Chapter Text
Summer jobs.
Simultaneously the bane and boon of teenage years. The acquisition of the values of financial budgeting and real-world experience. A landmark step towards adult independence. The possibility of buying the object of heart's desire with your own money. And, if you were lucky enough, the making of friends along the way.
Perhaps even a summer romance, if you asked Luz.
But alas, here she was, at her local Dollars to Donuts, explaining to a customer who only spoke Spanish that they didn’t sell cheeseburgers.
“ Donas,” she smiled politely, “tenemos donas,” something Luz was beginning to find more and more difficult to muster. The customer looked between her and his phone, eventually giving up on his order and exiting the store.
With a sigh, Luz pulled away from the register, adjusting her headset and tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear.
“What did that guy want?” Hunter raised an eyebrow from his spot at the sandwich station, pulling a fresh batch of hash browns out of the oven. Luz groaned, slumping against the counter while Boscha brought out the next set of dishes from the back.
Closing shifts were the pits.
“A cheeseburger,” she eventually answered, relishing in the pure confusion written on her coworker’s face. Hunter blinked slowly, his eyebrows furrowing while he slowly brought his gaze towards the menu. “Yeah, I know.”
“Do you guys know if Belos left yet?” Boscha abruptly cut in, leaning over the counter while she spoke. “Because I’m fucking bored and don’t want to get yelled at for vaping on the floor.”
“He left a little while ago, yeah,” Hunter wiped down the tray he had just finished using. “But you really shouldn’t be vaping inside, it’s a safety issue.”
“It’s fine,” Boscha rolled her eyes, pulling the device out of her pocket and beginning to use it. Luz winced at the smoke. She really didn’t understand why people used that kind of stuff. “I asked some friends to visit, by the way. It’s so slow.”
“Are you at least done with the dishes?” Luz frowned, eyeing the abundance of clean appliances littered about the counter.
“Nearly. I just need sandwich boy’s shit for when he closes down the grill,” Boscha shrugged. “I want to be out of here quickly tonight, I’ve got a party to get to.”
Somehow, Luz always found herself getting placed on the closing shift with Hunter and Boscha. Sometimes, she closed with an addition of Bria or Viney, but that wasn’t all too often. If she was being completely honest, Luz was convinced it was because their manager hated her.
He hated everybody, if she really thought about it.
Eda was the only person keeping the staff held together at this point, and even then she worked super odd hours. Sometimes she’d come in at three in the morning to start baking, and sometimes she’d pop in just before closing mumbling about craving free food.
Belos hated her too, but Luz heard whispers about being unable to fire Eda since her sister was the corporate owner or something like that. Legal shenanigans and all. Truly, nepotism was alive and well in this economy. Luz had to admit that Eda’s antics were extremely amusing, and she enjoyed whenever the woman came by during one of her shifts.
Like that one time she put hot peppers onto a customer’s sandwich after they had yelled at Luz for no reason. Or when she didn’t even bother to hide the bottle of vodka she poured into a cup for herself, and then mixed it with iced tea.
It was always an adventure with that woman.
There was movement in the lobby, and Boscha quickly pocketed her vape, disappearing into the back. Luz slipped back into her company-mandated smile, rushing to the register so that she could take the new customer’s order.
In front of her was one of the prettiest girls she had ever seen.
Her hair was dyed a soft lilac. It framed her face in a fluffy bob, cut just below her chin. Her eyes were practically gold, and an eclipsed moon pendant hung around her neck. Luz prayed that the red on her cheeks could be attributed to good ol’ hard work and not bi panic.
“Heya! Welcome to Dollars to Donuts, what can I get for you this lovely evening?” Luz squeaked out in a polite tone, hand hovering above the menu screen.
“Boscha asked me to drop off a speaker?” the girl mumbled tiredly.
Ah, dang it!
“Uhh, yeah! You can just leave it on the pickup counter,” Luz laughed awkwardly. Of course this was one of Boscha’s friends. This wasn’t a fanfiction! Curse you and your super-romantic ideas, Luz!
“Okay,” the girl hummed, side stepping so that she could place the device on the counter. “Where is she? She promised me a cold brew for it.”
“Oh, she’s doing the dishes right now,” Luz said, biting her lip. “But, uh, I can get it for you! What size do you want?”
“Medium is fine,” she replied, her face bored. The girl pulled out her phone, tapping away at the screen while Luz rushed to scoop ice into a cup, nearly slipping on a puddle of melted ice on her way to the dispenser cooler. Flicking down the lever, she filled the cup, making quick work of popping on the lid and sliding it onto the pickup counter.
“I’ll let Boscha know you dropped this off,” Luz smiled politely, tweaking her grin into something she hoped would be interpreted as casual and friendly and neurotypical and not at all creepy. She watched as the girl picked up her drink with a mumbled thank you, took a tentative sip, and pocketed her phone as she exited the establishment. “Oh my god, why is she so pretty?” Luz groaned into her hands.
