Thanks for the feed back :) It makes me want to continue writing! Or in this stories case, continue editing! It's okay, but I don't know. I'm just not feeling it you, know? But whatever! I'm trying :']

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"You look like a drowned cat," Ayden commented with a grin as he turned on the car and switched the heat on. I scowled as I shook my head, trying to get the rain out of my hair. It was amazing how soaked I got during that maybe forty feet walk.

"Yeah well you look like," I paused to look up at him and felt my jaw drop. He looked unbelievably hot with his hair wet. But I couldn't say that. I felt my face heat up as I turned away from him. "You look like you are drowned cat too."

"Uh-huh," he said skeptically as he began to pull out of his driveway.

It was a silent ride for the rest of the trip. I was staring out the window while Ayden was grinning to himself. I had the urge to ask him what he thought was so funny but didn't end up doing so.

"Thanks for the ride," I said when we made it to the ice cream place where I worked.

Ayden nodded and bid me goodbye. I hopped out of the car and hurried to the warmth of the ice cream shop.

"Hey Maddie," Emmett greeted me as I opened the front doors and entered.

I waved to him as I took off my coat and hung it on the employee rack by the heater then I grabbed my apron before heading to the back area to change into my work clothes.

I quickly pulled off my wet shirt and pulled on the work uniform; white shirt with a blue apron, and black pants. After I was changed I ducked into the parlor part and washed my hands in the sink.

"I thought you were going to be late," Emmett commented as I wiped my hands off on a handy towel.

"If I hadn't been reminded, I would've been," I informed him.

I grabbed a rag and a bottle of water mixed with cleaner and headed off towards the tables. Luckily, the shop was empty save an old couple enjoying their ice cream in a corner. I sprayed a little of the cleaner on a table and began to scrub it down.

"Oh, you're brother, right?" Emmett said nodding. "I wish I had an elder brother to keep track of my hours."

"It wasn't my brother," I told him, now scrubbing furiously at some dried up vanilla ice cream with strawberries. Could anyone eat ice cream without making such a mess?

"It wasn't?"

"Nope."

"Who was it then?" Emmett pressed, taking a rag from the pile and another bottle of cleaner, and scrubbing down the table next to the one I was working on.

"Ayden," I told him, stretching my back and moving onto the next table.

"The History teacher? How would he know your hours?" Emmett asked in puzzlement.

"You know, because..." I trailed off, and froze in my movements. How did he know what my hours were? I didn't even think I had even mentioned that I had a job, let alone my hours.

"Maddie?" Emmett asked sounding concerned at my lack of moment. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I assured him quickly, before scrubbing at the table again. "Are our hours posted anywhere besides the back area?"

"No, I don't think so," he mused, his forehead wrinkled.

It felt as if cold water was poured into my veins, and it ran it's course in less then two seconds. I shuddered and started out the side window, towards the setting sun. How did he know my hours? No matter how hard I thought for an explanation I couldn't figure one out.

"Wait!" Emmett said, putting his fist into his hand. "I believe they just started putting up the hours on our website."

I whipped his arm with my towel. "You scared me for a second there! You should have said that before saying that there wasn't any without being sure."

"Hey," he cried, staring at the wet spot on his shirt. "Why in the world does it matter? Didn't you tell that teacher your hours?"

I was about to open my mouth and say no when I thought better of it. If I had said no, that would have made Emmett worry, and I didn't want to make him worry for something as silly as this. Instead I shrugged my shoulders. "I guess I must have mentioned it to him at one point. Good thing I did."

"Yeah," Emmett agreed. "Otherwise I would have been the only one working here tonight."

"Where's Erin?" I asked him. "Doesn't she usually work this shift too?"

"She quit yesterday," Emmett informed me, shaking his head. "And so did her boyfriend. I guess they broke up, and then they both decided to quite. Which ultimately lead to us not having enough employees." Emmett sighed before setting down his bottle.

"Ugh. I can guess what that means," I sighed, placing my bottle down as well.

"Yep," Emmett said, conforming my suspicions. "You'll have more hours for the next few weeks, and so will Dustin."

I groaned before gathering up my bottle and rag. "Great. You continue with the tables, I'll go check my schedule and then man the cash register."

"But there's no customers," I heard Emmett complain as I walked to the back area.

"There will be," I replied before slipping through the door.

I walked over to where the employee hours were listed and saw only four names on the list. Mine, Dustin's, Emmett's and the other girl that worked here, Sarah's, names were listed. I stared at it in horror. If there was only four workers this week... I quickly looked at the hours under my name. I knew it. I was working every single day. And two of the days I had to work until close.

