have developed over text. This is going to be a long summer if she ditches me for him every day. I sit on my phone and scroll instagram but there is nothing good this early in the morning. When there is about ten minutes until the day is supposed to start I walk over to the coffee maker and grab a cup, as I am looking around in the cupboard for the sugar the boy with the blue eyes comes and grabs it off the top shelf for me. I am only 5'4 and have a hard time seeing up high sometimes. I smile and thank him, trying to hide my blushing. 

"Hi, I am Carson what is your name?"

"I'm Mackenzie. Thanks for helping me lol, I'll bring a stool for tomorrow." 

"No problem, I like being made useful." 

Just as we finish talking the presenter comes in and we hurry back to our seats to get started. The presenter starts by making us sign a bunch of papers and then runs us through a million safety Power Points that nobody is really listen to except for the mousy boy I saw this morning. I try to pay attention for as long as I can but my mind keep wandering and after a while I find myself thinking about Carson. He is cute, not usually my type but I guess a summer fling sounds like fun. I have grown up trying to use this as little as possible because I have learned that I just get my feelings hurt when I use it but against my better judgement I decide to figure out what he is thinking about. 

~Damn, Erika is hot, Brayden was right but he dm'd the wrong friend. I wonder if they are related. Her pants are so tight, I can see every curve on her body. And her blonde hair. She kinda looks like Stacey. ~

I smile to myself, I was hoping he was thinking about me too. I make a note to myself to figure out who Stacey is. I sit through the rest of the morning and then we eat lunch outside. I sit in between Erika and the boy from my highschool. We start talking about some of our friends we have in common and what our parents do in the company to get us the jobs. I offer him a ride home with my step dad and I because he lives on the way home. After lunch we need to pick groups of 6 and split up into trucks, then we are going to get sent to different schools to do work. Who we pick work with us for the rest of the summer. I know I am going to be with Erika but I start stressing about who to pick. 

Lunch is over and we start making our way over to the lot with the trucks and piling into them. Erika grabs me and brings me to the truck Brayden is going to be driving and because Brayden is there so are his friends. Our supervisor tells us that one group will get two trucks because we have weird numbers so Callum (the boy from my highschool) and the mousy boy and the tan girl from earlier go into the other truck and tell us they will meet us at the school. 

Erika and Brayden sit in the front of the truck and I am sitting in the back in between Carson and his friend. I listen in again. 

~Her leg is grazing against mine, I wonder if she would mind if I put my hand on it. Fuck she might have a boyfriend. Her lockscreen isn't anyone. I don't really like how much makeup she has on though.~

I sit there for the drive and more consciously hold my legs to myself letting them lean against him on the turns. We make small talk and listen to the radio on the drive over with the windows open.