Nowhere Kids

First day working

It was finally Saturday, my first day working. Brent and Barry would start at the diner today as well. I was so nervous as I got ready in the morning, making sure Beau was ready as well. Barry gave me some rope from his dad's garage that we could tie to Beau's collar and use as a temporary leash.
"This I so unprofessional" I mumbled to myself.
"I'm sure they'll understand. Just buy him a leash with your first paycheck" Barry said as he walked over to us, his keys in hand. "So we ready?"
"As ready as I can be" I said nervously. Barry chuckled as I grabbed Beau's "leash" and we headed to his car.

Beau seemed happy during the car ride. I'm sure him finally leaving the house felt great to him. If only I was that excited. Instead, I felt nervous. Barry seemed excited to start his job, he had a big smile the whole ride. Well, I'm just glad these two are in good moods.

We got the mall and parted ways as we headed to work. I was surprised to see Brent waiting for me outside the pet shop.
"Hey, got this for you" he said while holding up a blue leash for Beau.
"B, you really don't need to spend your money on me" I said with a pout.
"I don't mind, especially since I'm about to start making more" he said with a laugh. I just rolled my eyes and held Beau by his collar while Brent removed the rope and clipped on the lead. Beau seemed so happy with his new leash and he jumped on Brent, kissing his face.
"I think he's saying thank you" I said with a smile. Brent gave him a quick pat before walking to me.
"Good luck today" he said before kissing me. I smiled and watched him walk towards his new job before entering the pet store with Beau by my side.

I was immediately greeted by a girl who looked slightly older than me.
"You must be Jamie, I'm Katie. I'll be training you today" she said warmly before shaking my hand.
"Nice to meet you, I hope you don't mind I brought Beau with me" I said, looking down at the goofy boxer who was sniffing Katie's hand and wagging his stubby tail.
"Not at all! It's nice to meet you buddy" she said as he kneeled down to pet him. He barked excitedly and licked her face.
"Be good Beau" I said quietly. Beau sat down and looked up at me, his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth.
"He listens well, that's good" Katie said.

Katie gave me a tour around the store and showed me the live animals and how to care for them before bringing me behind the counter. She helped me check out each customer that came in, though there weren't many.
"Is it usually this quiet?" I asked.
"Most days, but that just means more time with the animals" she said.  Since there were no customers in the store, she took me to the animals and picked up a rabbit. Beau watched from a distance as I picked up one of the snakes. I've always wanted one, but my parents never let me have one. We talked and got to know each other better while holding the animals until the next customer came in.

Work felt slow but good. My nerves went away as I got used to talking to customers and got to know Katie better.
"Want to take a break? I can watch Beau while you walk around a bit" She said. Normally I wouldn't trust new  anyone alone with Beau, but for some reason I trusted her. I agreed a break would be good so I said goodbye to Beau and left the store. I walked over to the diner to see if Brent and Barry were still working.

I entered the diner and immediately saw Brent following someone around. He must be going through training today as well. He had an apron around his waist and his hair tied back, not a bad look. He looked over at me and smiled before disappearing into the kitchen. I waited until he came back a few minutes later, his apron now gone.
"You're finished already?" He asked as he followed me out of the diner.
"Just on a break"
"Good, me too"
"Barry still working?"
"He took his break earlier"

Brent and I ordered drinks at the food court and sat at a table together.
"So how's your first day going?" Brent asked.
"Good so far. Works pretty quiet. I guess it's just going to be me and Beau once I'm fully trained"
"That's awesome"
"How's your day going?"
"It's keeping me busy, but I like that"
"That's good"

Brent and I talked until it was time to go back to work. We told each other we'd meet up after work, even though we didn't get off at the same time. Brent would have to wait on me and Beau, but he said he didn't mind. I kissed him goodbye and headed back to the shop. When I entered, I saw napping on a dog bed while Katie checked out a customer. I joined her behind the desk just as the customer left.
"I think Beau likes this bed. If you'd like, we can keep it behind the counter for him"
"That sounds nice, thank you" I said.

Katie and I worked together until my shift ended. She said I did well and showed me next weeks schedule. I was starting off working three days a week, which wasn't bad. I could still focus on school this way. I grabbed Beau's leashes and said goodbye to her before heading out to find Brent.

We found Brent hanging out in the parking lot by his truck. He smiled when he saw us.
"Ready to go?" He asked. I nodded and helped Beau into his truck. We got in and headed out.
"What a long day" I mumbled to myself, making Brent chuckle.
"It wasn't so bad, was it?" He asked.
"No, just long"
"Mine felt short"
"That's cause you kept busy"
"True" he laughed. I giggled and looked at him. 
"Now what?"
"Let's see if the others are free" he said. We decided to head to Barry's house first to see if he was home yet and to drop Beau off. I'm so glad today is over with.