The beginning of a truly beautiful friendship.
Lia got the job.
C'mon, it was predictable. The store had low standards about who they wanted to hire, which was probably why they let Castiel worked there. And plus, all Lia had to do was either be the cashier, unbox some new products, or wash the store top to bottom. Clearly, Castiel would not let her touch the cash register, so that was off the list. In conclusion, job was to wash the store or unbox stuff (yes, she got two jobs. But it wasn't like she was complaining). Sounds pretty easy, huh?
No, it was not. First of all, the whole store was always dusty and even when you clean it, in an hour or two it becomes a mess. And although she had a personal training of how to unbox shit, she learned that the boxes they had here were extremely thick compared to the ones in the grocery store and they didn't even have a box cutter. So, Lia had to rip them open by hand, which took around fifteen minutes at a time. And what was so fucking annoying was how by the end of her shift, her fingers were calloused and sore and she reeked of bleach. Then when you look at the lazy redhead by the cashier's counter, Castiel is sitting down, reading through some magazine. That just brought so much anger in her.
But hey, it wasn't like she got an inappropriate amount of money from it, though. Sure, she had to jump out of her skin for this job. Sure, it was a lot of work. Still, it was worth every drip of bleach that entered her little fingers. When the first week was over, she earned enough to buy gifts for her parents, her friend(s), and her own groceries all the while having extra money left.
When Lia began her second week of her new job, she was regretting it, but there was a small part of her that was excited. She was getting a shit-ton of money, alright? Who wouldn't be excited? Opening the door, Lia stepped in, smelling the scent of cigarettes and cologne. Castiel was definitely here.
Slipping off her gloves, she shoved them in her pocket, taking off her parka at the same time. This was probably the only time she ever wanted to be assigned to be the cashier. Anything was better than having all the nutrients on her skin scraped off under five minutes.
Lia sniffed, reaching up to tie her hair back. Why did she still feel so cold? Cursing the weather, she quickly moved to start her job, fingers clenched at her sides. What to do…
Stopping at the middle of the store, Lia paused. What did she have to do today? The store looked very clean, and no other boxes were left to open since the girl already shredded every single one. More boxes were probably coming in the next day, but today there wasn't any. Looking down, she noted how the floor was so clean she could even see her reflection.
(She waved.)
Biting her cheeks and wondering if she could just leave, Lia looked around once more. She shrugged. Maybe they invited some janitor person to clean up? Or maybe there were no other customers since the last time she cleaned up?
The latter seemed much more realistic. "Hello? Anyone here?" Lia inwardly kicked herself after those words escaped out of her mouth. No shit, Sherlock. When there wasn't any immediate answer to her (stupid) question, she frowned. Alright, she'd just call the owner/manager guy and tell him she would leave. Seemed reasonable, and she had an excuse.
("The store was already clean," she'd say, her natural voice so quiet it was barely heard. She'd have to repeat it a few times before he hears her. "Of course, Lia McDonald. You can leave anytime you want! Have fun, darling!" the manager would answer. Lia would give herself a thumbs up and a wink.)
Tapping the marble countertop, Lia hummed a broken, mainstream tune out of boredom. She just wanted to go home and finish her own chores. Not to mention that she had a six page essay due the next day. Her fingers began to rapidly tap it now, harder than before, until her fingernails throbbed. She continued, though, furrowing her eyebrows in concentration as she watched how weird her fingers looked and why the hell were her—
"Stop making that fucking noise!"
Lia had the decency to quit the tapping, guiltiness washing over her features. But when she saw the stupid redhead with his stupid jacket, she started tapping again.
"Clumsy, put your goddamn hands where I can see them," Castiel warned, inching forward with steady steps. Lia decided to let her knuckles take over, knocking as fucking hard as she could on to the tabletop. Turning to her hand, she noted how white her knuckles were, and she let her hand unclench slightly. Then, she stopped, a look of utter triumph on her face when she saw how pissed Castiel was.
Add another point for Lia.
Right when Lia let her hand drop off the table, Castiel pounced on her, pining her hands on to the ground. He stuck his tongue out as he concentrated on holding a good grip. The girl under him screeched, her fingers itching to massage the area her head ached from hitting the floor. "Let go of me," she cried (maybe literally), kicking her legs. Her expression turned dark. "Get off, Castiel. I will fucking ruin you once you get off of me."
