The short man walked quickly down the grey street. It was late November, and the weather was getting colder by the hour. The man shivered and coughed violently, causing a passing woman to stop and ask if he was alright. Frank nodded, and the two strangers carried on their own way. Frank shivered, and thought about how he needed a new jacket – preferably a winter one, not his old fall jacket.
Yeah, that's great and all, but you need money to buy a new jacket, a nagging voice in his head reminded him. He shivered yet again, causing a chain reaction of violent coughs to rack his chest. Frank looked up from the sidewalk and saw a small sign hanging from a building. He noticed it was a coffee shop – it must have been new, Frank was in this area only a week or two before and he hadn't remembered it. He started to walk quickly, hoping that he might not get kicked out for sitting there a bit – he knew he couldn't afford to buy a coffee, not today. As he turned toward the front door, a small sign in the window caught his eye. It read 'HELP WANTED'. The sign gave him a slight gleam of hope, and he smiled as he opened the door and walked in.
Frank looked around the shop after he had closed the door. It wasn't too big, which made it very warm. The decorations were somewhat modern, but at the same time, they were something you could find in a average family's house. There were only two people in the shop. Frank walked towards the counter, which was lined with barstools, where a tall, thin young man was tapping his fingers to a song playing over the speakers. Frank reached the counter and cleared his throat. The man looked up.
"Hey there, handsome. What can I do for you?" He smiled at Frank, who blushed slightly.
"Umm, I saw your sign – are you still hiring?" Frank looked down at the counter and then back to the brown haired man. He nodded.
"Yeah, just lemme get the manager. Hold on a sec." He turned towards the half window that, Frank guessed, led to the kitchen, or at least, a back room. "My name's Brendon, by the way!" The taller man smiled, and winked at Frank as another man walked through a door between the store and the back room. He walked through the divider separating the customer's side of the shop and the side behind the counter.
"Hey, I'm Pete Wentz." The dark haired man held out his hand, and Frank shook it.
"Frank Iero." He said, and Pete spoke.
"So, you want to work here?" Frank nodded, and Pete continued.
"Well, it's pretty straightforward – all you have to do is make and serve coffee – unless you're better at cooking, cause then I'd have you in the kitchen with Spencer." Frank shook his head.
"I'm awful at cooking, sorry." Frank blushed, and looked down. Pete thought for a second.
"Yeah, it's probably better you're out here with Brendon. He loves to talk, and if he isn't bugging customers, he's bitching to Spencer or me about how he's all alone out here, with no one to talk to." Brendon looked over at Pete with shock.
"I do not." He exclaimed. Pete laughed at his pouting expression, and turned back to Frank.
"Well, anyway, I don't really need a resume or references, so all I want to know is that you aren't a criminal," Frank shook his head, "and can you start work tomorrow? I know it's a bit sudden, but – Frank cut him off,
"Yeah, no problem!" He said eagerly. Pete laughed.
"Well, I'll see you tomorrow, then." He turned to Brendon, "I have to run out and see Patrick for a bit. Be back later!" He shook Frank's hand again, and headed towards the door, grabbing a jacket off the coat rack before exiting the shop. Frank turned towards Brendon, who winked at him.
Blushing, Frank said, "Well, I'll see you, then." Brendon laughed.
"Sure – see you later, Frank!" Frank turned towards the door Pete had just left through and walked out of the cafe. He couldn't contain a smile as he began walking down the street, towards his friend Ray's apartment.
Meanwhile, Ray was walking distractedly through his apartment. He hadn't heard from Frank in days, which wouldn't have worried him if he didn't know how easily his friend got sick. Every time Frank showed up, Ray was more than happy to let him crash on his couch. On the other hand, Frank actually had to show up. Ray paced for another 10 minutes until he heard a small knock on the front door. He practically ran to the door and almost ripped it off the hinges, to find Frank standing outside his door. Ray didn't know if he wanted to hug him or hit him, but he decided to go with the more friendly approach.
"Ray – what the fuck-?" Frank spluttered as the much taller man hugged him. Ray put him down, and punched him lightly on the arm.
"Where the fuck were you, man? You left before I woke up, and Christa and I called around for hours trying to figure out where you were!" Frank looked down, and coughed. Ray frowned.
"Frank, man, you know how easily you get sick. C'mon, I'll make coffee." The two men walked into the small apartment, and Frank headed for the living room couch. Ray came back a few minutes later with two mugs of coffee, and sat in a chair across from the couch.
"Frank, you know you can stay here whenever you need. It's not like Christa minds, either. We don't want you sick again. Last time you got a cold, you ended up in the hospital with pneumonia." Frank looked down at his coffee.
"I know, Ray. I'm sorry, man, but it's just...I don't know. I hate imposing-" Ray began to speak, but Frank cut him off, "Anyway, I've got good news. I got a job, Ray!" Ray stared for a moment, before breaking into a huge grin.
"That's great, Frank! Where are you working?" He asked.
"At some little coffee shop. Man, you know what this means? I can get my own place!" Frank's face became happier, and Ray smiled.
The two friends talked for hours, and when Ray's girlfriend, Christa, came home, she, too, joined their discussions. After dinner, she and Ray were cleaning the kitchen, and upon their return to the living room, they found Frank curled up on the couch, fast asleep. Christa pulled a blanket over him, and she and Ray went to their bedroom.
The next morning, they woke up to find Frank gone. In his place was the blanket folded up and a note.
Thanks guys. Gone to work. See you later.