I lay in bed and look at the ceiling, like I always do. My stomach has been growling for some time now. My digital clock beeps over to eleven-thirty a.m. My sisters have left the house a few minutes ago to go to the mall and burn up their debit cards. I could use a new shirt or a fresh pair of khaki shorts, but I just don't feel like getting up.

            I'd have to get up sooner or later. I had to go to my first job ever. My shift started at one o'clock. It was in the local strip mall a few miles down the road. KawaiiYuki, it was called. I would be standing behind a counter for five hours serving out ice cream, snow cones, and muffins. I'd finally earn my own money, but I'd rather not wear the uniform while doing it.

            I lift the sheets up and crawl out of bed. I take off my jeans and put on some navy dress pants. Then, there was a darker navy polo shirt with a maroon collar. The logo was on the breast pocket, as well as on the little hat I had to wear. The shirt was too big for me, but the company didn't order them in a small. I'd have to live with the bagginess.

            I slip on my tennis shoes and grab my car keys. I wasn't the best driver in the world. I had just got my license a few months ago. I would probably grab a muffin at work on my break, since I didn't have any breakfast or lunch. My stomach was yelling at me constantly. At times I felt like throwing up. It definitely wouldn't make my junky car dirtier. I pull out of the driveway and went on my way.

            "Good Afternoon, Misty-chan!"

            "Afternoon." I say back to my way-too-cheerful coworker, Hatsu. I had known him all through elementary school and junior high. He's in a few of my high school classes as well. "And you can leave off the 'chan'."

            "Misty-san?"

            "No."

            "Misty-sempai?"

            "No."

            "Misty O-hime-sama!"

            "I'm not a princess!" I yell back at him and punch his shoulder. "Leave me alone."

            "Oh, did you have a rough morning?" Hatsu asks.

            My stomach gurgles. "I had a fight with my sisters last night, too."

            He tosses me a muffin. "Want to talk about it?"

            "Not really. You wouldn't understand it." I reply…wholeheartedly.

            "I have a little sister, ya know." Hatsu said.

            "Yeah," I agree. "But you don't have an older sister. Three of them. Shigura doesn't count."

            "You won't even tell me the topic? What you were fighting over? Who won? Nothing?!" Hatsu exclaims.

            I take a deep breath. "It was about guys."

            "Of course I would understand then!" Hatsu smiles. "Tell me the rest."

            "No."

            "Why not?" Hatsu whines.

            "Because it's about how I can never get a guy to like me!" I cry.

            "I like you." Hatsu replies.

            "Not in that certain way." I blush.

            Hatsu thinks for a while. "Oh! I see what you mean now. Anything I can do to cheer you up?"

            "Not really. Everything has already settled in as the truth, so my mind can't be changed now." I reply. "Thank you anyways, Hatsu."

            "Aw, come on, Tenshi!"

            I scowl. "Don't call me that."

            "You used to like it when I called you that!" Hatsu looks at me confused.

            I roll my eyes. "That was back in junior high."

            "So?"

            I sigh. "Fine, call me whatever you want."

            "Misty O-hime-sama!"

            "Except for that!" I groan.

            "Okay," Hatsu gives in and goes into the backroom to grab more waffle cones.

            I walk around the back a little bit and check out my new home. We haven't had any customers lately. I've been here for a little over an hour. It was rounding on two-fifteen. Hatsu was sitting on a stool behind the cash register playing paddleball with a snow-cone-paper-cup on his head. The door swings open and the little bell above it rings. Hatsu instantly drops the paddleball and switches hats.

            "Good Afternoon!" He says.

            I look at our customer and my eye starts to twitch. It was the delivery boy again. I couldn't remember his name at the time. He spots me standing behind the ice cream and gives me a small smile. "Hey. It's Misty, right?"

            "Misty O-hime-sama." Hatsu interrupts.

            "Shut it, Hatsu." I say out of the side of my mouth.

            The dark-haired boy laughs. "I'll have a waffle cone with mint chocolate chip, please."

            "You heard the man, Tenshi." Hatsu smiles at me.

            I grit my teeth and reach for a waffle cone. I put two scoops into it and put a paper holder on the end. I hand it over the counter to the delivery boy. Hatsu takes his money and gives him his change. "Have a good day, Sir."

            "You too." The boy tips his work cap. "'Bye, Misty. Say hi to Lily for me, will you?"

            I put on a fake smile. "Sure thing." He walks out.

            Hatsu puts his thumb and pointer finger to his chin and slowly strokes it. "Ah! I'm picking up the clues very slowly."

            "Quit while you're a head, Hatsu." I mumble. "You're lucky I didn't pound you one for calling me Tenshi again."

            "But it fits you!"

            "No it doesn't." I deny. "I'm not an angel."

            "You are to me!" Hatsu grins.

            "You can stop the kindness act any time now."

            "Why can't I be nice to you, Misty-chan?" Hatsu asks.

            "I'm not saying you can't be nice to me. But being too nice is a little creepy."

            Hatsu sighs. "I have to blame your cramped up attitude on your sisters." I look down into the ice cream tub and my vision gets blurry. I feel an arm around my shoulder. "It's okay, Misty. You can tell me anything."

            "I just want to slap Lily so hard for embarrassing me so." I say. "And all she did was get Daisy and Violet in it."

            "Then, good-riddance to them, right? Those bitches." Hatsu laughs.

            I couldn't help but laugh a little myself. But my chuckles end up as cries and I turn around to dry my tears on Hatsu's shirt. I was thankful that he let me do that. He usually just pushes me away when I try to give him a hug or go for comfort. He's all words, most the time. He pats my back. I pull away from the embrace a little embarrassed and wipe my cheeks with the back of my hands.

            "It's okay, Misty." Hatsu says. "Don't listen to your sisters. I know you usually don't. I have no idea what made you this time, but don't do it again. I can see why you're upset…sort of. Being a guy I can't see completely from your point of view. But I'll try harder next time, okay?"

            "Thank you, Hatsu." I reply.

            "Now, break is in about a half an hour. We can talk a little more then over some chow."

            "Deal." I nod and go into the backroom to get another carton of mint chocolate chip.