5.5 The first days of summer

Carson's pov

Monday comes along and with everything going back to everyday life except us students going back to school, you get confronted by the idea that summer break has now fully kicked in.

Yesterday I was still gloomy over the school trip but I'm mostly happy for the most part. Papa really reassured my doubts, not fully but mostly.

Regardless, it's kinda empty now that there's no school, especially today.

I could do something with Ella but she's busy today babysitting her younger brother so we can't see each other. But it's ok.

So instead I'm laying outside under the hot early afternoon sun with my sister Nora. I'm just enjoying the sun with my sunglasses on but my sister is reading at the same time. She's still tanning like me.

So yeah, it's silence between us but a comfortable silence.

I continue to enjoy the early summer warmth and I relax for a bit until our moment of peace and quietness gets interrupted.

"Hey, what are you two doing here?" My brother asks coming outside on the balcony.

My sister and I both sit up on chairs and look at him.

Ugh, so now he comes to bother us?

"We're both tanning, want to join?" My sister asks even if she is a bit annoyed about having been interrupted.

"Nah, no thanks." He says uninterested but maintaining his smirk.

Seeing Cayden's sudden presence makes me realize that it's odd that he hasn't bothered us earlier on.

"Hey, did you just wake up?" I question him and he flinches slightly.

"Yeah, I just did so what?" He says nonchalantly.

I look at the time on my phone and realize it's 1 pm.

"You do realize it's 1 pm right?" I say still in disbelief and Nora looks at him in disbelief too.

"Yes? And so what? What does it do to you?" He asks a bit annoyed and nonchalant.

"It's just shocking, I bet Papa wouldn't like that," I say and Cayden looks at me unimpressed.

"Yeah, 1 pm is a bit overboard, Carson and I already ate the leftovers as lunch." My sister Nora says and Cayden glares slightly at her.

Then it seems like he gets a message because he looks at his phone and he smiles slightly. Then he looks back up to us, smirking.

"Well, seems like I'm going to my girlfriend's, have fun tanning." He smirks and starts to leave but the word girlfriend reminds me of the discussion I had with Papa yesterday.

"Hey, Cayden, before you go, I have something to ask you." He turns around and looks at me confused.

"What do you want?" He asks a bit harshly yet I know he's curious.

I get up from my seat and go closer to him.

"I don't want Nora to hear but I had a conversation with Papa yesterday and he told me something about that your first kiss did not go well, is that true?" I ask curious but he frowns annoyed.

"Why did you talk about my first kiss with Papa?" He asks confused yet annoyed.

"I told him about my first kiss and it just so happened that we talked about you..." I trail off and he looks annoyed.

"Look, whatever Papa told you is bullsh*t and weren't you over that kiss?" He says annoyed but that only makes me more curious.

"Why are you so defensive? Is Papa right after all?" I say smirking and he glares at me.

"It's just a kiss, why does it matter so much to you?" He says frustrated.

"No it's not, it's the first one of your life, it's special," I argue back not liking he cares so little.

"Yeah, special. It'll be special once you get yourself a boyfriend. Speaking of that, my girlfriend's waiting for me." He mocks me
smirking and he leaves before I can say anything.

Usually, his jokes mean nothing to me but this time...it hurts...Did he need to remind me of that failed kiss and ridicule me for being still single?

All that makes me sad but at least he seems to have easily accepted that I might like guys, a reminder of 3 nights ago. I know that my brother is not that mean...Sometimes I wish he'd stop with the hurtful jokes.

I go back to sit in my chair.

"Hey, what were you two arguing about?" My sister asks a bit concerned even if she is used to it.

"We were just talking about our first kiss," I say without thinking but her eyes light up.

"You had your first kiss?" She asks surprised and I blush embarrassed.

"Yeah..." I say blushing but again I get melancholic.

Seeing my sadness around that subject, she lets it go and goes back to reading her book under the burning sun and I go back to tanning.

———————

Emerick's pov

It wasn't easy to find but I found a job.

On Monday, I sent my CV to a few places but only one place called me back yesterday, it was the local convenience store in my neighbourhood.

So yesterday I went to the convenience store and I went to the back store as asked. The owner, a man in his mid-forties asked me a few questions and luckily I impressed him and he hired me.

He said that I'd start working the next day at 10, which is today and that another worker there would be helping me with my formation.

I have no clue who it could be but I did see a girl at the counter working, she couldn't be much older than me but I didn't pay her any mind.

Otherwise, I'm kind of nervous for today, it'll be my first day at work and I hope I won't screw things up.

I know it's pretty simple the job, luckily for me but I don't know it's still nerve-wracking.

I get ready to leave and I go by the door but before I leave, I say goodbye to my mom who's taking care of the daycare kids.

"Bye mamà, wish me luck!" I exclaim and she turns to look at me.

"Good luck! Miguel, say bye-bye to Emerick." She takes the hand of my baby brother in her arms and she makes me him do a goodbye.

My baby brother smiles and I can't help but smile softly, cute.

"If there's anything you can call me, Emerick!" She says and I nod.

"Bye!"

I leave by the front door and close the door.

I release a breath I've been holding.

It's a lot quieter outside with the morning sun. Yes, there's the sound of cars and the sound of the usual neighbourhood on a Wednesday morning but it's far better than the sounds of crying babies or loud toddlers.

But now that I no longer hear that and I'm outside all by myself staring at the road in front of me,  it reminds me of where I'm going and I instantly get more nervous.

I leave my pathway and I start to walk in the direction of my new job.

I can't help but be more nervous. What can I expect? Will it go well? Will my coworker be nice? Will we get along? I really don't know this is all so new for me.

But I can't go back, I wanted this, so I better go.

I continue to walk and it doesn't take too long for me to arrive.

I push the door open and I am met by all the rows filled with things ready to be sold.

Then I head to the counter.

I notice that it's the same girl as yesterday that's there and I do a double take.

Um...I wasn't expecting she'd look quite like that...?

She has brown skin, her features suggest she has Hindu origins but other than that she looks nothing like that.

She has a mullet and oh gosh, it's like the guys in my class but she's the first girl I see having one but that's not the only striking thing about her hair. Instead of the expected black hair, she has her dyed dark blue.

Then her piercings and makeup. She has a silver piercing on her nose, one black one on her lip and multiple on her ears. As for her makeup, it's rather dark and heavy, with black eye shadows.

As for her outfit, I can't tell much by the counter but her outfit is quite chill yet dark. She really gives me a bit of emo vibes.

She can't be any older than 20 but she comes to work like that...?

"Hey, you're the new worker here?" She asks smiling but it comes off threatening and I have shivers.

What kind of coworker is she?