|
Post by ashestoApples on Dec 29, 2014 4:46:45 GMT -6
Conrad knew that time. He just. Knew.
His manager called, "Stedman, you're up!" like usual, and he knew what was happening before he even thrust the order and the keys at him. His manager was a little confused when he didn't even glance at the receipt before heading out the door, but all he did was grin. Kids these days.
The drive was normal, the faux-parkour (as he liked to call it) was normal, and knocking on the door was normal- but when she answered. Well. That wasn't normal. She looked even prettier than he remembered, and he stuttered at first as he opened the bag for the receipt.
"H-hey there! U-uh, your, uh," he glanced at the receipt for the first time, "chicken?? Yeah. Uh. $7.48." Why was this difficult? Why was his entire life difficult???
|
|
|
Post by kryss on Dec 29, 2014 5:00:47 GMT -6
Skylar: Her lips grew into a wide grin at his extra fumbling. When he almost dropped the receipt, she had to cover her mouth in order to not giggle. She wiggled out a twenty from her wallet again and handed it over.
"Keep the change," she said with a wink. She was getting used to saying that phrase.
After he had pocketed the money and she had placed the food on her table, she looked back and asked,
"So how much time is left on your counter?"
|
|
|
Post by ashestoApples on Dec 29, 2014 5:04:39 GMT -6
Conrad paused for a moment, trying to determine exactly what she meant by asking that. He had a few theories, but didn't want to think any of them.
"Enough for... p-probably w-....whatever it is you're a...asking about," he said. "I actually delivered this.... on my w-way to uh," what was the word he was looking for?? "Er," Her eyes were really distracting. It started with a 'b.' Something about kit-kats maybe? WAIT "BREAK, on my way to break. That's what I m-meant to say. Yes."
Plus, he'd never been later than exactly one minute so they could deal with it.
|
|
|
Post by kryss on Dec 29, 2014 5:07:52 GMT -6
Skylar: "Good! So you have time for a few questions?" she said, smiling impishly. She then looked slightly embarrassed, "Okay, I'll admit, I forgot your name. You only told me once! But, cutest-delivery-boy-they-have, do you live in L.A.? Were you born here, because most people weren't. How old are you? And what's your favorite movie?"
As she spoke she moved to lean against the door frame, so she would be more comfortable.
|
|
|
Post by ashestoApples on Dec 29, 2014 5:14:47 GMT -6
DAMN, she's smooth. Also hot.
"Conrad," he said, not surprised she'd forgotten his name. He had receipts to cheat with and was also hung up on her a little like one of his Sarah Dessen novels. Not to say he had a crush, but that maybe he hoped it could lead to a crush? He didn't know, but it seemed nice whatever it was, even if they were only friends.
"I actually live between here and Gardena," he said, "But I was born in Puerto Rico, actually. Aaand, this is maybe a little silly, but The Lego Movie, hands down. Though outside of that, basically any Marvel movie is definitely a go. Somehow, Iron Man 6 was good. I was amazed."
He paused for a second and then asked, "What about you?" finding he was genuinely curious as to what this girl did in her spare time other than order pizza from probably every cute delivery boy in the town. The thought actually deflated him a little bit, but he pressed on. She did order from his store a lot, after all,
|
|
|
Post by kryss on Dec 29, 2014 5:23:43 GMT -6
Skylar: "I live here," she said, tapping the door with her index finger. "And I was born here, but I lived in Seattle for most of my life and only spent summers here. I moved here permanentlyyyy... about two years ago now! My favorite movie is probably A New Hope. Classics are the best, man. Although," she cleared her throat, "I do enjoy the Extended Universe movies they wound up making. I like the direction the new guy went with it." Always had to throw some props in to the old man. And it was almost impossible for A New Hope not to be her favorite, considering how many nights she'd spent as a kid, bundled up in blankets with her dad, eating popcorn and drinking soda and watching it over and over as he studied for his first big breakthrough job.
"You're from Puerto Rico, though? That's so cool!!!! I've always wanted to go there, it looks so nice! Maybe I will next summer, if things go well enough. You could give me some tips about where to go and what to see~" There she went adding tildes onto the end of her speech again.
