from me. It wasn’t quite so easy to ignore them but I managed.
When the school day ended, I headed straight for Merl’s Gas Station and Convenience Store located on the corner of the main street. Merl was in his late seventies but still fairly active. The teenager he’d hired before me up and quit when a position opened up at the Community Center. At least, that’s what Merl said.
“We’re open ‘till nine during the week and eleven on the weekends. You’ll work Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights, 3:30 ‘till 9:30. I got regular employees to take the other shifts,” he explained.
He gave me a tour of the little store, explained how to turn the pumps off and on, and how to work the register. Then, two hours later, he left me alone. Completely. Panicking only slightly, I didn’t think there was much I could screw up. Well, except possibly blowing up the gas pumps. But I wasn’t a complete moron.
A steady stream of customers kept me pretty busy until the clock reached seven, then things slowed down considerably. I’d only had a couple of minor mishaps in which I’d had to void entire orders and re-ring them. I scribbled hasty notes to Merl, explaining what happened, and hoped he could straighten it out in the morning. I wasn’t supposed to count out my own till after my shift but lock it in the smaller safe in the back office. Merl would take care of the ‘countin’ of the money’ in the morning. I just had to make sure everything was straightened up, all the lights were out , and the doors were locked.
Around 8:30, as I was eyeing the clock, the little bell above the door tinkled. I turned from the shelves I’d been straightening to greet the customer when I recognized the mop of curly dark hair. I stifled a groan and shuffled behind the counter.
“I thought Coach was going to kill us tonight,” I heard him complain as he and his companion considered their choices in sports drinks.
“I don’t know what his problem was,” Fin’s companion replied. “We played well Saturday and we won.”
I heard the cooler doors shut and braced myself for a confrontation. “He’s just obsessed,” Fin answered. He dropped his drink on the counter and gaped at me. “Well, well, well, look who it is.”
“Who is it?” Fin’s companion asked.
Fin grinned at me and my stomach fluttered. “This is Rena Hamilton. She lives with her aunt in Mathilda Mathias’s old place.”
“Oh, hey,” the other guy said with a smile. He was quite good looking with sandy brown hair and warm brown eyes. His teeth seemed brighter than Fin’s and his features sharper, more defined. I wondered why Gina didn’t run after him. “I’m Isaiah Carter.”
He extended his hand and I shook it, straining my memory until I recalled where I’d heard the name. From the hockey game – he was the one Damon had said graduated last year but hadn’t received a hockey scholarship. “Nice to meet you,” I said.
Fin glared at me as he dug a five dollar bill out of his pocket. “How come he gets the nice, polite Rena and I get the angry rude one?”
“Just lucky I guess,” I snapped as I rang up their drinks. I snatched the five from his hand before slamming his change on the counter. “Have a wonderful evening.”
“Damn, Fin,” Isaiah said as he picked up their drinks and headed for the door. “What did you do to her?”
“Nothing,” Fin said in a low voice, his shoulders hunched. “Absolutely nothing.”
I deflated, guilt eating the air around me. He was right and I was horrid. I’d apologize to him the next day and try to be a little friendlier – without encouraging him.
I chatted briefly with Aunt Franki when I got home, describing my dull job to her in enough detail to make Mr. Ellis cry with joy. I didn’t mention Fin, though, but I didn’t know why.
When I escaped to my bedroom, I turned on the laptop. I browsed the Internet
When the school day ended, I headed straight for Merl’s Gas Station and Convenience Store located on the corner of the main street. Merl was in his late seventies but still fairly active. The teenager he’d hired before me up and quit when a position opened up at the Community Center. At least, that’s what Merl said.
“We’re open ‘till nine during the week and eleven on the weekends. You’ll work Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights, 3:30 ‘till 9:30. I got regular employees to take the other shifts,” he explained.
He gave me a tour of the little store, explained how to turn the pumps off and on, and how to work the register. Then, two hours later, he left me alone. Completely. Panicking only slightly, I didn’t think there was much I could screw up. Well, except possibly blowing up the gas pumps. But I wasn’t a complete moron.
A steady stream of customers kept me pretty busy until the clock reached seven, then things slowed down considerably. I’d only had a couple of minor mishaps in which I’d had to void entire orders and re-ring them. I scribbled hasty notes to Merl, explaining what happened, and hoped he could straighten it out in the morning. I wasn’t supposed to count out my own till after my shift but lock it in the smaller safe in the back office. Merl would take care of the ‘countin’ of the money’ in the morning. I just had to make sure everything was straightened up, all the lights were out , and the doors were locked.
Around 8:30, as I was eyeing the clock, the little bell above the door tinkled. I turned from the shelves I’d been straightening to greet the customer when I recognized the mop of curly dark hair. I stifled a groan and shuffled behind the counter.
“I thought Coach was going to kill us tonight,” I heard him complain as he and his companion considered their choices in sports drinks.
“I don’t know what his problem was,” Fin’s companion replied. “We played well Saturday and we won.”
I heard the cooler doors shut and braced myself for a confrontation. “He’s just obsessed,” Fin answered. He dropped his drink on the counter and gaped at me. “Well, well, well, look who it is.”
“Who is it?” Fin’s companion asked.
Fin grinned at me and my stomach fluttered. “This is Rena Hamilton. She lives with her aunt in Mathilda Mathias’s old place.”
“Oh, hey,” the other guy said with a smile. He was quite good looking with sandy brown hair and warm brown eyes. His teeth seemed brighter than Fin’s and his features sharper, more defined. I wondered why Gina didn’t run after him. “I’m Isaiah Carter.”
He extended his hand and I shook it, straining my memory until I recalled where I’d heard the name. From the hockey game – he was the one Damon had said graduated last year but hadn’t received a hockey scholarship. “Nice to meet you,” I said.
Fin glared at me as he dug a five dollar bill out of his pocket. “How come he gets the nice, polite Rena and I get the angry rude one?”
“Just lucky I guess,” I snapped as I rang up their drinks. I snatched the five from his hand before slamming his change on the counter. “Have a wonderful evening.”
“Damn, Fin,” Isaiah said as he picked up their drinks and headed for the door. “What did you do to her?”
“Nothing,” Fin said in a low voice, his shoulders hunched. “Absolutely nothing.”
I deflated, guilt eating the air around me. He was right and I was horrid. I’d apologize to him the next day and try to be a little friendlier – without encouraging him.
I chatted briefly with Aunt Franki when I got home, describing my dull job to her in enough detail to make Mr. Ellis cry with joy. I didn’t mention Fin, though, but I didn’t know why.
When I escaped to my bedroom, I turned on the laptop. I browsed the Internet
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