“You’re a mess,” Hunter rolled his eyes, sliding the drive-through window shut after he had handed out the customer’s order. “What was all that about? Are you already over the last guy?”
“We do not speak about Nevareth,” she spat at Hunter, who responded with his usual shit-eating grin.
“Just like how we also don’t give out free drinks?” he cocked his eyebrow. “Because we just did that, didn’t we, Luz?”
“You’re the absolute worst,” Luz scowled.
Hunter shrugged, eyeing the clock and swearing under his breath. He was an interesting person, in Luz’s humble opinion. She had met him in detention during her freshman year of high school. Luz had accidentally set free snakes in the school, and he had broken a senior’s jaw.
Somehow, despite getting off on the wrong foot, (Luz tried to draw him a portrait as a friendship offering. Fourteen-year-old her’s art was somewhat akin to a Tim Burton movie, in retrospect) they became each other’s closest friends.
Even if Hunter considered the term ‘allied acquaintance’ more fitting. As he saw it, they were two combatants surviving against the cruelty / incompetence of Karens and corporates alike.
But now, they really are best friends!
Which was obviously why they decided to apply for the job together. A huge hurray to corporate companies, because they both got hired!
“Aww, you don’t mean that,” the blonde snorted, bapping her on the head with the paper towel roll he had in his hands.
So no, she didn’t mean that. Hunter was the absolute best. Usually.
“Sandwich boy!” Boscha snapped, poking her head in from the back. “I’m taking your shit.”
“It’s six thirty?” Hunter raised an eyebrow. “You can take some of the knives and the second set of trays, but we can’t close it up yet.”
“Fuck off,” the girl cussed, beginning to take some of the station’s appliances. “We’re doing a shitty close and getting out early tonight, I don’t care about your precious bagels. People can shut the fuck up thirty minutes early for one damn night.”
“Why are we doing a shitty close?” Luz asked, leaning against the counter. “Won’t we get in trouble?”
“Belos dress-coded me earlier, so I’m feeling spiteful,” Boscha shrugged, as if that justified anything. “Besides, he makes Eda do everything. She’d just laugh at it.”
“If you’re sure…” Luz mumbled. Her elbow bumped the speaker that rested forgotten on the counter. Her eyes snapped open. “Oh! Right! Your friend dropped this off! I completely forgot to tell you—“
“Ooh, Amity!” Boscha cheered, reaching for the device. “Isn’t she great?”
“Yeah, Luz definitely thinks that she’s great,” Hunter smirked. Luz flushed red, about to kick him in the shin. “But, the biggest question:” he paused for dramatic effect; a pause that made Luz nervous, “is she single?”
“HUNTER!” The remark earned him a solid slam of her foot into his knee. He yelped, doubling over.
“Yep. I deserved that one,” he whimpered from the ground.
Boscha snorted, grabbing another dish to wash. “Yeah, she’s single. And a lesbian. And might have previously described a ‘ridiculously cute’ employee to me last week, who she was talking about, I couldn’t possibly fathom!”
Luz wasn’t the best at social cues, but she was pretty sure that Boscha was referring to her. Or maybe someone else. She could never tell with this girl.
“You guys suck,” Luz squeaked into her hands, her cheeks flushing a violent red. “I cannot cope with this bullyism.”
“Bullyism? What the fuck?” Hunter cackled, rising back to his feet. “Oh my god, you’re so stupid!”
“At least I passed sophomore year!” Luz shot back, to which Hunter gasped sarcastically.
“Oh, wow! It’s almost as if I was a high school dropout! Oh, wait,” he smirked, “I am.”
The next time Amity came in, it was around three in the afternoon on a Sunday. Funnily enough, it was her first non-closing shift in three weeks, and she still managed to be on at the same time as Hunter.
Except tonight, Viney was covering for Boscha.
But Viney was great— she did a good job, was fun to be around, and didn’t vape in her face. So, Luz saw no problems with this group. Her shift was over in three hours, anyway.
The beauty, the mystery, cotton-candy haired goddess herself entered, exuding an effortless grace Luz could never hope to achieve. She cast a soft, natural smile her way once she recognized her at the register. It made Luz’s heart explode in little butterflies.
“Hey!” Amity greeted, which was way different than her demeanor last time. A lot less tired and stoic. Looser. More comfortable.
“Hiya!” Luz replied. “What can I get for you on this wonderful Sunday afternoon?”
“It’s raining,” Amity giggled, and it was adorable. It was the softest and cutest thing Luz ever heard, and she had significant competition. Eda had the sweetest little dog that she occasionally brought in, whose greedy escapades for leftover donuts were something to behold. To rival that level of cuteness was truly an achievement.
