So, yeah, this is a drabble I wrote.
Hi everybody, Exotos135 here, with a little drabble born from a little question: What if Bobby's constant job switching (He's been a lifeguard, a pizza delivery boy, mall security guard, and so on) resulted him in getting insecure on his ability to keep a job?
Sure, those could always be all jobs he has in different schedules, but for the sake of this story, let's assume they're not.
So anyway, let's head to the story!
A new day started in the city. Not the city of Royal Woods, just a city. And in this city, there was a bodega owned by the Santiago-Casagrande family. And one of its very members were doing their shift.
This member was Bobby Santiago, also known as Roberto, with a bunch of other names in his real name as well. He was working at the cashier, where he looked at the rest of the bodega behind the counter.
"Looks neat, right?"
The guy turned around and saw both his mother, Maria Santiago, and aunt, Frida Purga Casagrande, standing at the other side of the counter.
"Isn't it exciting, Roberto?" Frida asked as she reached for her back and took out a camera. "Your first day working at the bodega! Exciting, isn't it?"
"Yeah, it is..." Bobby paused. "Pretty exciting..."
That statement made the women exchange concerned looks, before Mrs. Casagrande said, "Okay, so since the bodega won't be open for a couple more minutes, how about you go to the corner and clean a bit?"
"Oh right, that does need a bit of cleaning," Bobby said before he left the counter. "I'll go clean it up right away."
The guy grabbed the mop and bucket and went to do just that, leaving the women alone to talk for a bit.
"Is it just me, or did Bobby seem a bit... sadder, than usual, when he said that?" Mrs. Casagrande asked. "I mean, the way he paused certainly made it seem like he was troubled, at least..."
"Now that you mention it, some days before we moved, he looked a bit sad and worried," Mrs. Santiago said. "However, I'm pretty sure that was because we were moving, and it's just been a week since the move..."
"Maybe you should go ask him if anything's wrong?" Mrs. Casagrande suggested. "He's your son, after all. And besides, I need to check if my camera's running out of space."
"Well, you do love to take photos," Mrs. Santiago laughed.
The women shared a couple laughs, and Mrs. Casagrande left soon after, leaving Mrs. Santiago to walk up to Bobby, who was cleaning the floors.
"Hey, Bobby," she said, getting the boy's attention. "Do you have a minute?"
"Yeah, but be careful where you step," Bobby answered, focusing on the floors he was cleaning. "The floor's not dry yet."
"Um... yeah..." Mrs. Santiago sighed. "So, listen, Frida and I couldn't help but notice that you seemed a little down today. Mostly based on how you answered when she asked you if you were excited."
The guy stopped cleaning for a moment and looked at the ground, looking slightly concerned.
"Bobby, if there's something on your mind, you can tell me about it," Mrs. Santiago clasped her hands. "And I assure you, I'll try my best to help you."
Bobby took a deep breath, and answered, "I'm just worried I won't be able to hold this job for long."
"What do you mean?" Mrs. Santiago asked.
"Well, back in Royal Woods, I had a very hard time trying to hold a job," Bobby sighed. "I would be given a job, stay in that job from a week to a month, and then I'd find myself unemployed until I found another job, and repeat the cycle all over again."
Mrs. Santiago frowned. "I see..."
"Sure, most if not all of them were just part-time, but I still tried really hard to stay in it," Bobby lowered his head. "And then, massive blunder after massive blunder would happen, and I'd be fired."
"Yeah, that can spoil the mood for anybody," Mrs. Santiago looked up. "Before I was a nurse, I was
"I guess I got that part from you, then, because I soon found myself taking every job available," Bobby chuckled. "Mall security guard, pool lifeguard, pizza delivery boy, firefighter-"
The last one caught Mrs. Santiago off-guard. "Firefighter?!"
"Yeah, there was this play at the school Lincoln and his friends go to, and I was given the role of a firefighter," Bobby explained. "Some people tell me I was the best actor in the play, but seeing as how my co-stars were children, it wasn't that big of a deal."
"Oh... okay..." Mrs. Santiago put a hand in Bobby's shoulder. "Now, let me see if I get this: You're upset because of what happened with those jobs in Royal Woods?"
"I'm upset because, as far as I'm aware, I can't hold a job, full-time or half-time, for longer than a month," Bobby sighed. "And I'm worried that the same thing will happen in the bodega."
"Oh, Roberto, you have nothing to worry about," Mrs. Santiago said. "You worked at a grocery store once, working at a bodega is mostly the same! You'll be totally fine!"
"I barely worked for a week at the grocery store, though," Bobby pointed out.
"Yeah, but that was because your boss was a short-tempered man who lacked the patience to deal with you," Mrs. Santiago sighed. "What I'm trying to say is, relax, Roberto. Stay calm, and I promise you, everything will be fine."
Bobby thought about his mother's words for a second, then smiled and nodded. "I will. Thanks for hearing me out, Mom."
The woman nodded and patted her son's back before she left, and just in time for the bodega to open, too. This was signaled by the bell ringing, which made Bobby turn to the entrance and say, with a cheerful tone and smile:
"Hello, welcome to the Casagrande Bodega!"