"What're you doing?" I asked my mom. She was standing in our window taping a sign on it. 

     "I putting out a help wanted notice."

     "Why?" I stopped whipping the eggs for a moment. 

"Because I have Helen to help during my shifts, but you don't have anyone to help you." She said walking up to the counter. 

"I have Gabriel." I said gesturing to Gabriel who looked up confused from his cupcake. 

"All Gabriel does is eat the merchandise." She said looking at him. 

"Ima go." He said standing up and walking towards the bathroom. 

"See, nobody to help you." 

"I don't need any help."

"You can't be afraid to ask for help sometimes, Pierre." She said ruffling my blonde hair. "Some people might come in and ask today, I'll even let you do the interview. How 'bout that?"

"You're just making me do it 'cause you don't want to."

"You know me so well. I'm going out with my friends. I'll be staying over with Aunt Sarah, you'll close up at eight right?" 

"Yep." I smiled at her. 

"And don't let Gabriel drink." She said laughing as she walked out the door. My mother was a member of lots of clubs so she had meetings all the time. It was a Friday and I had just gotten home from school and was prepping for the morning rush. In actuality I was making Gabriel a sandwich first. I slid the sandwich on the counter towards his seat. 

"Thanks." A voice that was not Gabriel's replied. I looked up in shock. There was a boy from my school, Sebastian, sitting in Gabriel's seat. He was wearing a white t-shirt, and he had dark brown hair that was close cropped on the sides but fluffed off to the left on top. He also had deep dark blue eyes. My eyes were blue too; but they were a paler ice blue/grey color. I found myself staring. He looked up from eating the sandwich. 

"Gwhaut?" He said with his mouth full. I looked back towards the bathroom and made eye contact with Gabriel. He just shrugged in disbelief. "He's eating my sandwich." Gabriel mouthed. When the boy had finished chewing I said,

"Can I get you anything else?" 

"Yeah... I saw the "help wanted" sign in the window, do you have an application?" 

"What? Oh.. no I'm sorry." He frowned. "On second thought we could do a little impromptu interview. Gabriel man the counter." Gabriel saluted me and walked over. I took Sebastian to one of the back booths. 

"So why do you want to work here?" I asked. 

"I don't but my parents said I should get a job."

"You don't want to work here?" I looked at him, puzzled. 

"Not really." He said in a bored manor. 

"I'm going to be honest. This isn't going well."

"No. Please. Let me start over... I can do better." He said sitting up. I raised my eyebrow at him. "I've already applied to like seven places and been turned down. I really need this job, if I don't get hired soon my parents are going to take away my car."

"Aren't you a senior at my school?" I asked. 

"Yeah. Why?"

"You just look familiar." I said shaking my head and looking at my notes. "Can you bake?"

"Does toast count?"

"It doesn't use an oven so I'm thinking no." I said. He laughed nervously. 

"You really need this job. Huh?" I said looking at him in the eyes for the first time since we sat down. 

"I really do." He said and I stood up. 

"Alright." 

"Alright?" He said excitedly. 

"Yes but you're on probation. No mistakes okay. We keep things orderly here."

"You won't regret this." He said walking out of the store. 

"I already do." I said quietly. "See you Monday, 3 o'clock sharp." I called after him.