"You did avoid my question about your age, though. Why?" Her eyebrows furrowed for a moment. "You're not like... under eighteen, are you?" He didn't really look like it, even if his face was boyish. It would kind of suck if he was, though. He was super cute and she would like to keep talking to him.
|
|
|
Post by ashestoApples on Dec 29, 2014 5:29:07 GMT -6
"Oh, no, nothing like that," he rubbed his neck. She seemed so.... established as a person, and he was just. Very, very not. He didn't want to say that out loud, though.
"I'm nineteen," he said finally. He hoped she wasn't much older than him. "And yeah, the new guy's great. Everytime they say Malaki is directing a movie I watch it ASAP." Granted, he'd never even been to a premiere, but he'd wanted to! Just. Was money a real thing?
|
|
|
Post by kryss on Dec 29, 2014 5:31:24 GMT -6
Skylar: She grinned, hopefully not too big, and cleared her throat again when he said that.
"Rad! There's one thing we have in common," she ostentatiously checked off a finger. "So what are you doing in L.A., if you don't live here? Is it just the only place you could find work?"
|
|
|
Post by ashestoApples on Dec 29, 2014 5:34:09 GMT -6
"Well," Conrad started, hesitantly. Most of the people at work didn't even know about this part, but he guessed she did ask directly and he couldn't exactly lie about it.
"My sister wants to go to AFI actually. Rent's cheaper closer to Gardena so I'm saving up like this for now. Hoping to get her to school next year." Speaking of movies... "The rest of my family lives back in Philly."
|
|
|
Post by kryss on Dec 29, 2014 5:54:02 GMT -6
Skylar: Her eyes went wide and she clapped a hand to her cheek. "That's so cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuute!" she said in a high voice, bouncing a little. What, what, he was paying for his sister? ? Oh man that was too much! This guy just stepped off of a television show, didn't he??? "So how are you doing on the saving-up thing?" she asked, suddenly wanting to know every detail. What if he had another secret that would make him even cuter??
|
|
|
Post by ashestoApples on Dec 29, 2014 5:59:35 GMT -6
Conrad was a little bit taken aback at first. Please. He was just doing this so she could have a future, even if he wasn't smart enough for him to have a future of his own. He was offered a couple scholarships for soccer but he turned them down- most had been half, and one wasn't even that. It wasn't enough.
"Ah, well," he started, a bit awkwardly. "It could be going better, but I'm getting there. Overtime helps. Especially when double-shifts are involved. She's just so smart and talented- she has a real eye for the stuff. I couldn't just. You know. Sit idly by when she could live her dream instead, I guess?" Did that sound dumb? He felt like it sounded dumb. His (really old) phone beeped at him and he excused himself for a moment while he checked what was up. Yep, that was his cue.
"I actually have to go," he said awkwardly, not sure how to finish up a conversation where he'd revealed more about himself to anyone else in Los Angeles.
|
|
|
Post by kryss on Dec 29, 2014 6:11:52 GMT -6
Skylar: She felt very let down when he left, actually sinking her shoulders and sighing. And the talk of overtime and double shifts - ugh! She probably wouldn't mind working that long, as long as it was something she loved. But at a gross job like that? She shuddered. But he was doing it for his sister, so she could have a future? What was wrong with him? Or more accurately, what was wrong with everyone else, that they weren't more like that?? She definitely needed to talk to him again.
When she opened the box to get to her chicken, she squeaked at the music notes doodled on the inside.
It was barely a week later that she ordered from him again, and that was when they learned each other's favorite colors.
The week after that was the first time she gave him the "change" off a fifty.
The next time she ordered Conrad wasn't working, so they sent someone else. She was so put off that she didn't order again for three weeks.
The next time she did, she began trying to describe Conrad in her special requests, including such gems as "the hispanic looking one from Puerto Rice with the mole and the hugest eyes, please"
The next week she stopped bothering to order pizzas entirely, having burned herself out, but she still found other items off the menu to make up for it.
Two weeks after that was the first time he ignored the deadline because he was talking to her.
The week after that was when she ordered nothing but a two liter of soda, and when she told him she had to stop ordering from them.
"My dad's been noticing the charges and told me I'm gonna get too fat if I keep eating fast food like this, so he wants me to cut back, at least. Here." She grabbed a sharpie out of her drawer and took his hand. She scribbled her phone number on his palm. "Call me," she said, flashing him a bright smile. "We can go out for coffee or something."
|
|
|
Post by ashestoApples on Dec 29, 2014 13:25:22 GMT -6
Conrad grinned, and laughed a little when she said that. He had been wondering, in all honesty.
