Love and Lust

Chapter 3

Complications and Joyrides

Todd lept out his window around three and headed towards the bus stop using the the the back-roads as to avoid any chance the Brotherhood would spot him. Fainting ill had gone over very well, when he'd even decided to add slime effects, the Brotherhood all but bailed early. He was fairly certain Pietro might even sleep in the car to avoid getting 'ill' at all. He ran up the bus steps and fell into the back seat, a little chipper at the fact people gave him a wide birth. He sniffed himself after a moment though, he'd taken a shower... he'd even... dare he say it... used soap. He shuttered. His housemates had to admit, he'd been getting better over the last year; two showers a month really cut the smell. Though, at a more immediate thought, perhaps he should shower a little more to keep his current job. Perhaps four times a month... maybe three for sure. He jogged off the bus and down the street to the mall, not even noticing a familiar jeep doing figure eights in the parking lot and yelling about parking. He slowed down and casually walked towards the China Den.

"Hey Todd," he stopped and took a few steps back as he heard Candy.

"Hey Cand,"he looked back a little to see her wearing her uniform and fixing her hair, "You know Cand, I was thinkin' about something.."

"About what?" she asked with a small smile.

"Your dad ain't Chinese, or Asian... what's with the restaurant?" asked Todd, scratching his head.

"He likes too cook. As well as simple restaurants don't do as well. Themes do," she explained, casually.

"Oh, okay," said Todd, with a shrug, he'd actually been attempting to make small talk, "Hey, so... why exactly are you trainin' me... shouldn't the cook."

"My dad's the cook, the majority of the staff are servers, like myself. Dishers or Busers. Our last prep cook left due to family obligations," she responded as they entered the restaurant, she'd gotten a lot less red in the face since yesterday, "Also, because Kim, Kiki, and Taryn can get the small dinner crowds, but my dad still has to cook."

It wasn't that hard. His job was mainly to chop, sort, cut, mince, and mix things. Todd was glad about this, it meant he had little room to do something wrong. Candy was fairly clear about things, and if she wasn't certain, Sinclair was pretty simple to understand. Near the middle of his shift, he was confident enough at what he was doing for Candy to catch a few tables, though Todd felt a little smug at the fact she kept stopping to talk to him as often as she could, like now for example... as she casually leaned against the table listening to him talk about his favorite foods and stuff as he chopped potatoes. But his euphoric moment was rained on at one clear sentence from Taryn the waitress, and former soccer player.

"Uhg, Pietro and his idiot friends are here," she snapped as she headed towards the break room, "I'm taking my break, Candy can you please deal with those idiots."

"Did she just say..." Todd's eyes went wide as Candy headed towards the door, "Candy... they can't know I'm here, yo."

"Why?" asked Candy, taking as step backwards towards him.

"They just can't okay... Pietro and Lance hate Chinese, why would they come here?" Todd asked that last part to himself.

"Calm down," said Candy, "I got it... Don't casually mention their friend works here... but can I have a more clear explanation later.. you know, like, one without panic in it?"

"Yeah!" said Todd, nervously returning to his prep station, then deciding to move to the one closest to the door to listen in.

Candy walked over to where the Brotherhood and Tabitha sat, talking about Tabitha's trip. They'd apparently run into her a little ways before the mall venture and she'd invited herself along. This hadn't bothered the group much, since she'd offered to pay a fair portion of whatever bill it might be. Their laughter and noises were causing other tables to stare.

"Hi, I'm Candy, I'll be your waitress this evening," she said with a cheerful smile.

"Yes, a stripper!" laughed Tabitha, who then pointed to the other waitresses, "So, are they Kiki and Tropicana?"

"Well her name is Kiki, but sadly no, she's not Tropicana," shrugged Candy, "Do you know what you'd like to drink, or do you need time?"

"Time would only make us more thirsty," said Wanda.

"And Hungry," said Fred, eyeing up the food.

"We'll have two ice teas, a coffee, a root beer, and a Mt. Dew," said Lance with a half smile, "We're all going for the buffet."

"Right, I'll have your drinks in a moment," she headed back towards the kitchen, "Your friends are a little... hyper."

"No... that's calm.. who ordered the Dew?" asked Todd, biting his lip.

"No idea, but they all ordered the buffet," she shrugged.

"Dang... Sinclair, we're gonna need to stock the buffet some more," said Todd as Candy got the drinks.

"Why, I just had Kevin restock nearly all of it," said Sinclair, leaning around the counter where he was cooking, an auburn brow raised.

"Trust me on this," said Todd, watching the Brotherhood take out nearly half the buffet.

An hour later and Todd felt a little more content as he cooked. The Brotherhood had no idea he worked here, they weren't harassing Candy...too much, the Buffet had survived the massacre, and he'd actually managed to keep up for the most part... save for the onion slicer of doom, in which Sinclair had decided to do when Todd had nearly got his hand stuck near the blade. He sighed as he dropped the last chopped potato into the pot and put it on the stove, everything was going fine.

"Your friends an ass," said Candy in a low mumble as she walked back to get more butter.

