Chapter 2: Work

Inigo silently opened the door to the apartment, and silently closed the door once he was inside. He looked around. There wasn't anyone in sight. "Good, I'm clear." He began creeping towards his room, until a lamp turned on.

Sitting in the chair next to it was Severa. She was in her nightgown, wearing a displeased expression on her face. "Hello, Inigo."

He nervously faced her. "Severa, hello."

"You do know it's three in the morning right?"

He looked at his watch. "Wow, would you look at that, it is!" It was easy to tell that he was lying.

Severa scoffed. "What is wrong with you? You have a life outside of going on dates with strangers."

He sighed. "I know, but it's not like you own me. I can make my own decisions, and this is what I choose."

Severa got out of the chair and stomped over to him. "I went to your workplace. They said you were only in once this week. We need money to pay rent, buy food, everything we need to live, we need money for, and with you going around like this, we're getting closer and closer to losing it." He turned from her. "I don't see how."

Severa clenched her fists. "Don't see how?! If I lived alone, then what I make would be just enough, but my pay can't supply for two! You have to pitch in, Inigo!"

He began walking away. "It's too early for this."

She grabbed his arm. "You aren't going anywhere."

He tried to wretch his arm away. "Get off of me!"

She pulled him back. "No. It's too early to talk about your lazing around, but not too early to go screw someone!?"

He pushed her back. "Go get some sleep! You have work in the morning, right?!"

Severa glared at him while he walked to his room. "You bastard…!"

Severa opened the door to the preschool she worked at. "Sorry I'm late."

Her boss looked over at her. She was a young blonde woman wearing blue jeans and a white tee.

She was playing with some of the children. "Ah, Severa, it's okay." She walked over to her, a little boy next. "Things have been fine. What happened? You're never late."

Severa picked the boy up. "I stayed up until three waiting for my roommate. He's really ticking me off, Emily."

Emily sighed. "I see. He's out a lot, right?"

She nodded. "Far too often for anyone to not hate him after a while."

Emily walked back to the group of children that was playing. "You've been able to handle him, right?"

The little boy flailed in her arms. "You want to play, Benji?" He nodded, and she put him down. "It's mostly because my sister and her boyfriend are here to help me keep my sanity. He's too busy to help me out when I'm sick because he goes on dates all the time."

Emily sighed. "Wow, how come you haven't left already? You have somewhere to go, right?"

Severa walked over to the group and began playing as well. "I don't want to rely on my family all the time."

Emily put her hands on her hips. "Well, I don't think rooming with a guy that doesn't do anything to help is any better." She clapped her hands. "Okay, nap time!" The children scurried over to a group of mats, blankets, and pillows, and made themselves comfortable, all except Benji, who sat in a corner.

The two of them walked over to the boy. "What's wrong?" Severa asked.

He looked up at them. "This roommate of yours… do you think I'll be like him?"

Severa scratched the back of her head. "Why would that matter?"

Emily giggled nervously. "I forgot to mention that while you were sick, Benji and Haley started going out."

"What? He's a five year old with a girlfriend? That's really odd. Anyway, you won't have to worry for about… thirteen years."

Benji smiled. "That's good." He ran over to the group, but stopped by one of the children and kicked him.

Emily sighed, "Ben, I told you not to kick Colin while he sleeps!"

Severa walked to the boy that Benji kicked. "Are you alright?" He nodded. "You and Benji better not get into another fight."

Colin scoffed. "Are you worried that he'll lose again?"

Severa pulled his ear. "The last one was a draw. And I'm talking about your parents. Emily and I saved you last time, but we won't this time." Emily brought Benji over to his place and set him down to sleep.

She then walked to Severa. "I don't understand those boys. Why do they always fight? Did something happen when they were younger?"

Severa crossed her arms. "What younger? They're five. What could have happened?"

Emily nodded. "I know, but there hatred for each other is crazy."

Severa sighed. "Well, they're all asleep, we best to eating lunch." Emily nodded and they went to a small room in the back. There was a small fridge, and inside were two small containers of food. They each took one and went to a table in the center, and began eating.

"Severa, if you need help with your rent, I can give you a raise."

She shook her head. "You pay me enough, Em."

She frowned. "Really? You seem like you might need the support."

Severa scoffed. "I'll make it by. If I have to, I'll boot 'im out."

Emily giggled. "Isn't that a tad harsh?"

"Why should I care? What has he done for me?"

"Probably not much, but he must have some redeeming qualities!"

Severa shrugged. "I don't see any. You'd have to ask the girls in town. They're the ones he spends all his time with."

Emily sweat dropped. "So you're being shackled by a guy that won't support you?"

She nodded. "Exactly, the only things I can buy are the essentials because of him. I can't believe he hasn't been fired yet."

"Who's his boss?"

Severa took a sip from her drink before answering. "One of his fangirls. She must love him so much that she's willing to risk all the work."

Emily looked at the clock. "Nap time is almost over, we should get going." The two cleaned the room and went back outside, where they found all the children awake. Colin and Ben were in a pillow fight, bashing each other on the head. They were all cheering, except a little girl.

Emily walked to her. "Haley, do you understand these two?"

She shook her head. "I don't. I thought all boys got along."

Emily chuckled. "If only. Guys can be pretty dumb when they're mad at each other."

"How dumb?"

She pointed to the two boys. "Kinda like that."

Severa walked over to the two and plucked the pillows from them. "You two better not use your fists! You'll be reported again!"

Colin crossed his arms, and Ben stuffed his hands in his pockets, and the two turned away from each other, causing Severa to sigh. "You two cause me a lot of trouble…" She swung at their head with the pillows, and they fell over. "Behave, okay?" The two glared at her, and she scoffed. "Get over it, it's just a pillow." She threw the pillows and walked to the other group of children. "Let's ignore them and get ready to go home, okay?" The children all nodded and ran to the cubbies in a corner of the room. Colin and Ben jumped off the ground and raced each other to the cubbies.

Shortly after, only two children remained, Colin and Ben. A young man entered the school.

He wore black jeans, and a brown tee. He had head phones in his ears, the chord leading to one of his pockets, and a baseball cap on his black hair. "How was he?"

Emily walked over to him. "Good afternoon, Patrick. Ben was fine, more-or-less."

He sighed. "More-or-less?"

Severa joined the two. "He kicked Colin, again, and then got into a pillow fight."

"Dammit, what is up with him?" He walked over to the boy. "Let's go, pal."

He stuck his tongue out at Colin and ran to his brother. "Let's get going."

Patrick rolled his eyes. "I don't think I'll ever understand you, kid."

As they left, another young man walked in. He wore blue jeans, opposed to Patrick's black, and a hoodie. "How was he?"

Severa dragged Colin over. "Well, Riley, he and Ben, once again, got in a pillow fight after nap time."

Riley took his brother. "Are you ever going to tell me why you and Ben are always at each other's neck?"

The boy shook his head. "You'll just have to figure it out yourselves."

Riley groaned and dragged the boy away.

Severa sighed. "I'm really sorry; you worked the entire day alone."

Emily shook her head. "No worries. It was alright, everyone was behaved."

Severa smiled. "I see, that's good. I promise I won't let that jackass keep me up again."

Emily walked to the door. "Alright, then. Let's get going." Severa walked out, and Emily followed after, closing the door.

About the whole 'five year old with girlfriend thing'. My friend, who Benji is named after, wasn't fine with have a five year old character named after him. He wanted to be like seventeen with a girlfriend, which I refused. Our compromise: Five year old with a girlfriend.