Chapter 6: The aftermath
The next day T-man walked into work with an unusual grin on his face. After clocking in, he noticed skullz sulking behind the counter. It was sort of odd because usually it was always the reverse, but for some reason Skullz just wasn’t his perky self today.
“Hey.” he said with a wave. But Skullz simply turned the other way so that his back was facing him.
“…something a matter Skullz?”
“Oh, like you don’t know….” said Skullz in a very feminine tone. T-Man already knew what to expect form him now as Skullz began tapping his index finger on the counter.
“…No, I really don’t.”
“Oh, you know Z. And I know that you know the knowing that I know you already know.”
“And what would that be exactly?” he said in his usual nonchalant voice. Skullz ignored the question and asked one of his own, still speaking like an upset wife.
“Where where you last night mister?”
“I was out with a friend.”
“What kind of friend?”
“ A close friend.”
“Oh, so now she’s a close friend huh?” By now, T-Man figured that he was pretending to be his wife again, which always annoyed him, but he still played along for a bit.
“Yea, something wrong with that?”
Skullz spun around with chopped onions in his hands to make it look like he was really crying (which he always seems to have a lot of in his coat pocket for some reason or another).
“ YOU’VE BEEN CHEATING ON ME WITH SOME HOT MYSTERY LADY CHICK!” Skullz spun back around and began his oscar winning performance of fake tears and unnecessary sobbing. T-Man simply rolled his eyes at the poorly executed performance.
“Really? Is that what this is all about?”
“Don’t Try to deny it mate. I was their when she called!” he pulled out a blank piece of paper and a pen and handed it to him. “I want a divorce mate. I can‘t take it anymore! All the lies and marshmallows without the gram crackers and chocolate barz!”
T-man looked at the empty paper…then at Skullz. With a sigh he finally responded.
“….Skullz, we’re not married.”
“Oh,…well then I’m breaking up with you, HA! And I want the kidz too. And the funny looking poodle in the back yard.” T-Man gave a heavy sigh while Skullz stuck his tongue out at him.
“First of all, we’re not dating. Second of all, we don’t live together, nor do we own a poodle. And third…where did kids come from?” After thinking about it for a while, Skullz broke character and began to laugh.
“You‘re right mate. Guess I should stop watching lifetime….well I’m still mad at you Z.” He folded up his arms and turned his back at him again.
“Hmm, well I guess I can give you this cookie then. I wonder who would want a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie? Maybe I should just give it to one of the customers…”
“GIMMIE, GIMMIE,GIMMIE!!!” Whined Skullz as he snatched to cookie from his hands and devoured it in seconds.
“I figured you’d like that.”
“Aww, you do care Z!” he said trying to get a hug out of him, but T-Man still pushed him away.
“CHRIS!!!” yelled Nina Mizuki, The daughter of the store manager and also acting supervisor. It hard to believe now that she was ever a quite, shy, peace loving little girl. Not that she’s changed dramatically over the years or anything like that ( she’s still relatively the same size she was when she was 12, which was 5f 2. Now she‘s 5f 3in.) it just that ever since she met Skullz, all she’s been doing is yelling and threatening him. The only reason she allows him to still work for her and her father would be because without him, her father wouldn’t allow her the privilege of running the store alone, and since he claim to be friends with T-Man. So She tries her best to suck it up, but theirs just something about the blue hair boy that really gets on her nervous.
“Hey dragon lady!” yelled Skullz finally after looking around pretending that she wasn’t their. “I thought you were a little kid at first. So what can I do for ya Z?” A nerve popped in Nina’s head, but she managed to keep her composure since customers were starting to come in.
“Just get back to work and stop goofing off please.” She said gritting her teeth.
“Um, I didn’t quite catch that. You want me to do what again mate?” Her eyes began to twitch as she struggled to keep herself from strangling him.
“Skullz, Just get back to work ok.” said T-Man calmly.
“Eye, Eye Captain!” he said with a salute as he skipped along back to his duties.
“Thank you Tim. She said with a sincere voice. “I really don’t know what I’d do without you around. I’ll see if I can get daddy to give you a raise.”
“Its ok. just doing my job that’s all.”
Nina gave him a smile, which quickly changed back into her now common grim look as she heard a loud crash coming form the back, followed by a cloud of smoke and Skullz saying “My Bad Mate.”