"What did Pietro do?" asked Todd with a groan.

"How'd you know it was...?" asked Candy, brow raised, "Is his mind always in the gutter, he's managed to harass both the other two waitress and myself."

"I know him well, yo... did he... he didn't," Todd grimaced, "In which was the harassment's?"

"It's not like its the first time I've heard it, but perhaps he could be a little more low key," said Candy as she headed back out, "I'm fairly certain the whole dining room heard his drapes remark.."

His shift was finally coming to an end, and Sinclair had given the okay for him to head out. Todd shoved the last of the dishes near the dishwasher and took off his apron, trying to remember how to punch out. He picked up his card, only to drop it when he jumped at an abrupt voice behind him.

"I'm so glad this nights over," sighed Candy, Todd calmed down, "You okay?"

"You should wear a bell or somethin'.." said Todd with a laugh, "Between you and Sinclair I'm gonna end up offing myself with a deep fryer or somethin'."

"I'll consider it, but if I do... just add tinsel and I'm a walking cliché of Christmas," she rolled her eyes, "I have to admit... your friends are fairly good tippers."

"They actually tipped... wait they paid?" asked Todd, in complete shock.

"Yeah, I'm actually shocked," she pulled out a larger bill from her bag as she clocked out.

"Uh... what exactly did you respond when he was harassing you?" asked Todd looking at the money, "On that note... what exactly did he say to all of you?"

"I said, 'wouldn't you like to know..' it shut him up... for five seconds," she shrugged, and blushed at Todd's slight shock, "I'd rather not say... but I do have come backs... well actually it was the first thing that popped in my head... I had no intent on actually responding... why?"

"Uh..." Todd looked at the clock eyes wide.

"So... care on telling me what exactly the whole hush, hush was about," asked Candy, a pink hue hitting her face, as she leaned a little closer to him, "We could go for a walk..."

"Did they leave?" asked Todd.

"Ohm... your friends... yeah," said Candy, taken aback at Todd's sudden panic... hadn't he been panicked that they were there.

"Shit... shit, shit.." said Todd looking at the clock, "That bus won't beat them there.."

"... Are you talking about trying to beat them home?" asked Candy, "Why?"

"It's a long... okay its not long, but it's a story that is best dealt with later, yo," said Todd, trying to figure out how to beat them.

"... I can drive," suggested Candy, a small smile on her face, "I mean it's my dad's car, but I can drive..and they just left.."

"Are you offering to drive me home?" asked Todd with a raised brow, "In the same car?"

"Well I wouldn't have you ride on the roof... and then you could tell me the story," smiled Candy, "Dad, I'm taking Todd home, be back later!"

"You sure?" asked Todd, though Candy was already walking ahead of him, "I could come up with some other excuse to not be home.."

"It's really no big deal... besides I rarely get to drive... where are you going?" asked Candy as Todd ran along the building to look at the parking lot.

"There not to the jeep yet... maybe I could unplug the battery or somethin'... it would stall for time," said Todd, rubbing his chin.

"You could use this to pop the tire," said Candy, holding her metal hair stick up behind him.

"You are gonna scare me to... good idea," said Todd taking the stick and hopping over to the jeep, one of the only cars in the parking lot.

In one sudden movement, the tire deflated and the sounds of the Brotherhood could be heard exiting the Mall. Todd booked it back towards Candy, grabbing her arm and pulling her with him towards the old Escort. Candy unlocked the car and they quickly got in, just in time to hear a certain earth mutant cursing up a storm. Candy started up the car and went around the long side of the building, avoiding the parking lot.

"I don't mean to interrupt our epic getaway... but where exactly do you live?" asked Candy with a small giggle.

"You know where the Xavier Institute is?" asked Todd, pointing left.

"I thought you and your friends didn't get along with them?" asked Candy, confusion troubling her face.

"We're not too bad now... no not there," Todd rubbed his temple, "There's a backroad near there that takes us clear to the Brotherhood house... I've always found it rather weird, yo... I mean living so close... anyways, do you?"

"Yeah," said Candy, hitting the gas.

"... There's a reason why you don't get to drive, isn't there?" asked Todd, buckling his seat belt, as they peeled out into traffic to the sound of a few horns.

"I am perfectly capable of driving.." grumbled Candy, her face still the pink from earlier, "He just worries too much.."

"You cut seven people off..."

"I mean, so what if I like to speed a little, I don't do it on excess.."

"We went over the curb..."

"If I couldn't drive, do you think I would have gotten my license?"

"Not judging... just saying... you almost hit a lamp post.."

"So..." said Candy as they hit a longer stretch of less populated roads.

"Oh yeah... well," said Todd, relaxing a bit, "I didn't tell the gang 'cause they have a habit of messin' with things... okay botherin', pesterin', and destroyin' is more the terms. I just don't want them pryin' all the time, and the only way I know how to do that... is not tell them anythin, yo."

"Oh... so its to avoid conflict," said Candy with a small nod.

"Exactly... are we on someone's lawn?" asked Todd, looking out the window.