Castiel sighed, laughing a little too because apparently watching a poor chick wriggle beneath you is fucking hilarious. "No thanks. Now, shut up, Lia. You're gonna wake up the rats."
Wrists held above her head and her waist straddled by the other, Lia practically snarled as she squirmed, trying to get out of the tight grasp. "Get off, lard ass," she whispered, whining when the weight on top of her became even heavier and she could feel her organs dancing in her stomach.
"What did you call me, tiny bitch?" jeered Castiel, his smile smoothing out his features. If Lia could actually talk without wheezing, she would point out how it was pretty cool to see him not looking like he was going to punch someone out within ten meters beside him.
"I called you a lard ass, you goddamn lard ass," she retorted, squirming desperately now; she was even considering if she could squeeze her leg up so she could kick him. "Seriously, Castiel. You're going to kill my intestines."
Castiel was sweetly oblivious to the girl's knee that was slowly lining up by his lower backside. "Intestines are for pussies. But I guess I expected that from you."
Then suddenly (but not so surprisingly), Castiel howled, letting go of her wrists and swearing colorfully, his eyes wide and looking at her as if she was the murderer of someone's wife. Well. Lia gave a smug smile and she crossed her hands over her chest, still beneath him and not wanting to get out because really, this was a once in a life time opportunity that would probably cause her to have two black eyes by the end of the day. It was worth it.
The beginning of a beautiful friendship indeed.
Lia wavered slightly before she knocked on the student council room door, immediately retreating her hand when her knuckles met the worn wood. Contemplating whether she should run off, she heaved a breath. This is a new experience. Lia had only done this once, and she really never went back here ever again.
The door swung open, and a blonde guy – who she knows professionally as Nathaniel – stepped forward in front of her, a pretentious smile pressed on to his coral-colored lips. "Hello," he greeted, stretching out his hand for her to shake. "Are you the new student?"
Lia's cheeks flushed with embarrassment, shaking her head 'no'. She rolled on the balls of her feet, sucking the inside of her mouth. "The principal wanted me to inform you that she needed help with something." Looking behind him, she gasped when she saw piles of papers sitting on a table and one pen next to them. "I am so sorry for interrupting you when you had a bunch of things to do, oh my God, I am so-"
Nathaniel laughed, interrupting her from her rambling. She stopped, looking at him with a tilted head. "I do this all the time. It's my job."
Lia's arms hanged loosely at her sides although her hands were clenched, stepping back and whispering, "Okay," over and over again. Nathaniel stared at her with mild fear – because really, she was going crazy due to how intimidating he was – before nodding and walking off toward the principal's office.
Noticing now that she was holding her breath, she let it all out in a rush, pressing a frozen hand to her forehead. Nobody told her he was that scary. Then again, nobody tells her anything.
But at first, Lia thought this Nathaniel character was probably the nicest creature in the history of Sweet Amoris High School. It wasn't like he wasn't nice, he just stared right through her soul, a permanent smile tapped on like magic on to his mouth.
Still breathing hard, she spun around, her toes curled in her shoes as she walked. Her arms continued to dangle around because she was still in a post-shock – possibly because she hasn't felt someone stare at her for so long. Her breathing began to slow down at rhythmic paces, but her heart continued to beat with unnatural force, irregularly. She laced her fingers together as she took one step at a time before her face contacted with somebody's back.
Because she was still in a daze, she screamed; shriller than she knew she could. Lia was still standing up, but her eyes were closed shut. She didn't fall, no, she didn't, but it was still scary. She shrieked again once her mouth was covered by a hand. Opening her eyes, she furrowed her eyebrows, slapping the hand away from her lips.
"Don't touch me," Lia growled, still shaking. Again, she pressed her hand to her forehead, looking around. A sigh of relief escaped her raw lips when she saw nobody else in the hallway. Good. They were at class. It was certainly weird how no teacher had heard her. Not to brag or anything, but that scream was really loud.
Castiel wiped his hand on her shoulder. "You licked me, asshole," he said, a genuinely disgusted look on his face. She glared at him, preparing to take a swift stride before she was stopped.
"What do you want?" she asked, impatience biting at her toes. She had to return back to the principal. Lia knew very well that Principal Shermansky hated when you don't inform her whatever happens next, even if it's positive. And she knew this with much knowledge.