“Pshh, the rain is great!” Luz countered.. “I just love feeling the first few drops on my skin and dancing around without a care. It’s nice.”
Few sensations could compare with the cool euphoria of water from the heavens soaking her skin and clothes and isolating her from the outside world. Where no one was, she could just be. No one to comment how weird she looked dancing. The rain could always be counted on to observe her janky, uncoordinated, spontaneous choreography without judgment. Unlike people.
“Really?” the lilac-haired girl hummed. “Hm. Maybe I’ll dance in the parking lot.”
Luz had to fight with herself to hide the blush from that. She was so pretty… there wasn’t a doubt in her mind that Amity was a great (and graceful) dancer.
“Uh, well, yeah!” she eventually managed to choke out. Stop flirting! Am I flirting? Abort whatever you’re doing, Luz! “Soo, what can I get for you, haha?”
“Just a medium cold brew, black, please,” Amity laughed her beautiful laugh once again. Hunter shot her a knowing look from his spot at the sandwich station. The jerk. His kneecap privileges were on thin fucking ice.
But that’d have to wait. Now, Luz had far more important (and attractive) things to attend to. “Alrighty! That’ll be three dollars,” Amity pulled out her card, sliding it into the reader.
After a moment, it dinged, and she placed it back in her wallet.
Luz turned on her heel, going through the familiar motions of getting the other girl’s drink ready. Once it was done, she handed it off to Amity, who accepted it with a kind thank you.
“This could be like, a really stupid question,” Amity abruptly started, rubbing her thumb along the side of her cup, “but do you think I could get your number, or something? It’s totally fine if not! I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable or anything like that, I just, uh—oh gosh, I’m rambling—“
Luz stifled a snort. “Don’t worry about it! Can I put it into your phone?”
“Yeah!” Amity nodded vigorously, offering the device over the counter for Luz to grab. A new contact page had already been pulled up. She quickly filled in her information, snapping a ridiculous photo, and handing the phone back.
“A lightbulb?” Amity’s smile widened.
“I’m the light in everybody’s life!” Luz winked. If Amity blushed a bit, she definitely didn’t notice, as she was busy berating herself for flirting. Pull yourself together, Luz! “So, uh, yeah! Text me whenever, I’ll get back to you after my shift?” Why did you phrase it like a question?!
“Cool! Cool, cool, cool,” the girl fumbled over her words. “ Thankyoubyehaveagoodday!”
Amity scurried out of the establishment, all the while the butterflies in her stomach had escalated into something akin to a hornet’s nest.
“So, was that your girlfriend?” Apparently Luz’s sapphic spectacle had yet another spectator. Viney, the one coworker she could normally count on for having a solid head on her shoulders, had a scheming grin plastered onto her face.
“Not yet,” Hunter teased.
“I’m going to get fired for coworker-slaughter very, very, soon,” Luz growled, tossing a rag at Hunter’s face. He didn’t even bother to dodge, and somehow, despite the veil over that shit-eating grin, she felt its intensity all the more.
Sunday, July 10th
8:41pm
UNKNOWN: Hi! This is Amity.
UNKNOWN: From D2D.
UNKNOWN: Cold Brew Speaker Girl
luzura: omg hi!!!! this is luz!! which u knew but still!
luzura: cold brew speaker girl
luzura: thats so fun e. and ur new contact name
coldbrew spkrgrl: Haha, funny
coldbrew spkrgrl: How was the rest of your shift?
luzura: kinda rlly bad?? there was a super mean lady who threw a bagel at me, but eda came in w her dog which was great!!! his name is king and hes so cute
luzura: eda’s our assistant manager btw
luzura: idk how much boscha tells u XD
coldbrew spkrgrl: Oh that lady sounds like an asshole, sorry she threw a bagel at you. At least your shift is over for the day?
luzura: yeaaaaa definitely. me and hunter went to the mall after to go to buildabear tho bcus they got these huge frogs and i wanted it. never actually got it tho bcus they were out :((
coldbrew spkrgirl: Noo!! How could they not have giant frogs?!
coldbrew spkrgirl: Maybe you can go again soon? Not sure who Hunter is, though. Is that your boyfriend?
luzura: ew no hes my stupid stinky brother
luzura: not legally tho
luzura: but emotionally
luzura: im single btw
coldbrew spkrgrl: Noted.
luzura: BAKSBAJSBSJS
coldbrew spkrgrl: I’m so sorry if that sounded weird haha
luzura: nono ur good omg dw
coldbrew spkrgrl: If you’re down for it, I’d love to hang out sometime soon! Maybe we could go to the mall and get that frog?
luzura: coldbrew speakergirl im in love with you (platonicly)
coldbrew spkrgrl: Platonically?
luzura: no
luzura: grr it’s 9pm now i gotta sleep!!!!!!! gnnnnn!!!!