"Yeah... it'll get you there faster," said Candy, her face toned down and smiling.

"You know this is illegal, right?" asked Todd, watching the houses go by.

"Only if you get caught... and then you just say you know the people..." said Candy with a cheerful smile.

"... and if the people say they don't?" asked Todd, with a grin.

"... I suppose I'm screwed... I wonder how much the fine is.."

"Around $1,000... plus trespassing and hazardous driving, then possible endangerment... lookin' at possible jail time..." said Todd causally.

"..." Candy's face paled, and she quickly skitted onto the street, "I didn't know that.."

"Pietro did it when Lance let him goof around in the jeep one day... course, the cops ran away when Wanda threatened to hex them into oblivion if they messed with her brother," smirked Todd, "Though she ended up hexing him, herself."

"What is hexing?" asked Candy.

"Oh, it's her power... kinda like... magic I guess. It's really powerful, if she wants it be. We don't exactly know what she can all do with it... 'cause we ain't invoking it on purpose," chuckled Todd sceptically.

"That sounds... scary," said Candy her brows knitted together.

"She can be... but so can Mystique or Lance... okay, so Lance not so much.." said Todd as they headed up hill.

"Lance dates Kitty Pryde right, or used to... the tall one with the dark hair?" asked Candy, attempting to picture the ones at the table in her head.

"Yeah... he still does... you know who Pietro is... Wanda is his sister, the brunette. Tabitha was the blonde, and Freddie was the big guy," said Todd.

"So Mystique ...?" asked Candy.

"Is crazy," said Todd with a nod, then caught himself, "She's kinda the head of the boarding house... second driveway."

"Talk about creepy," said Candy as she drove down the long driveway towards the unlit boarding house.

"Yeah... it does have that 'Evil Psycho' feel to it," said Todd with a shrug, "It suits us well."

"Good luck on your deception... how's you get away earlier?" asked Candy as they pulled around towards the door.

"I'm ill," said Todd letting out a fake cough.

"Awesome... so..." Candy's red face was back, Todd was getting more and more amused by it.

"Thanks for the ride, Cands, see yah later," said Todd as he hopped out of the car with a wave.

"Yeah, later," she gave a slight wave from inside the car and the Escort cruised off.

Todd closed the door and turned on a light, just in time to hear a jeep pull up. Todd dove on the couch and grabbed their ragged throw blanket and hit the television power button. He heard arguing outside the door and a few minutes later, Fred walked in with fairly happy spirits. Tabitha and Wanda edged in, a little friction between them, and Lance walked in yelling at Pietro.

"I'm tellin' you, I think that girl from the China Den, stabbed our tire, 'cause you have a big mouth!" yelled Lance.

"The chances of her knowing which car was ours is highly unlikely Rocks for Brains," snapped Pietro.

"It was a perfect circle, like those things they wore in their hair," said Lance, who looked at Todd, "We got you some dinner."

"You did?" asked Todd, almost forgetting to fake weak and ill.

"Their dumplings from the China Den place at the mall," said Lance, heading upstairs, "Pietro you need to learn to shut up.."

"What happened?" asked Todd as Pietro sat on the other end of the couch.

"Lance thinks one of the girls from the China Den, used those hair things from their uniforms... to saboteur the jeep... all because I was flirting with them... and may have offended a few of them.."

"Why?" asked Todd, he was still slightly curious about what had been said.

"Okay, well there was these two brunettes there, and I think that Taryn chick Summers used to date was there too... anyways, I was using my normal sexual innuendos, because this one brunette was hot, and I mean grade A, hot... Anyways, our waitress was this red head, she was cute, but nothing in comparison to the brunette... So I became slightly curious about her hair... you know me. So I asked her if it was her natural hair color... okay so not so forward... you know what I'm sayin' right?" asked Pietro.

"...no," said Todd, drawing a complete blank.

"... okay, so I asked her if the curtains matched the drapes... you got that?" asked Pietro, brow raised.

"Sounds familiar... but I have no idea what it means?" asked Todd, thinking about it, "I've heard you use it before..."

"... think about it... Anyways, without a second thought she had a come back... pretty fiery... so she's my new mall target... I like challenges. You in wing man?" asked Pietro, with a smirk.

"... I just got it.." said Todd, eyes wide.

"You in... HEY!" yelled Pietro as Todd not so calmly kicked Pietro off the couch.

"Go find a new wing man..." snapped Todd, glaring at the television.

"Fine, I will... oh, now my leg hurts, you idiot," said Pietro, rubbing his side as he stormed off outside.

"What was that about? Normally your always his wing man?" asked Fred, sitting in the chair.

"Maybe he should stop bugging so many people... I'm going to bed," said Todd, throwing the blankets off and headed towards the stairs.

"Nigh Toad.." said Fred, "Oh and buddy?"

"Yeah?" asked Todd, angrily leaning back into the door frame.

"Can you tell me what you were really doing tomorrow?" asked Fred, nodding towards Todd's clothes.

"... fine," said Todd with a sigh as he realized he was fully dressed and still had his name tag on, "Night Fred.."

TBC