Ethereal | RJ (HSMTMTS)

Part 3

Ricky's POV

I think there might be some in Michigan. Or New York. Or maybe Oregon. Oregon sounds right. I don't know if that's right. There are none in Utah. But apparently they're everywhere in Canada. Even a small town like Stale has a Tim Hortons, and it's strategically located directly across the street from the police station. Somehow, it's busy in here. By busy I mean there are, like, ten people all sitting and chatting with coffee and food. Two of them are RCMP, evident by their uniforms. At the sight of them, I do a quick feel of my pockets out of instinct, although I don't know what I would be carrying that would be worrisome in the presence of Canadian authorities. I'm pretty sure, like, everything is legal here except guns. That might be an overstatement, though. I don't know much about Canadian law. 

I step up to the cash register and stare up at the menu while the lady across the counter waits patiently. After a minute, I see someone else start a line behind me in the reflection of the doughnut case glass, and I attempt to make up my mind, but I'm not really a coffee person. I only came here because this is the only chain restaurant in the town, and something about a location being franchised makes me feel better about ordering there. I know there would probably be a bunch of people who would get mad at me for not supporting local businesses, but all of the local businesses here have paint peeling from the exterior, so I'm here instead. 

"Um, do you have hot chocolate?" I ask. 

"Of course," the woman replies with a classic service smile. "White or regular?"

White or regular? Since when is hot chocolate complicated? "Uh...hot chocolate."

She smiles gently and nods, pressing the 'regular' button on the till. 

"What size?"

Oh, great. Another question. "I don't really care."

She punches in a small, opposite of what I assumed she would choose, but then again, I guess her paycheque isn't reliant on what size of hot chocolate I get. After I pay, I go wait for my drink to be ready, which doesn't take long, since there aren't exactly a lot of orders they need to fulfill. 

At the same moment as I pick up my drink, I spot someone I recognize entering into the building. EJ gives me a smile, and I nod in response. I end up waiting for him to finish ordering his own drink, since I have nowhere I need to be anyway. 

"What did you get?" he asks.

"Hot chocolate," I answer. 

"In summer?"

"It was the only thing I knew I liked."

"That's fair enough."

The lady comes over with a cup and holds it out over the counter for EJ to take, saying, "Double double."

EJ thanks her and takes a sip of his beverage as he turns back to me. 

"Double double?" I repeat. "What's that?"

"Coffee," he answers. "I can't wake up without it. I'm guessing, since you got a hot chocolate, that means you don't like coffee?"

"No. If I need energy, I go straight for the Red Bull."

"You sound like a fun person," he says with a laugh. 

"Hey, Red Bull gives you wings," I justify.

"Really? Is that why you skateboard around everywhere?" His eyes flick down to the skateboard in my hand.

"Hey, I have a car. It's just not here."

EJ nods and takes another gulp of his drink. "So what are you doing today?"