Mordecai kind of figured that being a boss just meant going around and telling people what to do. He realized very quickly that it was more than that. It was planning and working and telling people what to do was a freaking art Benson's perfected. He even found out that Benson also had a list of things to do around the park. He just did them while no one else saw. He would take care of plumbing and electric lines. He write down things that needed fixing up and maintenance. And at the end of the day, he would sit up in the office until midnight filing paperwork, paying the park's bills, and planning the next day's work day.
It was a work of 'training' which was just him following Benson around and shadowing him. The weather had gotten colder too and the spider problem on the porch was getting worse.
"I can uh… look up a cheap exterminator online and give them a call tomorrow," Mordecai offers as he steps out onto the porch, zipping up his blue jacket.
Benson is taken by surprise at Mordecai's offer because the blue jay had been pretty worthless for the last few weeks and unmotivated. Benson lets a small smile pull at the side of his mouth and gives Mordecai an impressed tone, "Yeah… yeah, that sounds like a great idea actually." Benson shivers and pulls his scarf closer to himself to block the bitter wind.
Mordecai takes the clipboard from Benson and motions to the house, "I… I think I can remember how to do inventory on the supply closet. You can go inside and warm up for awhile."
Benson almost snatches the clipboard away from Mordecai until he hears his words. He examines the blue jay's face to make sure he wasn't trying to pull anything. When the other's face didn't falter, he sighs and smiles. It's the first sigh of relief he's experienced in awhile. He agrees to Mordecai's offer but adds before he goes inside, "Let me see the list before you log it into the computer, and if you have any questions just let me know, okay?"
"I think I can manage. It isn't rocket science. It's a few bags of gravel and garden hoses," Mordecai gives Benson a semi-cocky look, but for once he wished Benson would have a little more faith in him. He just wanted some kind of chance to redeem himself.
Benson shakes his head, "Okay. I'll come check up on you in fifteen minutes."
Mordecai waves him off and looks down at the clipboard with an amused look on his face.
"You and Benson are awful chummy," Rigby says in a snarky tone.
"Whatever," Mordecai shrugs it off and heads over toward the storage closet. He stops though and turns to Rigby, "You know, you should really clean the spider webs. It's kind of been a few weeks, dude."
"Dude," Rigby starts almost in a mocking way, "Don't play me like I'm dumb. I heard you talking to Benson about an exterminator! Let them take care of it!"
Mordecai frowned, "Well… if you would have done it weeks ago, it wouldn't have gotten this bad. If you do a good job, we could probably save the park some money…"
Rigby falls backward on the porch steps lazily, "Ugh! Are you even listening to yourself right now!? You sound like Benson!" He crosses his arms across his chest, "This place is so dull now. I don't even have my best bro to hang with anymore. What happened to, 'I'll do such a bad job they'll have to demote me!'"
"Well, this job isn't too bad, dude. Besides, I get paid more. If I keep saving, I can get my own place," Mordecai says with a small smile. "Maybe, if things work well with Margaret…"
"What!? You're just going to leave? What's wrong with living with me?" Rigby says frantically.
"Well…" Mordecai's voice softens because he feels for Rigby. He's his best friend, but… "I'm already twenty-five, dude. I want to meet someone and settle down, you know? I can't do that living here at the park."
Rigby's eyes are wide and glassy like he's about to cry, but he stomps up to Mordecai and punches him in the arm. Mordecai doesn't feel it and Rigby ends up walking away blowing on his sore knuckles.
Mordecai looks down at his clipboard with sad eyes. Even if he did manage to get his own place, it wouldn't ensure he life with Margaret. He could keep hoping though. He turned to the storage closet and began counting.
Benson enters fifteen minutes later like he said he would. He winced as he glanced inside like he was expecting a fire or a hole in the wall. When he saw that it was just Mordecai marking down numbers on a piece of paper under a dim light, he looked relieved.
Mordecai was too focused on what he was doing that he hadn't noticed Benson coming up to him. He jolted back to reality, jumping and in turn scaring Benson. "Oh, uh… Sorry."