I scanned down the rest of my co-workers names and compared their hours with my own. Today I was working with Emmett. Tomorrow I would be working with Dustin, Wednesday with Sarah, Thursday with Emmett and Dustin, then Dustin and I at close, and Friday with Sarah again, and I closed alone.

I sighed as I trudged back into the front area, where Emmett was steadily cleaning another table. I heard the bell ring and turned to the entrance. Two little kids walked in and came up to the counter.

"Hi," I greeted them enthusiastically, "what would you like?"

"Can I get a large chocolate cone with chocolate sprinkles?" a little boy with bright blue eyes asked as he eyed the ice cream through the glass windows.

"Sure thing," I told him. I then turned the little girl he was with. "And you?"

"Can I get the same thing as him, except without chocolate ice cream and without the sprinkles?" she asked with a little grin.

"Uh, so you just want a cone?" I asked, a little confused.

"No. I want ice cream in it. And sprinkles," she told me, her smile disappearing.

"Then what flavor of ice cream would you like?"

"Vanilla. With rainbow sprinkles," she replied, a grin on her face again.

I nodded, smiling myself, and turned to grab a clean ice cream scooper from the sink. I paused for a second and turned back.

"Wait. Soft serve or hard?" I asked them.

"Soft serve," they both replied automatically.

I dropped the scooper back into the sink and grabbed a cone from the pile next to the soft server machine before pulling down the lever, and letting the chocolate ice cream swirl into the cone. After that, I walked over to the chocolate sprinkles, took a spoonful, and shimmied them onto the ice cream. I returned to the counter and handed it to the young boy.

"There you go," I told him as he took it with his big eyes wide.

"Thanks," he replied and promptly began licking it.

I returned back to the soft serve machine and made the vanilla cone, added the rainbow sprinkles, and then gave it to the little girl.

"Alright," I said, punching in the cost of the ice cream on the cash register. "You're total comes to five dollars and fifteen cents."

The little boy fiddled around in his pocket for a few seconds before pulling out a handful of money. He dropped it onto the counter and looked at me expectantly. I smiled a little bit and began counting the money. He had only three dollars and ten cents.

I scooped up the money and put it into the cash register. "Thank you! Have a nice day," I told the little kids as they nodded and scampered out of the store. I reached into my pocket and dug around for some cash to pay the difference that the little kids were missing.

"How cute," a familiar voice commented, making me jump.

I looked up to see Damian smiling at me and waving a five-dollar bill. He placed it down on the counter and slid it towards me.

"When did you get here?" I asked in shock and surprise. "And what's that money for?"

"First, I came in a few seconds after the children, you just didn't notice me. And second, this is for the difference that those children didn't pay," he informed me with a nod at Emmett, who had greeted him.

"Oh," I replied stupidly. "Well thanks, but I can handle the difference." I fiddled in my pocket for a few seconds when I realized I didn't have any cash in my pocket. I took it out and grinned at Damian.

He smirked. "No money?"

"I'll pay you back," I promised while taking the five and opening the cash register to put the money in.

I took out two dollars and five cents and gave it to Damian, who then put it in the tip box.

"That was very nice of you," he told me with a smile. "You must like little kids."

"Why are you here?" I asked, ignoring his comments.

Emmett came up to the counter and placed his dirty rag and bottle onto it. "Hopefully to apply a job."

"I'm here to give you you're backpack which you forgot at my house," Damian said while raising his arm to show me my backpack. Damian then turned to Emmett, "Apply for a job?"

"Yeah," Emmett sighed. "A few employees just quit and now were short-handed at the moment."

"I see," Damian mused with a growing smirk on his face. "Where are the application forms?"

"Whoa, wait," I interrupted staring incredulously at Damian. "Are you sure it's a good idea to work here? I mean, I don't have a problem with it, but Dustin works here and all so..."

"I think it'll be fine," he assured me with a nod. "Besides, you can use all the help you need according to Emmett."

Emmett nodded and went behind the counter to grab the application forms. He handed one over to Damian who promptly put it in a pocket in his coat.

"Emmett, could I have one more?" he asked Emmett, who was about to put them away.

"Why?" I inquired. What use would two applications to one person be?

"One for Callie of course," Damian informed me with a confused look. "Why else would I take two more?"

"I don't..." I trailed off with a grimace.

Callie? Work here? I could just imagine her working here. She would probably make a mess out of the soft serve machine while just trying to refill it. Or she would leave the lever down while she went to give a cone to a customer. Or she could accidentally spill the sprinkles, or use a dirty scooper... I shook my head and sighed.

