The walking cliche

I'd look like a plucked chicken

Tessa

 "This is just so frustrating!" I exclaimed while pulling my hair.

"It's not that bad." Brandon chuckled. I was glad he was such a patient guy because algebra was killing me.

"Not that bad?" I asked incredulously. We'd been practicing for almost two hours and I still didn't get it. I mean, I'd made some exercises and a few of them were actually right but that was just luck.

Even though I might've jumped up and down when I realised they were correct.

"This slushie is really good. You're missing out." Brandon told me. Apparently there was this discount on the slushies but I didn't bother getting one because it was really crowded. Brandon was sipping on a red slushie and I kinda regretted not buying one myself.

"I'll get one later." I shrugged.

"Go for red." Brandon suggested and showed me his extremely red tongue.

"I prefer the blue ones, they make me feel like a Smurf." I snickered.

"It tastes a little different than usual. Maybe that's why they were cheap." Brandon shrugged and drank the last bit of his slushie.

"Can they expire?" I asked. I figured they could go on forever. Like Twinkies.

"Probably. Anything planned for the weekend?" Brandon asked me.

"Work." I replied. It was gonna be my first shift alone at the cotton candy stand. I actually liked making it and I enjoyed the smell. It was hard not eating it myself. During my first day with Luke, Grace came by. I should've expected that.

When she left I talked to Luke about the Ethan situation and apparently they got along really well. At that time Grace was still dating someone so they never were more than friends.

"Oh yeah, Cotton Mania right?" Brandon said while throwing the empty slushie cup on my night stand.

"Yep. Wait. How did you know?" I didn't recall telling him about that.

"A friend of mine works there during the holidays when it's extra busy." Brandon explained. Apparently word got around that I was the new employee.

"Luke?" I asked Brandon.

"No, his cousin Stephen." He told me.

"Hmm, I haven't met him yet." I pondered. Although Luke was a big talker so he probably told everyone he knew about me. I just hoped he'd been nice.

"Probably not. I guess you haven't met Ethan either, he's a great guy too." Brandon said. I was really getting curious about this Ethan person. I'd heard so much about him. Once I asked Grace about him, she couldn't shut up for an hour straight.

And Luke, well, Luke's just Luke so when I asked him about Ethan he couldn't shut up either. I did get to meet their little sister though. Apparently I'm gonna meet his dad soon because he's the boss. I'd be lying if I'd told you I wasn't nervous.

"So I've heard." I grinned. "Are we done here? We're done, right? Yep, we're so done!" I rambled while closing the stupid math book.

"Fine, I guess we can stop." Brandon laughed. "I should get going anyway."

"Oh I didn't mean it like that. I just don't want to do math anymore." I said with a concerned look on my face. I didn't want to send Brandon away.

"I know, don't worry." He chuckled dryly." It's just, well, my mom." He gave me an apologetic look.

"Right, okay." I replied. From what I'd heard, his mom was really strict.

I walked Brandon to the door.