"You didn't apologize?" teased Castiel, leaning back against the lockers. Lia frowned, tapping her foot on to the ground. Castiel continued, crossing his arms over his chest. "And why're you roaming around the hallway?"
Scoffing in an obvious manner, Lia stiffened. "Duh, because I'm helping out the principal?" And I'm stalking on Nathaniel, she thought glumly. "Why are you standing around? Don't you have class?"
"Because I can, dipshit," Castiel replied nonchalantly, his smirk growing. Lia shifted uncomfortably which made Castiel's deceitful grin widen. "What are you trying to do, huh? I know your gonna spit it out."
Lia pressed her lips together to calm herself. He was right. She was going to say it sometime or other. Parting her mouth slightly, she breathed. Why was it suddenly so hot?
"Well?" Castiel said expectantly, a playful smile on his lips.
And the words all rushed out.
"So, anyway, I was supposed to ask Nathaniel if he was available for a while because the principal needed him. And then when I asked him, it was super awkward and stuff and then he left and I decided, fuck it, I'll just follow the guy. That's how I am here and you're asking this question which I think it utter bullshit," she rambled on, her fingers laced together tightly and embarrassment visible on her face.
Castiel stared at her for one moment before laughing hysterically. "You're such a stalker, Lia. That sounds so stupid and it doesn't even make any sense. Why are you following him anyway? He's not even interesting," Castiel chuckled. Lia looked around again, still wondering how the hell she was currently standing in an empty hallway without a teacher coming from the cacophony.
"Because," she whispered softly, "I wanted to see what he does, y'know? He seems interesting." And that was true. Nathaniel was the student body president, for fuck's sake. He probably had millions of duties to do and maybe he did some cool shit from time to time.
Castiel scowled, and Lia regretted what she had said. Of course he didn't feel comfortable talking about Nathaniel. He was his enemy, for past issues Lia didn't know yet. Even though she was undeniably always questioning (which was super annoying, especially to her), she didn't want to come in and say something about it. Who cares? "I'll tell you something, Lia. He's not interesting," Castiel muttered. Lia sucked in her cheek. "And if you're so curious, just go ask him, asshole."
"Okay," Lia said, unaware to how he was shooting her with a glare. "Thanks for the advice, Castiel." Her last sentence was supposed to be dripping with sarcasm, but it didn't sound as sarcastic as she wanted. Damn her and her horrible attempts to being cool. Spinning around, she made her way to her locker, away from Castiel. Alright, she was not going to spy on Nathaniel. It was going to fail, anyway. Better if she never does it all.
Lia was not in a good mood. Here's some three reasons why:
First of all, she got soap in her eyes when she was taking a shower. No, she didn't cry. Crying was for pussies, and Lia was not a pussy. So, instead of letting that get away with her emotions, she washed it out and simply winced when her eyes began to sting a bit harsher than necessary.
Second, she was so fucking tired. She didn't have one solid minute of sleep in almost two days (forty-five hours) because the neighbor's children were screaming like mad for those specific days. They were shit-filled brats and if Lia got her hands on those little assholes—
Third (part one), her apartment became colder than it was legal to be. As Lia began to drift off to sleep the night before, she felt an icy breeze even if she had her quilt pulled right under her chin. Her feet were frozen and she could not stand up without feeling completely naked. It was disgusting and Lia really wanted to send a little message to the government and beg them for some back up because seriously, these fuck-faces in her building clearly did not give a shit about her. So, in conclusion, Lia needed to get a lawyer a.s.a.p. because her life was in complete danger.
Third (part two), she had work. At first, Lia contemplated whether it was better if she just stayed in her frosty bed for the next twenty years or if she went to the discount store to finish her job of killing her nails (which weren't worth caring for, honestly). Stupidly enough, she picked the latter option.
And now, she grimaced as she swallowed an Advil, washing it down her dry throat with a glass of warm water. Cold water made her sick. Everything was cold and everything sucked and could she go back to bed now?
She shook her head tiredly, watching the room tilt with amusement. She was going to faint somewhere out there and she would never be found. Lia sighed, her fingers snaking shakily through her hair. This was not right, and not legal, either. Looking to her watch, she realized with a startled curse that if she dawdled any longer, she would miss the bus. And if she missed the bus, she would miss her shift. If she missed her shift, she wouldn't get the minimum wage. Every penny counted, and losing out on one would mean she would be in trouble.