"Callie is a responsible worker," Damian told me with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, I'm sure," I replied quickly with a wide smile. He pursed his lips but shrugged.

"I'll be heading out now," Damian said as a few customers entered the shop. "I'll see you two tomorrow."

"Bye," Emmett and I replied as he headed for the door, pausing to hold the door open as an elderly couple entered.

The rest of work dragged on, but luckily the tips piled up. Which was good, because soon the ice cream shop would be becoming a coffee shop. Winter was closing in fast, and people would stop ordering ice cream, and start wanting hot items.

"You're closing tonight right Emmett?" I asked as I flipped the sign on the door to "closed".

"Yeah," he sighed, scrubbing down the counter with a sponge.

I grinned at him before going into the back to change out of my uniform. I tossed my apron onto the rack before grabbing Damian's coat and shrugging it on. I peered out the front into the dark. Luckily, the rain had stopped. I slung my book bag over my shoulder before heading towards the door.

"See you in school," I stated with my hand on the door.

I opened it as Emmett bid me adieu and closed it behind me as I stepped into the inclement night.

I set off at a brisk pace, hoping to reach home before the falls started again. I shivered, the cold air getting to me as I continued to nearly jog down the street. It was hushed, and dark. I heard a rumble of thunder and stopped dead. I nervously looked at the sky, and as if by some cue, rain began to pelt down on my face. I groaned and covered my head and began sprinting towards my house, the rain whipping at my face.

After a few minutes of sprinting I collapsed under a conveniently sheltered tree and tried to catch my breath. I sneezed. Great, I thought, a precedent to a cold or fever. I scowled at the sky for a moment. Another crash of thunder brought me back to me feet, and once again I took off.

When my house was in sight a brilliant flash of lightning lit up the sky. In one last burst of speed I was up my porch and into my house. I leaned against the door, trying to regain my breath, as water dripped down my face onto the floor.

"Wow," a voice commented from above me.

I scowled up at the voice. "Yeah. That was the best walk home ever."

"Sorry," Will apologized while a grin slipped onto his face. "I totally forgot that you had work today... Did you get your new schedule?"

"Yes- and don't change the subject!"

"If you don't want it to happen again then you'll have to give me your schedule so I'll know what time you get out."

"Fine." I grabbed a slip of paper and jotted down my work schedule and handed it to him. "And you'd better pick me up if it's raining."

"Yeah, yeah. Why don't you head off to bed? But take a shower first. Don't want to catch a cold do you?"

I nodded before making my way to the stairs and up to my room. I flopped onto my bed and closed my eyes with a sigh. My wet hair matted against my forehead. I looked at my dresser. I would have to take out pajamas and then take my shower before going to bed. I sighed again and decided to rest for a few more moments before I would do that.

It was warm. So warm I didn't want to move. I rolled over and ran into something that was also abundantly warm. I opened my eyes, confused. Messy blonde hair met my eyesight. I stared for a few seconds. Then, I screamed.

"Where's the fire?" Dustin cried, snapping into a taut up-right sitting position.

I shoved him off the bed and scrambled to sit up, pulling the comforter up to my chin. I glared at Dustin viciously as my face turned about one thousand shades of red. Dustin stood up holding his back, dressed in dark blue jeans and a black Volcom shirt.

"What the heck was that for?" he questioned, bewilderment in his bright blue eyes.

"For being in my bed while I was sleeping!" I nearly screamed at him, throwing my pillow at his face. He blocked it with an arm and shrugged.

"It was good wake up call though," he mused, then dodged another pillow as I chucked at him.

"Get out," I ordered him after sighing. "I need to get ready for-" I was cut off by my own, very loud, sneeze.

Dustin nearly jumped in surprise before breaking out into a broad smile. "Bless you." He smacked his hand to my forehead. "Your forehead's hot."

"Probably because my bed was so hot, thanks to an uninvited guest," I suggested glaring up at him. "One of these days, I'm going to tell Will you are sexually harassing me."

"This isn't sexual harassment!" Dustin protested putting his hands up in the air. "It's just a wake up call! Besides, Will's the one who let me in." He stuck out his tongue childishly.

I sighed and pointed to the door. "Out."

Dustin slumped his shoulders and started walking slowly towards the door. I glowered at him as he took one little step by one little step. I picked up my last pillow and with all the might I could muster, I flung it at the back of his head. However, at the last second he sidestepped it. He blew a raspberry before exiting and shutting my door. I hopped out of bed and grabbed my brush and clothes for the day before heading into the bathroom.