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Pearl had been halfheartedly mopping the black and white checkered floor when her phone lit up in her pocket with a little “Ding!”.
She ignored it, wanting to finish up mopping first. Until another buzz.
The girl sighed and set down the mop against the nearest wall, quick to check just to see what the notifications were. It wasn’t like there was anyone else in the store, so it was okay for the mop to sit there a few minutes.
As expected, the two notifications were of two new deliveries. Nothing out of the ordinary. It was her job, obviously. Though, reading the details on one of them, the delivery girl almost barked a laugh.
“Scott!” She called to her coworker while leaning on the marble front counter, where said coworker was supposed to be. She rung the small silver bell, one that had to be rung far too often. Scott had a tendency to linger in the back to gossip with another employee. Anyways, Scott swiftly appeared in the doorway that lead to the back.
“Scott,” She repeated. “Look at the delivery instructions they left.” Pearl said, giggling and holding the phone out for Scott to see. He stepped forward.
Squinting, the boy read out the text on the screen. “‘Tell me I’m pretty’…?” He grimaced, unable to decide whether to laugh or be a bit creeped out.
“Kinda weird!” Another coworker offered their input from the back.
“Yeah, a little weird. Or, well, it could be weird, depending on who wrote it. Probably some dumb teens, though.” The cashier decided, running a hand through his fading blue hair absentmindedly.
“Maybe, but it’s funny though! Should I actually do it?” Pearl had a hand on the countertop to lean on it, the other holding her phone as she looked through the details of the other order.
“Well, you’re instructed to!” Scott offered helpfully, starting to walk away. “You have fun with that one, Pearl” He said with a small wave, returning to the back due to the lack of any new customers.
So she continued on with her day, picking up the pizzas and delivering to the first place. She didn’t know she would be nervous about the delivery until she was only a few minutes away from the place.
Pearl thought that it would surely be fine, just a few seconds dropping off the pizza and saying the request. That’s what she told herself, while knocking on the door. It all went downhill once it finally opened.
—
Lizzie and Joel were having Gem over to hang out. Quite a small hang out, seeing as only Gem was coming over, so the food wasn’t going to be luxurious. Something cheap and enjoyable. So obviously, they had ordered pizza.
Well, they were going to. Joel had been instructed to order the pizza while Gem and Lizzie picked a movie. He ordered it on an app, too lazy to call. In the app, there was a little section for “delivery instructions” or whatever for the driver.
So what did Joel do? Mess with it. He snickered as he typed out “tell me im pretty <3” into the box and hit order. He showed Lizzie because he thought that she would find it amusing. She did, they had a little laugh. That would be funny in about 20 minutes when it got there.
It would’ve been funny. If he didn’t forget about it.
There was a knock on the door, mid movie scene. Though, it wasn’t too important. “Probably the pizza,” He so cleverly deduced. Then saying “Gem, go get it, I don’t wanna get up.”
Gem looked offended for a second. “Why do I have to get it??” She complained, although already getting up.
“Because you’re the one closest to the door!” Lizzie called back to her, a bit childish as Gem went to get the door in the other room.
Gem scoffed jokingly at the pair once out of the room, grabbing the handle and twisting open the door. Behind it stood a tall girl with brown hair in a black cargo pants and a branded cap. Hey!” Gem greeted with a smile, friendly.
The girl didn’t speak for a moment, just staring. She then snapped out of it and said something, words slipping out and tumbling over each other. “Hey, I’m sorry, uh— Is this Joel?”
“He lives here, yes, not me though.” Confirmed Gem.
“Great, uh, here” The delivery girl fumbled while handing over the pizza box, almost dropping it. Gem caught it, trying not to laugh for the fear that this girl would think Gem was laughing at her.
“I’m so sorry” Pearl insisted, pulling her cap down to hide her eyes. Her face looked like it was red to the tips of her ears.
“You’re okay” The redhead reassured, let a small chuckle slip. She was a bit of a mess. It was kinda adorable. “Here” Gem handed her the tip, not sure if she had already been tipped online. It’s okay, this girl was cute enough to make up for it.
The pizza deliverer thanked her quietly and shoved the cash into her pocket, still not meeting Gem’s eyes.
The final thing she said, very much awkwardly, was something along the lines of “Right, so, you’re very pretty, have a good night, bye.” Before rushing off, still tipping her hat down so Gem couldn’t see her face.
“Thank you! You have a good night as well!” Gem called after her, albeit quite confused.
She closed the door and turned around back into the house. What a strange girl.
She wasn’t even mad or weirded out simply because of how cute and flustered the girl was.
Gem came walking back into Lizzie and Joel’s living room carrying the pizza. She put it down onto the coffee table before saying “Okay so that delivery girl called me pretty.”
Lizzie paused the movie before looking to Joel. They shared a glance. “Was she cute?” The pink haired girl asked, seemingly innocent. Joel let out a muffled ‘pffft’.
To Lizzie’s surprise, Gem answered immediately. “YES.”
-
Pearl needed to talk to someone. Luckily, the someone she needed to talk to was free. There were no customers in the store, most people ordered online, anyways.
“Scott!!” Pearl yelled, running up to the counter to talk. Or complain.
“What happened?” He raised an eyebrow, watching as Pearl rested her head on the counter while catching her breath. “I’m gonna have to clean that now…” He muttered offhandedly.
“Was it a creepy man?” The coworker from earlier pushed the door to the back open a crack to listen in. This was the same one that Scott was always gossiping with. Pearl didn’t have enough time to say no, it wasn’t a creepy man, before they had to get back to their work.
“No, there was a girl and she was very pretty!!” Pearl whined against the counter. She was lucky her manager wasn’t here to see this, as it was probably a health code violation or something.