"C-coffee sounds great," he said, only a little nervously sweeping his hair off of his forehead. "I'll definitely call." He rubbed his neck and handed her to the two liter. "I might have left the two-liter at work and picked this one up at a convenience store instead. So rather than $3.14 it's only $1.09."
If he was being honest, that wasn't the first time he'd done that- but if he was talking to the hot girl with the crazy blue eyes, he probably wouldn't admit that. After she gave him the money and the (too much) change that he was to keep, he sighed a little bit. Work had been more bearable knowing that 'today might be the day she calls for me again,' and now he had to go back to his normal routine.
"Thanks for making work more bearable," he said as he backed up to do his normal acrobatic fucking pirouette off the railing and onto the railing below. "I'll call you."
And he did- he called her as he got into his car after work. Screw the three-days thing. People who stuck to that probably didn't have a (for now) friend as hot (AND as cute) as he did.
|
|
|
Post by kryss on Jan 3, 2015 20:48:04 GMT -6
Skylar: A small jolt of surprise went through when her phone rang. She rummaged around for it, the pop music echoing around the living room. She felt momentary confusion at the unknown number and answered it with a lilting, "Hello?"
When she heard Conrad's voice on the other end her face lit up in a wide smile.
"Well, hello~" she repeated, what with her tilde'd speech. She giggled. "It's been so loong." There was some silence on her end. "Saturday sounds good, yeah. On seventy second street? Two p.m.? Alright. It's a date," she said, her smile wide as ever.
-------------------------
On Saturday she showed up, glancing at her watch. Ten minutes early, but eh. She'd gotten in and out of the mall an awful lot faster than she had thought. She carefully adjusted her top, the dark purple tank with ruffled sleeves and an elastic gather at her rib cage, the bottom half flaring out a bit. She also wore light skinny jeans and open sandals (WITHOUT the little between-your-toes-strap that was invented by a medieval torture expert.) Her hair was in a loose fishtail braid over her shoulder. All in all, she had tried not to look like she was putting in too much effort while still dressing up for the date.
She ordered a caramel macchiato with a shot of cocoa and EXTRA whipped cream, then leaned against the counter to wait.
|
|
|
Post by ashestoApples on Jan 3, 2015 21:07:27 GMT -6
Conrad drove home nervous after that. He was already sweating and the date wasn't until Saturday. He could tell it was going to be a long night.
When he told his sister that he couldn't take her to the mall at 3 pm on Saturday, she didn't even question why. She must have just assumed he was working. Nonetheless, he arranged a ride for her anyway because he was just that good of a brother, in his humble opinion.
___________________
He checked the clock on his phone as he pulled into the parking lot on his company-owned moped. He switched out but he wasn't even 100% sure why, he just had a feeling. He was early, so he took off his helmet and stared at his phone for approximately 6 minutes before deciding 7 minutes early didn't seem too desperate. God, this was difficult. So, so difficult. He was constantly tapping or bouncing something as he made his way inside to the meeting place.
When he saw her, he (and he was ashamed to admit this) gasped. ShIT ON A STICK WAS HE UNDERDRESSED? FRICK FRACK SNICK SNACK PADDY WACK THUMB TACK QUARTER SOMETHING HE DIDN'T REMEMBER THE REST. He looked down at his ripped jeans and plaid shirt that was NOT tucked in and the sleeves were ROLLED UP and realized he actually looked kind of disheveled? And skating shoes? What was even up with him.
He pushed his hair back and took a few very deep breaths before approaching her, hands in his pockets because he didn't trust them anywhere else.
"Hey," he tried to say coolly. His voice didn't crack at least, and that was good. Why was he even worrying about that, his voice hadn't cracked in years? "You look," he paused, trying very hard not to say something dumb like 'ravishing,' 'gorgeous' or 'beautiful,' since he felt like he needed to save those for when she actually looked like she was TRYING, "really nice," he settled on. "Been waiting long?" He tugged at his beaded necklace a little nervously but quickly pushed his hand back into his pocket instead.
Chill, dude, just... chill!
|
|