Bouncing through her rather spartanly furnished apartment, her slightly damp hair bobbing along with her, she kicked on her boots, moving back into the living room to look out the window. Holy shit, it was snowing. How did she not notice this?
Lia bumped her forehead with distaste and annoyance on to the window, groaning. Snow sucked. A lot.
Moving back to the door, Lia gave one quick-glance her apartment as she slipped on her parka – pictures of her and her and her father hung snuggly on the wall, her television set sitting blankly on its tabletop, three ratty sofas in their respective spots, and that was more or less her living room. A sigh escaped her lips. What she would give to—
Ugh, fuck it.
Lia turned on her heel, slamming the door so hard she heard the widows rattle in their frames. She rushed down the stairs, jumping down all six last steps and grinning evilly to herself. This was fun. It would certainly be better if she had all her apartment members standing below the last stair so she could jump on their bodies until they realized this girl deserved to be apologized to.
Lia McDonald sometimes questioned if her neighbors knew they lived with a future serial killer.
Looking back at her watch, her eyes relaxed when she saw that she had about twenty minutes to get to the store. Good. Enough time to plan the deaths of her enemies, surely?
Lia also questioned her sanity.
Arriving the store, her body and brain half conscious, she let out a stifled sigh. Her fingers were numb beneath her gloves and she couldn't feel her toes. Lia slipped off her parka and hanged it on a hook on the wall, leaving her boots in beside the door. She groggily stepped into her other pair of shoes and she practically groaned as she began to walk.
Muffling a sigh with the back of her hand, Lia held in a sneeze, searching through a broom closet for the essential cleaning appliance. But the thing is, she didn't want to work today. She felt too tired and she knew for sure that if she moved a few more steps, her limbs would buckle.
Once Lia found the broom, bucket, and mop, she and her wary body moved along. Was it even possible to still be standing when her body was completely swept of sleep? Her eyes threatened to close, but she kept them open this time.
Just stay awake, Lia, she thought to herself. You can do this.
But, in all honestly, she certainly couldn't. She was a seventeen-year old with a sleeping pattern that was surprisingly impossible to relate to. Most people slept for eight hours and still have the audacity to murmur, "Oh my god, I am so tired," every single second, but this girl just was 'what the fuck?' worthy.
So, as Lia (who didn't even realize she had filled up the bucket with water and soap and was currently sweeping) gathered up all the rest of her bravery, she kept her eyes open and swished the broom around, humming along to another mainstream tune that was being played on the radio. If she kept awake now, she could make it to the grocery store safely and survive.
Since she skipped three days of work in the grocery store by using the scheming and popular 'sick' card, she really, really needed to go to back. If she doesn't, there is a chance she'd lose her job.
"Hurry up. I have to lock down the store and you're so slow," Castiel said, appearing around the corner. He looked amused and barely bored. "I have band practice."
Lia perked upwards, her bones cracking painfully. She winced, and so did the redhead. "I'm tired and sad and fucking leave me alone, you doucheball, I'll finish when I want to finish," she whispered hoarsely, no humour hidden in her tone. She glared as hard as she could.
"You look like you're about to pass out." Castiel gave her a 'concerned' look. "Do I need to call the ambulance?"
Lia coughed. "No. Let me finish my job, please." She swept the floor once more before a wave of sleep washed over her senses. Her fingers clenched the wood harshly until it splintered her skin. Lia didn't flinch, her knuckles white.
Castiel shook his head merely. "I know you're gonna barf or something."
"No I'm not."
"Yes you are, asshole."
"No I am not, you fucking tomato, get the hell out of my face before I grab it and rip it apart. The girls will not be happy," she grunted darkly, a smile plastered on her face although it was faltered and tired.
Castiel groaned, clearly not in the mood to argue. "Okay, sure. But if you puke, you better clean it up," he said, turning away and walking out the door while throwing his jacket on himself.
Lia sighed, staring at her fingers that were covered in bleach and ripping apart. She had three hours to finish this shit and she knew she could finish it in only an hour. So, maybe if she just sat down for a while, nothing would happen.
A grin settling on her face, she slowly moved, leaning snuggly against the wall. This was good.
It didn't take longer than three minutes for her to sleep.
Hiya! Alright, I am so, so sorry I didn't post this. I made it a while ago, actually. Thank you people for following, reviewing, and favorite-ing this story! -splashes love around for everyone-