As T-Man was left alone at the register he could help but wonder how Lisa was doing today, and what she might be up to at the moment. Unknowingly of course, at that same timeframe, Lisa was doing the exact same thing herself. Only difference was that her friends were still trying to pick off as much info about last night as possible.
“ So let me get this straight.” said Melissa, who at that point was still trying to comprehend how much Lisa was saying was the actual truth, and what parts were a lie. “You really expect us to believe that’s all that happened?”
“Actually I could care less what you might think happened. I‘m telling you, all we did was talk and sit by the river for a bit. Nothing happened ok.” Lisa really didn’t want to discuss much about last night with them cause she knew if she said too much, some how it would leak to her aunt who would then tell her nana, who then would bar her from ever seeing Tim, or the outside world for that matter. but Melissa still wasn’t satisfied.
“No way! You two had to have been doing something else. There’s no way your just gonna sit her and tell me that you were alone, with a guy, in the most romantic park this crappy city has to offer and not expect me to believe you two just Talked.”
“Well believe what you want, but that’s what happened.”
Melissa shot a mean glare at Lisa as the two continued to bad mouth each other in their heads. Nadia decided to ask a few questions of her own since she knew Lisa wouldn’t tell them the whole truth about last night. At least she could get some more insight on this mystery fellow of hers.
“Well, how was he Lee-Lee? I mean, obviously he must have been pretty charming to keep you out for so long.”
“He was sweet. A little shy at first, but after a while, he started to really open up more and we had a very lovely evening. Well, up until my aunt showed up. But even then, he was still a gentleman. of course I had to drag her away from him, but the night ended very well I think.”
“Aww, how cute!” Squealed Karen, who just came from the food line with her triple fudge Sunday. “Want some?” The girls shook their heads. “Oh wells, more for me then.” She sat back and ate til her hearts content as Nadia and Melissa still questioned Lisa about her date.
“Now I know you’re lying!” Busted out Melissa while in the middle of chewing her burger. After washing it down with a soda she continued. “There’s no way you two were that close to each other without feeling something. You can’t tell me you weren’t tempted to lay a big one on him?”
Lisa hated to admit it, but she was actually right for once. She did have the urge to kiss him that night, and she felt that he also wanted to do the same. But she knew in her heart that it wouldn’t have been the right moment to do so.
“Honestly...” She said in a mild tone. “You‘re absolutely right. It did take a lot for me not to pounce on him. He was so sincere and loving that I was very tempted to tell him exactly how he made me feel….and I did.”
The girls were shocked at what she said. Also how she casually ate her fries as if it was no big deal.
“You actually told him!?” Echoed Nadia and Melissa . Karen’s cheeks were too filled to make a statement at that time.
“Well,…not directly. But I can tell that he knows that I care about him a lot. I don’t know if he’s realized just how much I really do or not, but for now that’s alright. I do like him a lot, and our moment together has only drawn us closer together. But…I just don’t want to rush into anything right now. He‘s a really sweet guy, and I know that he‘ll make a girl very happy someday. But for now I just want to be his friend and continue to get to know him better.”
Lisa rose from the table and grabbed her purse as she scooted her chair back in place.
“Besides, if we’re meant to be, we’ll be. So for now, I’ll leave that up to fate to decide. Till then, I’ll continue to be their by his side whenever he needs me…even if he doesn’t.”
“wow, that’s pretty deep.” said Nadia.
“I bet you she got it from a movie.” whispered Melissa, but Nadia pretended she didn’t hear her.
“Aww, how sweet!” Karen said as she gave her a big hug. The problem with Karen’s hugs are that she doesn’t know when to let go. (especially when she’s overly emotional)
“Congratulations Lee-Lee! I’m so happy for you !”
“Trust me, I can tell.” said Lisa, trying to loosen up Karen’s tight grip of her.
“Well, I’d love to stay and chat girls, but I gotta run.” she finally managed to slip out of her grasp and straighten her tank top before saying he farewells.
“Where are you going to Lee-Lee?”
“Probably running over to lover boy.” Laughed Melissa.
“No, actually I’m late for my work out routine.” She Besides, me and him agreed to meet up every Friday. So save your gossip for a later date ok.” With a wink, she left the girls and trotted on towards her destination. With the lingering image of that one magical night they shared together still fresh on her brain.
