Chapter Text
Eddie’s shoes, large chunky boots, squeeked as they dragged across the linoleum of the mall’s floor. He knew he wasn’t going to find any place around to take him in to work. Who would want the town’s outcast, ‘Eddie the freak’?
Still, he and Wayne were short on cash at the time… the trailer needed a lot of repairs after a bad storm, leaving them very little to work with. Eddie knew Wayne was already working hard, taking as many hours as he could stomach at the plant--probably more than he could stomach, actually.
The thought made Eddie’s gut churn. If he hadn’t been such a shithead, he would’ve graduated already and could’ve gotten a job sooner. But here he was, a perpetual highschooler, held back for another year. The second time too, his brain supplied unhelpfully.
Eddie shook his head as if to send his self deprecating thoughts away. He stretched, back sore from sleeping strange. This happened a lot, and Eddie almost found a kink somewhere, a knot here and there, and some pulled muscles now and again.
When he finished his stretch, coat fallin back down around his waist, he spotted it.
Scoops Ahoy with a big “FOR HIRE” sign in the front window.
Eddie grinned, maybe just maybe, he’d get this job.
+++
It was too early. It was the summer, and Eddie should be asleep right now. It’d be a lie to say he was a morning person rather than a ‘night owl’. He loved staying up late, and loved the way the sun would paint the sky at sunrise. But not because he’d gotten up early--no, because he’d stayed up so late.
But he had a job now. And today was his first day. Good impressions were expected, and so Eddie was expected up nice and early.
He grit his teeth at the thought, making his way through the starcourt. He came to halt in front of the door, lifted his arms up, bent them over his head, and popped his back cleanly.
A girl, shorter than him, with a short haircut, eyed him warily as she walked past and inside.
When Eddie finally walked inside, he was surprised to see the girl from before at the front desk, changed and fixing her hat on her head. She didn’t see him at first, and blinked slowly when she did.
“Oh, uh,” She began, “We’re not open yet.” She explained. Eddie waved his hand, “Oh, I work here.” Eddie said with a grin. “Since when?” She asked, sounding surprised. “As of now.” Eddie said, wiggling his eyebrows, before holding up a plastic grocery bag with his uniform in it. The girl’s eyebrows shot up, and she gave a curt nod. “There's, uh, employee bathroom in the back.” She said motioning with her thumb. Eddie nodded before quickly looking down at her nametag.
ROBIN.
Good to know.
The shift was very slow at first. Of course no one was going to be getting ice cream at 11 AM. At least, very few people did. An eldery couple came in, and a tired looking mother with three rowdy kids. But after the mother, there were no other customers.
Eddie sighed, shrugging his shoulders. “I’m gonna step out for a sec. Smoke break.” Eddie said, eyeing Robin. “You got it for a few, right?” he asked, flashed a strained smile. Robin gave him a thumbs up. “Yup, Steve’ll be in in a few,” She mumbled as Eddie was walking away. He almost missed it, but not quite.
Steve? He wondered, Steve who?
When Eddie got outside, he pressed his back flush with the hard concrete wall. He cursed when he realized he’d forgotten to jam his cigarettes into his booty shorts. He must’ve left them in his jeans…
Whatever, he could just take a real smoke break later. Either way, he was going to be out here enjoying himself. The air was crisp, fresh after the rain, sky still cloudy and keeping the heat at bay. It was nice, for a moment anyway.
But Eddie could see a crowd of approaching jocks, stalking his way. The mall entrance was in the opposite direction. They were definitely after him.
He gulped, caught a final breath of fresh air, and skirted back inside the staff only entrance.
Eddie made quick work of getting back to the store, sliding through the doors and--
Eddie couldn’t believe his eyes. There he was, in all his famed glory , stuck behind a counter in the dumbest outfit Eddie had ever seen. There was Steve ‘the hair’ Harrington , working at Scoops Ahoy. Eddie would have laughed at how childish Steve looked in the uniform, if he didn’t know that he too, was in the same boat.
Eddie eyed Steve up and down at the same time Steve eyed him up and down. “This is the new guy?” Steve asked, and Eddie braced himself for ridicule. Robin nodded. “Nice. glad we have another person to help out.” Steve said to Robin, then turned to regard Eddie. “Rush gets bad.” He warned with a wince.
Eddie, stunned by Steve’s lack of cruel response, just nodded dumbly.
He snapped himself out of the trance he was in, and quickly slid back behind the counter.
Steve stood close to Eddie, as they squeezed together to make room for Robin to go to the backroom. For a split second, Steve’s bare thigh brushed against Eddie’s. The contact shot a flash through Eddie. He felt his face flush, Steve ‘the hair’ Harrington was pressed side to side to him-!
It was surreal, to be so close to the school’s ex-king. Especially since Steve was much prettier this close up.
Eddie felt his flushed face grow hotter at his internal dialogue.
He shook his head with vigor, as if it could make all his thoughts shift away. All it did was make Steve peer down at him curiously. “You good?” He asked, and Eddie bit his tongue.
“Grand.”