"It's okay," Benson said, laughing a little. He had on a thicker pink coat and some mittens. He was a little over dressed for the temperature outside, but Mordecai figured he just got cold easily. He hands Mordecai a mug with steaming brown liquid, "Pops made hot chocolate. Thought you would want some."
Mordecai reached for it, then stopped. He looked back up at Benson and then back down to the drink as if asking permission. It was weird because Benson wasn't nice to him. He looked around to see if Benson was talking to someone else, but they were the only two in there.
Benson arches his eyebrow, "Take it. You act like it's poisoned." He shoves it in Mordecai's hand, forcing him to hold it. "Here. Trade ya," he grabs the clipboard and shuffles through the papers. "Oh, wow. You're almost done," Benson says with a genuine smile. It hits him. If he trains Mordecai and he's up to par, Benson could start getting days off. That was worth ten hot chocolates.
Mordecai is looking at Benson who is staring at the papers attached to the clipboards. It reminds him of weeks back on the day Maellard promoted him and how Benson wasn't promoted for ten years. His curiosity gets the better of him when he asks, "How come it took you ten years to get promoted. I mean, you're such a hard worker."
Benson scoffs, "Well now, that's none of your business."
Mordecai frowns. He thought they were beginning to trust each other. Perhaps they had a long way to go. He takes a sip and the drink is creamy and sweet, warming down into his chest.
Benson flips the papers up where Mordecai had left off and finishes up the inventory. "If you don't tell…" Benson says under his breath, "I was a slacker. I never did what I was supposed to. I lived at the park like you and Rigby. I guess, I didn't have any motivation. Pops never gave up on me, but at the same time I didn't get that push I needed. Then, Skips started working. He made me realize that I was wasting my life away." Benson meets Mordecai's eyes briefly, "Rigby's lucky to have a friend like you. You can get him on the right track."
Mordecai let out a doubtful laugh. He regretted talking about this. This was supposed to be about Benson, not himself.
Benson continued, "My dad wanted me to go into business. I wanted to go to school for music, but I guess with the lack of support from my family I gave up. I felt like I wasn't good enough for anything. I ended up here as a drop out and pretty much a failure in my parents eyes." A bitter smile crosses his face, "I'm sure I still am."
"What!? Are you kidding! You have a job and a home and a girlfriend! I mean, who wouldn't be proud of that?" Mordecai blurted out before he had a chance to think about what he had just said.
Benson's smile is warm and he looks away to hide it. "Yeah, well… I have more years under my belt. I bet in a few years you'll have your life figured out." Benson flips the pages down, finished with inventory, "Keep up the good work, Mordecai." He leaves out of the storage closet.
Mordecai watches him leave with a smile. He hasn't been complimented by Benson for awhile and it felt good. Although, he was kicking himself for getting so personal. He grabbed his head, beating himself up over it, "Ugh! What's wrong with me!?" he kicks at a bag of gravel and hops around grabbing his sore toe and falls over, knocking down a stack of bricks over. He lays there for a moment, kind of glad Benson hadn't seen that. Or anyone else for that matter.
Mordecai had a long way to go.
Mordecai is at the computer scrolling through websites trying to find an affordable exterminator, but unfortunately they were all over priced. He bangs his head against the keyboard, feeling the sense of failure setting in. This mindless act causes an ad to pop up and it's exactly what he's looking for! It's a crazy looking cowboy guy rounding up spiders like cattle. It was cheesy, but extremely cheap. He writes the phone number down triumphantly.
The room is dark and the light flips on at the moment, temporarily blinding Mordecai. "What are you doing up still? You're off the clock," Benson says. Sleep was hanging over his own head desperately. By the looks of it, he must have just finished the day's paperwork.
"Oh, I found," Mordecai gets too excited and trips over the chair, falling on his face right by Benson's feet. He holds up a yellow sticky note with the exterminator's number on it, waving it back and forth, "I found an exterminator."
"That's great!" Benson says with a big smile. He looks down at Mordecai who hasn't removed his face from the carpet. He sighs because he can tell he's sleeping. He takes the note and covers Mordecai's limp body with a blanket before heading to the doorway. He shuts off the lights and before closing the door whispers a "Thanks."