Looking up from the map displayed on her cellphone, Lapis Lazuli found herself gazing at the entrance to a small hole-in-the-wall café she had been hearing about as she explored the town that was her new home. A Latte On My Mind. She snickered at the lame pun and observed the sign above the door it was engraved on. The text was surrounded by tiny roses and stars with some musical notes as well. It was obviously a home made piece and unceremoniously hung from a nail that was forced between the cracks in the face of the soft red building. Lapis looked around slowly, taking in the sights around her as she prepared herself for her next task.
Beach City didn't appear to be much, but in the few days Lapis had been getting to know her surroundings, she had discovered there was more to the touristy neighborhood than meets the eye. The Boardwalk was a bit of a trip on foot from Sussex Road, but Lapis didn't mind the scenery when she cut down Thayer towards the beach access road; she lost herself in it and it helped time fly as she was job hunting every day.
Which is what led her to be standing in front of the café, strategically squeezed in between a T-shirt shop and an exotic sounding restaurant dubbed Fish Stew Pizza. She made a mental note to check both stores out sometime, when she was hungry or curious to see what she could add to her somewhat boring and drab wardrobe. She looked down at her choice of clothing for the day; a dark blue tank top with a black snug fitting cardigan thrown over it and a black pair of skinny jeans nicely accented with her favorite pair black flats. She moved a hand to the black wool beret she had thrown atop of her messy, fading blue hair. Yes, it might just be time for a shopping trip once she had acquired her first paycheck.
Moving hadn't been much of a battle financially, as her mother was willing enough to help her locate a small house and pay for half a year's worth of rent, but she was expected to have secured employment and to be paying for it after those six months. While most teenagers fresh out of their parent's control with that much time to get a job would seize the opportunity to go crazy with partying and slacking off, Lapis had no intention of enjoying any leisurely activities until she heard the words "You're hired!" drift through her ears. Then she could relax and enjoy her down time when possible. She was not going to risk losing so much time then scrambling to get a job while begging for an extension on rent with made up excuses being her defense. It was a miracle her mother had even offered to pay her rent for that long, but then again, she probably wanted Lapis out of her house just as much as Lapis wanted to be gone.
Do not go down that road right now. Not before you step in there and ask for a job.
Wincing then shaking her head, Lapis exited the map and put her phone on silent mode before sliding it into her pocket, her eyes set on the door as she took a deep breath. Grabbing the giant rustic handle, a bright friendly smile replaced her usual bored-to-death demeanor. Gotta use honey to attract flies, right? Or something silly to that extent. She pulled the door open and stepped inside cautiously, blinking as she took in the café's interior.
There were a few comfortable looking black booths meant for two people each lined along the wall to her right with dark wooden panels placed in various angles, making the wall look slightly chaotic yet calm at the same time. The last booth sat in front of a section that had small book shelves and some tables and chairs, even a couple of bean bags; a sign hanging from the entrance of it read 'The Book Nook'. A young boy with curly black hair sat in one of the bean bags holding a book between him and a girl with big round glasses next to him in the other bean bag. They were giggling and talking in semi-hushed voices, enjoying each other's company more than the book. Lapis smiled slightly more before glancing to the other side of the café.
On the left were some big white metal tables with matching chairs that had cushions set on the seats of them. A few groups sat at them with their laptops and coffee cups, chatting with one another or everyone engrossed in their screens discussing term papers and gaming platforms. A young man with outrageously curled blond locks and glasses was speaking with a rather loud, dramatic voice, repeatedly jabbing at his laptop screen while a younger boy with similar hair, presumably a relative, propped his chin on his open palm staring dead pan at the other as if he'd been through this charade countless times and had accepted it as a way of life. However, what Lapis saw next put a glint in her robin's egg blue eyes and she took a few more steps towards the area to get a better look.
Beyond the social gatherings and the comical exchange of the two boys, against the back wall, was a stage with a stool, microphone stand and speakers hung from the ceiling in between multicolored light fixtures. A long rectangular table was set up to the side of the stage with what appeared to be turntables and a tiny TV that was unplugged and wrapped up in its own cord. There was just enough space between the stage and tables to assume that it was used for dancing when the equipment was put to use. An obviously much used chalkboard stood propped up at an angle against the front of the stage and the wall with various days and names listed. A genuine smile crossed Lapis' face and she subconsciously tightened her hands together, excitement forming with the idea that came into her mind.
Do it, whether you land the job or not. Do it.
She tore her eyes away from the stage, letting them roam to the center of the café, where dead ahead was the front counter. Glass display cases showed off desserts and beverages available for purchase along with a complimentary more than slightly bored appearing employee, leaning against the counter with her crossed arms as support. She was staring right at Lapis and gave her a smirk as their gazes met. Hesitating for a split moment, Lapis looked back to the stage, affirming her resolve and giving her the courage to walk towards the counter.
"Heeey, Blue. See something you like?" The employee spoke with a low cocky voice and gave her a wide grin, raising an eyebrow at the surprised girl. Lapis' face went blank and she let out the most intelligently puzzled thing she could think of to say.
"Uhhh...?"
