Work Text:
I motion for the waitress to bring me the bill. I took Cody out to a small diner near his house. He’s been whining and whining about how he misses me. So I paid him a quick visit and took him out to his favorite restaurant. And I guess I miss him too.
We had some burgers and fries. And as cliche as it sounds, we shared a milkshake. While I was finishing the remains of the shake, Cody was geeking out about a new cartoon that came out recently. I was staring into his soft eyes as they would dart around ecstatically with each word. The dim light hitting his luscious locks making his hair look extra soft. I wanted to run my hands through those fluffy curls.
God, I’m gay.
The waitress places the bill and mutters a rapid, “Hope you enjoyed your meal,” before rushing off to another table.
I began to reach for the bill but Cody swiftly snatches it. He had a sly grin on his face before proudly announcing, “I’ll be paying for it.”
This calls for an eyebrow raise. “You, the guy who always complains about being broke, wants to pay for dinner?”
“What can I say, I’m a changed man?” his words laced with smugness.
I leaned back in my chair, arms crossed and an amused look planted on my face, silently requesting for further explanation.
“You see the roles have reversed in this relationship,” he explains, with the dramatic touches of a pause, “I got a job.”
I lean forwards, pressing my hands to the cool metal table, expressing interest. “Oh really?”
“Yes really. So as the breadwinner of our relationship, I will pay for dinner.”
I really want to mess with him and say I’m most likely still making more that him since he just started but I’ll let him have this. But only because he’s cute. And I don’t mind not paying for once. “So hotshot, where are you working?”
He’s whole demeanor change. The once confident boy paying the bill swiveled into a fretful response, “um.. I can’t tell you. Because it’s a.. secret job?”
I can’t believe him, he’s lying to me and he’s so bad at it. I raise my eyebrows, peering at him questioningly. “A secret job?”
“Yup, sorry babe I can’t tell you or believe me I would!”
“Uh huh.” I’ll play along because I don’t the mental strength to coax an answer out of him right now. Plus he’ll tell me eventually, he’s never been good at keeping secrets.
“Let’s talk about something else, anything else please,” his eyes pleaded.
And just like that, talk of his job fades to the back of my mind and Cody continues on and on about that new show.
A week had passed since our diner date and honestly I forgotten all about Cody’s job.
It wasn’t until I asked him to accompany me to my little niece’s birthday party this weekend. He told me, he would love to but couldn’t come because of work. And that’s when it hit me.
He has a job.
I dramatically drape onto him, putting all my weight on him. “Are you gonna tell me what it is?”
He gently pushes me off and told me “no.”
“Ew, you’re really not going to tell me?”
He gave a slight shrug and with the hint of a smile showing he explained, “Like I said earlier, it’s a secret job.”
“Ugh, you’re a killjoy.”
——
Since my idiot boyfriend has a job now, I had to go to my niece, Nicole’s birthday all by my lonesome. I mean I could have invited Owen but I’m not quite sure I want the big guy blabbing about my personal life to my siblings.
To top it off, my mom shoved me into a car before telling where we were even going. You can imagine the joy on my face when we drove into the Chuck E. Cheese parking lot. Reminder to self to make sure Cody pays me back for not being here to give me emotional support.
I get the date stamped on me with invisible ink and me and my mom enter the disgusting, germ infested kid play place. I absolutely adore going to parties with loud ear piercing music and a bunch of little rat-kids running around getting in my way.Thanks for bringing me Mom, I hate it.
We make our way to the back of this hellhole where my dad is waiting with some of my siblings. My parents thought it was a good idea to have 9 children, and being the youngest of them I’ve had to endure a lot of them getting knocked up and meeting their smelly little babies. Nicole being one of them.
Nicole is turning the fruitful age of five. Babysitting her have been some of the toughest days of my life. She really is an annoying ball of energy.
I give a quick hug to Isabella, Nicole’s mom and my oldest sister, as well as Jonathan, the youngest of my brothers. I am sure the others will be joining us later.
My mom and I sit near the end of the uniquely decorated table where my dad is. Because nothing screams birthday than crudely edited photos of Chucky and his friends on the tablecloth.
And like I said, most of my siblings make it to the party. Mattew couldn’t make it, he’s on his honeymoon and Claire has a “big test coming up” so she has an excuse to not be here. Lucky jerk.
And of course my mom thinks mentioning Cody is a good idea. It only made me sad and it led to my siblings begging me to tell them everything about my love life. They know about him of course, but I go out of my way for them to interact with us for the smallest amount of time possible. I don’t want those washed up snakes knowing about my personal life.
