Page 6 of What If It Was Us
I nervously scratched my arm. “Seriously, it’s fine.”
Jackson started chewing on his thumbnail as he looked over at Julie.
“Listen, why don’t you stay and close with us? I have a truck; we can throw your bike in the back and take you home,” Julie offered.
My heart rate started to pick up. I didn’t want them to go out of their way, and I definitely didn’t want them to see the house Peter and I lived in. And Iespeciallydidn’t want to risk them seeing Peter.
Peter developed a drinking problem after our mom left, which was ironic because he’d always claimed he would never be like his father; that he would never turn to the bottle because of a woman. His claim was quickly proven false, because mom leaving us really fucked him up. I knew he’d be drunk by the time we finished closing—if he wasn’t already—and I didn’t want Jackson and Julie anywhere near him.
“Honestly, it’s fine,” I said.
Jackson shook his head. “Why don’t you at least give me your cellphone number, in case anything happens on the way home.” He was making eye contact with me for the first time tonight, and it caused butterflies to start flapping their wings inside me.
“I don’t have a cellphone, but I can call you from my house phone,” I offered lamely.
“You don’t have a cellphone!?” Julie screeched. “My mom would kill us if we let you leave this late on your bike. Seriously, call your parents and let them know we’ll take you home if they can’t pick you up.”
I could feel my lower back starting to sweat. There was nobody I needed to call, and hearing the words “your parents” caused a sharp pain in my heart.
Jackson and Julie were still staring at me, waiting for me to agree to the ride home.
“Okay, if you’re really sure it’s fine?” I tried my hardest to not sound as timid as a mouse, but I did not accomplish that.
“We’re so sure,” Jackson offered with a smile. “Do you want to use my phone?” He pulled it out of his pocket and held it out for me.
I shook my head no. “It’s all good.”
“Now that that’s settled, get ready to learn closing!” Julie said, clapping her hands together. “It’s kind of like a game for me and Jackson. We each pick three songs, and try to get everything done beforethey’re all over. We have to take off the last of the tablecloths, vacuum the floors, and mop the entrance, the kitchen, and the bathrooms. Sometimes we’ll roll silverware if we don’t feel like doing it the next day.” She turned to Jackson, who was already plugging his phone into the speaker. “You pick three songs already?”
“We should each do two, let Addie pick, too.” He looked up at me. “We always leave the songs a surprise.”
“I don’t have to pick any. I don’t really listen to music.” I gave him a squeamish smile. I knew a lot of popular songs, but had no idea what their names were, or even who sung them.
“We are definitely going to change that,” Julie said as she took the phone from Jackson. “I’m a huge Swiftie.”
I laughed while Jackson audibly groaned. “I seriously have every song of hers memorized because of how much Julie plays her.”
Julie laughed wickedly, picking her three songs before pressing play.
A rap song started playing, and Julie and Jackson immediately started singing along. Jackson was singing the main parts, and Julie was doing the background vocals. I couldn’t stop laughing at the lyrics, and the fact that both of them were singing such a provocative song as we started the closing duties.
Julie and I started removing all the tablecloths while Jackson got the vacuum. “Don’t be shy, go ahead and sing!” Julie said as we carried the first pile of laundry to the back of the kitchen.
“I don’t know this song,” I admitted.
“You’ve never heard ‘No Hands’ by Waka Flocka Flame?” she gasped.
I furrowed my eyebrows. “Waka who?”
“Oh lord, that’s bad,” Julie said with a laugh.
The next song started playing, and this one I actually recognized. It was “Sing For The Moment” by Eminem. I mouthed the words,not confident enough to actually rap like Julie and Jackson were both doing while we all worked in tandem. I knew the next song after that, but didn’t know the name.
“‘Stronger’ by Kanye West,” Jackson called out over the speakers. “Have you ever seen the movieNever Back Down? This song is in it; it’s my favorite movie!” I shook my head no and Jackson playfully rolled his eyes.
While we were getting the mops ready, Julie’s song picks started playing, and she started shaking her hips as Taylor Swift’s voice blasted through the speakers.
“Please tell me you’ve heard ‘Enchanted’!” she yelled over the music. I laughed as I shook my head no. Even Jackson was singing, and I was laughing so hard at both of them that I had to clutch my stomach.