Letting out a laugh, the employee straightened up revealing herself to be not much taller than the counter and put her hands on her hips, jerking her head towards the stage. "Hehe, you seemed really into our karaoke center, is what I mean..." She grinned more and looked Lapis up and down. "Unless you wanna take this conversation another direction..."
"NO, no, I, uh..." Lapis blinked and shook her head putting a hand to her forehead. Focus. "I'm here to apply for a position."
"Well, what one? I have a few favorites, but I'm flexible for anyone's preferences, if you get my drift." If possible, the girl's grin grew and she laughed again as she gauged Lapis' flustered reaction. "I'm just teeeasing you, Blue! I'm sorry! Hehe...but hey, on the reals, if you're ever down-"
"Can I just please possibly speak with a hiring manager?!" Lapis sputtered out in a voice higher than she was used to using. She cleared her throat and stared at the employee, whose nametag read-"...Amethyst? Please?"
Amethyst opened her mouth to make another retort, but thought better of it when she saw Lapis' eyes narrow and chuckled nervously. "Ehehe, yeah, uh, sorry. Again." She turned a light shade of pink and turned her head to call over her shoulder into the back of the store, which was separated by a bright pink banner with a rose surrounded by thorns emblazed in the middle. "Hey, Pearl, Garnet, do one of you have a moment to spare? Applicant!" Turning back to Lapis, she smiled sheepishly. "...I'm sorry. I forget not to mix business with pleasure. Bad habit."
Lapis rubbed the side of her head closing her eyes and taking a slow deep breath then exhaling. "Thanks for the apology. Just. Forget it. Let's move on." She glanced back at the pastel purple haired girl and smirked a bit. "If I get this job, I don't wanna start off on the wrong foot with my coworkers." Amethyst smiled a bit more and nodded, giving her a thumbs up. Lapis extended her hand and tilted her head to the side. "And it's Lapis."
Amethyst looked at her hand then gripped it and shook it heartily, surprising Lapis with her strength. "I like Blue better, but I'll take Lapis into consideration! Your hair just pops out so much, it's all I could think of to call ya!"
"Says the girl with lavender hair?" Lapis laughed. "Besides, you think this is blue? Just wait until I find the time to recolor it, then you'll really be seeing blue!" The two laughed together briefly before a new voice cut through their bonding.
"Amethyst! You called? I hope you're actually doing some work...for once...oh!" A tall woman with short, light pink hair walked through the curtain with a clipboard and pen in her hands and stopped in her tracks when she saw her coworker conversing with someone. Her soft blue eyes darted to Amethyst then back to Lapis and she approached them timidly. "Hello...erm, Amethyst, friend of yours?" She crossed her arms and gripped the clipboard staring at the shorter girl. "You know Garnet prefers you not to have company while you're on the clock!"
"Ugh, quit your whining, Pearl!" Amethyst snapped, crossing her arms to mimic Pearl. "If you'd been actually listening when I called, I clearly said APPLICANT!" She threw her arms in the air letting out an exaggerated groan and grabbed a dish towel dunking it in a bucket of sanitizer and wringing it out before pushing her way past Pearl and exiting into the lobby through a swinging door panel of the counter. "Though I'm sure when she's done talking to you, she won't wanna work here anymore..." she muttered just barely loud enough for the other two to hear.
Pearl glared at Amethyst's back as she began to wipe tables and pick up trash leftover from customers that had come and gone, then turned back to Lapis blushing softly. "I'm quite sorry, I wasn't aware of your presence, and Amethyst has a tendency to be overly sociable at work...err..." She looked down at the clipboard in her wiry hands and flipped through some of the pages. "I don't believe I have an application on hand..." She looked back up at Lapis and gestured towards the back of the shop. "Would you like to follow me? I have to print one off, and Garnet is back here...she's our GM, so you can fill it out here and hand it right to her and she can determine if she'd like to have you on our team!" Pearl blinked then held out her hand shyly. "...I'm Pearl."
Lapis had been taking in the activity between Amethyst and Pearl, quietly watching and determining whether she could deal with the atmosphere if hired. So far, she was fairly certain she, indeed, could handle it. A chance to meet Garnet would further help her reach a conclusion. She mentally kicked herself, realizing she needed a job regardless of her ability to handle the people involved in it. A job was a job was a job was a job. Social aspects were not to be taken into consideration until further notice.
With a small sigh and a nod, she took Pearl's dainty hand in hers and shook it gently, not wanting to scare the frail looking girl. Despite her attitude with Amethyst, Lapis could tell Pearl was definitely a delicate snowflake.
"Lapis. It's nice to meet you." She smiled as an afterthought, not wanting to come across as uninterested and rude. "Pearl."
Pearl squeezed her hand staring at her before retracting it and turning briskly to walk towards the office, pushing the swinging door open for Lapis to walk through. "This way, please."
Lapis lurched forward to slip through the door and follow Pearl hastily, looking over her shoulder at Amethyst. The employee had looked up from a table she was cleaning when they began walking and grinned, throwing Lapis another thumbs up. Lapis returned it smiling then picked up her steps to catch up with Pearl. She wasn't expecting the abruptness that the other girl had displayed and stayed nervously silent as they passed through the opening in the middle of the banner, the image of the rose and thorns fluttering as it settled back into place.