I’ve been avoiding Jonathan’s and Michelle’s numerous attempts to learn about me and Cody all day. So just as I was about to go to the bathroom to catch a break from those nutjobs, my mom constrained me to the chair, all because “Chuck E. Cheese is coming out soon.” At my dismay, a five minute timer started marking the time until Chucky comes out.
My mom made my siblings backoff at least. I send a quick text to Cody, “About to see Chuck E. Cheese. He’s my idol.” Hopefully he’s having a better night than me.
Then I heard his phone ring? Or someone else’s phone ring with a similar ringtone but that’s very unlikely because his is one of those really old ringtones from the first gen Simsang cell pod. He doesn’t even have a Simsang phone but he really likes how it sounds so he made a sound file with the ringtone on it and imported into his phone. Sometimes I can’t believe I'm dating that loser. I look around but there’s no way he could be he-
My thought was interrupted by a thundering noise coming from the Chuck E. Cheese room. Must sucks to be the poor dude stuck with that job. My mind wanders back to my phone when I feel a light buzz in my pocket. I scoop up my phone and check the text, it’s from Cody. “Pfft, which one are you at?”
My thumbs rapidly type, “the one on Johns Creek, why do you wanna knoe?”
“knoE” He texts back. “And I was just curious”
I visibly goan, I always make dumb mistakes like that when i’m texting but the second i’m on the computer I write like an ancient philosopher. Before I can send a response my dad elbows me telling me to put my phone away.
As each second passes on the large countdown I regret not inviting Owen. At least he would have kept me company and I can make fun of him when he eats that gross recycled pizza they serve here. Even Izzy would have been nice. Okay maybe not nice but eventful.
The clock becomes a series of zeros and the man of the hour appears, Chuck E. Cheese! What fun.
It must be the guy’s first time or something because he looks so uncomfortable. He's as stiff as a board as he steadily made his way out. I think he’s facing me, ew. I don’t want his little beady eyes looking this way.
My little nephew, Phoenix - and before you say anything yes i know it’s a dumb name practically everyone but my sister’s wife knows it’s a dumb name but she’s a determined woman so this poor two year old is named Phoenix - got really excited to see Chucky. He was pulling his older brother, Mason (it’s still a dumb name but not as dumb as Phoenix) to Chucky.
Mason did not wanna be there. A small eight year old boy is trying to flee far, far away from a teenager in a mouse costume.
When he got to Chuck E. Cheese, he was waving and trying to ease him into meeting a guy in a large fursuit. I guess he wasn’t eased and he primitive instincts must have kicked in because Mason hit Chucky squarely on his mousy jaw.
The guy inside doubles back in pain, exclaiming a loud “OuCH!” I don’t know why but I swear the voice is familiar.
Chucky finally stands ups, he announces, “Chuck E. Cheese has a small problem,” before leaving into the changing room.
I hate to laugh but I mean it’s kinda funny. But my mom thought differently, she told me to check up on the guy. I can’t even complain as she tosses me to the door within seconds.
I softly knock on the door, no answer. Guess I have to go back, oh well.
My mom pointed back to the door, she's really making me do this.
I knock harder, too hard apparently. The guy must have rushed out so fast the door didn’t close all the way so my knocking opened the door. I can only get a flash of light brown hair before the worker puts the mouse head back on.
“Are you okay? My mom is making me check up on you?”
Chucky gives me a thumbs up.
I slightly close the door so the kids can’t see inside. “You can take that foolish head off you know.”
“No! Um.. I mean,” the voice deepens, “it’s cool, my jaw hurts a little but I will be fine in a jiffy.”
“In a jiffy huh?” I close the door completely.
The voice is still faking deepness but you can sense his worry in his words, “Yeah. You can leave now.”
I’m about to do something really dumb, if i’m right this will be really funny but if i’m wrong i’m never coming to this Chuck E. Cheese again.
I began, “You know Chucky, I have a hunch.”
He looks nervous, “you do.”
I make my way towards the worker, “A hunch that one might call this job a secret job,” I place my hand on the fur head.
“Isn’t that right Cody?” And I lift the gross mouse head revealing, dun dun dun, my idiot boyfriend. I’m really glad i’m right or this could have gone really wrong.
He gives me a tense smile, you can prominently see his cute tooth gap.
“Jesus Cody! This is your secret job!”
“Surprise?”
I stare him down, he inches closer into himself each second. I sigh loudly, “I hate to say this,” I noticed Cody visibly stiffen, “you actually look kinda cute in a moldy mouse fursuit.” And I lean in to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. I would have gone on longer but I rather not catch whatever weird diseases that might be on the suit.
Cody worried smile grew into a smirk, “I knew you couldn’t resist me!” I guess he’s right.