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“I fucking hate Christmas musicccc,” Ace half-groans, half-whines, slumping on the shelves beside him like it's literally going to kill him.
David rolls his eyes and moves on, grabbing Ace by the jacket to pull him forward, “This is the china section, you can't lean on it unless you want to pay the full bill.”
“Who gives a fuck about china?!” Ace throws his hands up. David glares at him, but he doesn't listen (typical), “And this fucking music is driving me crazy! We've been here for half an hour and this is the second time they've played Mirah Carrey. If I have to listen to Baby, All I Want For Christmas Is You one more fucking time–”
J’s head pops from the aisle to their left. Ace flew backward, crashing into David, who fell on his ass. He pouts as Ace begins to open his mouth to give J an earful.
“Just hack it,” J interrupts smoothly. “It shouldn't be too hard, right?”
Ace freezes with his mouth still open. Slowly, he points at her, then somewhere else in the store. J rolls their eyes, “I lost her in the shoe section, but should we really tell her? She'd go ballistic–”
“Who'd go ballistic?”
Instead of jumping, Ace reacted by screaming. Veronika's grin spreads wider as she lets go of David's hand. David brushes invisible dust from his shirt, “They were talking about hacking the store's Bluetooth and not telling you. Doesn't that feel awful?” David turns to Ace. “Were you just going to leave me there?”
Ace nodded before freezing again, “W- wait, it was her idea! Damn it, David, this time I'm gonna push you down on purpose!”
“Don't threaten me with a good time.”
Ignoring the arguing in the background– something Veronika had easily mastered– she turns to J, “You weren't going to invite me?”
“W- well, I–” J cut themselves off with a palm to the forehead. “No.” Veronika anxiously clicks her nails together, alternating between standing flat-footed and on her toes. She was obviously buzzing with questions, but seemed too afraid to bother J. They add, “Not because… I just didn't want us to blow our cover.”
Veronika settles back down on flat feet, visibly relaxing, “That's only fair. Although, I think I could help you… you're more tech-savvy than I am, but I could pick the song?”
J opens her mouth but thinks better of it, “Yes, of course. Pull the song up on Spotify and give me your phone. Remember to act casual.”
J’s jab was directed at Ace and David, but Veronika looked up. She opened the app as she glanced up. The boys were still arguing– although it looked more like play fighting now. Ace had David in a headlock as David tried to pull himself out of it, “I think this is their casual.”
“Break it up!” J called over her. “Hey! Faggots, cut it out.”
“That's not very nice to say,” Veronika teases.
“Veronika, I'm literally lesbian.”
Ace pushed David away. He hit the shelves and fell to the floor again. He doesn't pout this time, he looks like he's in genuine pain. Frantically, Ace wraps his arms around him, trying to pick him up, “Shit, David–”
“Gotcha.”
“Motherfucker,” Ace groans with a gentle shove, but he's smiling.
“Here.”
Veronika hands J her phone. J starts scrolling through the settings app, scoffing as her finger hovers over a button, “Idiots named their store’s speakers ‘Goodwill Speakers’. Nice choice of song, by the way. It's going to piss everyone off.”
“Thank you,” the redhead sings.
All of a sudden, the Christmas music from the speakers cuts off. There was a blissful moment of silence (and confusion) before it was replaced by… Nightcore, of all things. Ace slapped his hands over his face and dragged them down.
“This shit is supposed to be better?!”