Scott patted her head softly and somewhat sympathetically, saying “There, there” half joking.
“Oooohh, it was a girl?” The coworker from the back chimed in again, teasing. Pearl should probably stop narrating them as ‘the coworker’. It was Cleo.
—
“So,” Lizzie started, casually. The movie credits were just finishing up, there was one slice left in the pizza box. “Wanna order another pizza?” She offered, looking specifically at Gem, who was sitting on the other side of the couch.
“No, absolutely not. Shut up.” Heat rose to the girl’s cheeks. Although she denied it, maybe she did want to see that delivery girl again.
“Way ahead of you!” Said Joel, holding up his phone.
Gem paused. “You guys suck.” She concluded, but she didn’t stop them.
She mainly just hoped that same girl would be there when she opened the door.
—
Now… just what had happened? Pearl had gotten another order from the same address, if she remembered it correctly. That was the same address, yes?
When rolling up to the house for the second time today she decided that, yes, that was the exact same house.
Why had they ordered again, though? Was it a mistake or an accident? She pondered as she walked along the sidewalk up to it. She was getting increasingly more nervous, maybe even slightly nauseous.
Pearl thought that she had every right to be nervous. Last time she was here, she kinda made a fool of herself.
The anxious delivery driver took in a breath before knocking on this door yet again, hesitant this time. Was she overreacting? Did she really mess up that badly last time? Maybe it’d be okay…?
The door pushed open. That same pretty ginger girl stood in front of her again. Pearl almost struggled to breathe.
She managed. “Hey, sorry, I uh… was wondering if this was maybe a mistake? Surely you guys didn’t order again, it’s only been a couple hours.” Pearl stuck to the script she had rehearsed earlier in the car.
“Oh, yeah, we did,” Gem confirmed, contemplating on whether to take the pizza box from Pearl just yet. She paused, thinking up an answer. “Maybe I just, I dunno, wanted to see you again?” Suggested Gem with a small, lopsided smile.
Oh. Pearl paused, blinking a few times. Oh. She froze and felt her face heat up. Realizing she was staring at Gem, she immediately looked away, rubbing her neck awkwardly.
The pizza delivery girl swallowed hard. “Well, um, here’s your pizza…!” She panicked and stumbled over her words, shoving the pizza into Gem’s hands.
The girl giggled, taking it with both hands. Oh god, her laugh was adorable. So far, just about everything that Pearl had learned about this person was endearing. “Hold on, I have another request.” The nearly perfect person spoke again.
Pearl just hummed in acknowledgment, tilting her head slightly. Her face was still a bit red, just barely.
“Would I… possibly….” Gem hesitated, looking away, digging a foot in the ground, and then looked back at Pearl innocently. “Be able to learn your name?”
Pearl winced— in a good way. Oh god she was cute?? What even was that stupid adorable face she was making oh my god. Her gorgeous green eyes were practically sparkling. She realized that she had been staring, and should probably properly answer. “Um, …It’s Pearl, btw…” She stuttered almost immediately.
“That’s pretty,” Said the girl, shifting to hold the pizza box under one arm, a bit awkwardly. “Gem,” She said in return. “My name’s Gem. Nice to meet you, Pearl!” The newly named girl introduced herself with a grin.
Pearl was giddy. “Gem…” She muttered to herself as if testing it on her tongue. Oh, Gem was so pretty. Oh how she wished she wasn’t on the clock right now. She wished she could maybe stay a while and talk.
Pearl was about to bring up the fact that she should probably go soon, until she spotted a pink haired girl and a boy peeking around the corner inside the house. Nosy? Maybe.
She squinted, considering for a moment. Pearl shifted to lean on one foot more than the other. “This isn’t a prank, is it?” She asked carefully. Did that make sense? Honestly Pearl didn’t know if she’d be super surprised if it was one.
Gem flinched, looking surprised. “What?? No, no,” She met the delivery girl’s gaze, seeing how she was looking past Gem, and finally turned around to spot the two. One of the people in the house squeaked and disappeared. The other one got dragged in a moment after. Okay, that was goofy, she didn’t really know if she could be mad. Gem hissed something under her breath at them. Pearl smiled a little fondly. How silly.
Gem turned back around and closed the door behind her with her foot, leaving just the two alone on the front porch. “Sorry…! Though I can’t really be mad at them, this is their house.” She sighed.
That made sense to Pearl, yeah. Neither said anything for a moment. Right, so. Pearl had to speed this up. She maybe had to go back to work and all. “You’re… still pretty by the way! If you needed the update— not like anything changed.” Pearl said quickly, looking away and then looking back to Gem quickly, tipping down her hat again. She told herself that she only said it to follow the delivery instructions.
“You’re uh… not so bad yourself.” Gem’s gaze flicked down Pearl briefly, then immediately back up. Okay, what the hell, she wasn’t used to this. she looked away, unwilling to meet Gem’s eyes, only muttering a small thanks, embarrassed.
“Well, here” Gem had said, since it seemed to her like she had accidentally severely broken Pearl, due to the expression on her, might she add, very red face. Very adorable, as well, her blue eyes and light freckles were maybe the highlight. Gem handed over the tip. Maybe a bit extra.
“Ah! Yes, uh, thank you,” The delivery girl kept a hand on her cap while accepting the cash, a few fingers to keep it tipped down as she ducked away. “Maybe we’ll see each other again…” Was the final thing Pearl had mumbled.
“If I have anything to say about it, I’m sure we will!” Called Gem with a final wink, waving.
And with that, Pearl had sat in her car for at least five minutes just to contemplate.
Only after her contemplation she noticed the paper slipped between the bills. Oh. Hey. That was unmistakably a phone number. A phone number with her name, “Gem” to the side of it, accompanied by a heart.
Oh, Pearl was cooked.