Chapter Text
𝓐 𝓑𝓾𝓼𝔂 𝓜𝓸𝓻𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰
Opening up the record store before the mall fully woke up was easier, Dahlia quickly found out. There's a silence in the air that brings a certain calmness to the early fridaymorning. There are no nagging customers yet, that just have to get the newest record as soon as possible, and no crying babies running around the porcelain fountain.
She unlocked the door, turning the 'open' sign around. As she walked towards the counter, she quickly browsed through the hard rock category, settling on 'Girls, Girls, Girls' by Motley Crüe. Plucking the vinyl out of its sleeve, she gently set it onto the record player. The needle dropped.
Music spilled out, a little rough. It seemed to tear the into silence of the morning, and officially meant the start of the day.
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On the other side of the hallway, a different song played. Michelle had put on 'When You Were Mine' by Prince, one of her favorites, as soon as she entered her cafe called; Blush Petal. She enjoyed starting her day with some music, it kept her mind of the busy noon ahead, and made preparing a lot more exciting.
Her days start rather early. Her famous strawberry shortcake is already finished and stored away in the refrigerator. The morning is slow except for the few clients that grab a quick breakfast before work. She cleaned up a few tables, gathering the remaining dishes, as her colleague Robin entered.
"I'm so fucking tired, you have no clue." Robin grumbled as she slid between the door, throwing her excessively heavy bag on the counter as soon as she could.
"Did you stay up all night watching The Breakfast Club again? I told you it's no good." Michelle put the plates in the dishwasher, grumbling.
"You know me too well. And one day I will make you take that back." She kept going on about the movie for atleast 15 minutes. "You need to atleast watch it twice before you get the full concept."
Michelle shot her a look, throwing her a towel. "Please do the dishes before my mind is gonna go haywire from a 'concept'." Begrudingly, Robin complied.
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Back at the record store, it's fucking finally time for lunch. Dahlia quickly left the store, letting her collegue handle the woman who won't stop complaining about the price of a certain record. She walked through the mall, the fluorescent lights now bright, the place packed with people way too eager to spend their money.
She entered the nearby Radioshack, closing the door behind her. The mall's pop music faded out, and 'Is this love' by Whitesnake replaced it. Her niece, Kiara, was still busy settling a payment with a client. Something about the movie 'Sixteen candles'.
It didn't take long before she left with the videotape. "I'm gonna die, I'm starving. Let's go, like, right the fuck now", Kiara grumbled, grabbing her wallet.
"You know you're supposed to have like... breakfast?" Dahlia hummed, almost amused. They left the store, walking through the noisy mall. The lights flicker once, before steadying.
"You're one to talk." She retorted.
They entered their favorite baby-pink cafe, which included their favorite baker.
"Please tell me you have the strawberry shortcake in stock, Michelle." Kiara slid onto a chair by the bar, Dahlia following right next to her. "Just the usual for me." She added.
"I came prepared this time, made some extra" Michelle replied, way too amused.
"I could kiss you right now." Kiara blurted out, which made Robin immediately jump in on the conversation with: "What's stopping you?" A dumb grin across her face.
"This strawberry cake I'm supposed to be eating." She retorted, taking a spoonful of it. Michelle rolled her eyes at her colleagues familiar antics.
This had been a custom for the last few months. The two nieces would eat lunch, and sometimes even on diner on Wednesday, when the shifts and days were far too long. At their favorite place, with their favorite friends. Even if Robin somehow always had a way to make it chaotic, it was rather entertaining.
The bell above the door rang. A boy with perfectly styled curls stepping in, wearing a particular sailor's uniform.
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