The first thing I do the next morning is set out to find a job. I sneak out earlier than my Dad does and run down to Daniel's house. I enter the same way I always do when he isn't outside: up a tree and through a window. I land safely inside of his bedroom.
Daniel has an older sister who doesn't live at home anymore. He has a huge room and he doesn't have anything to fill it. It looks sad and makes everything he does have seem smaller. I nudge him awake.
"You do realize that we are on summer break and you are waking me up at 6 in the morning?" He says as he gets up out of bed.
"Yeah, but we have work to do!" I sit on the desk chair as he brushes his teeth.
"Does this have anything to do with the fire?" It doesn't sound that clear because he has a toothbrush in his mouth.
"I would be lying if I told you it wasn't." He walks out of his connecting bathroom and throws on a shirt and sweatshirt. He sleeps in his jeans.
"Well, we better get started before we get held up by pies." We take the back exit, aka the tree, and make our way into town. I love walking through town as it wakes up. It doesn't happen much but when I get to watch the shopkeepers turn their signs from closed to open, is amazing.
"Game plan?"
"None." We make our way along the main strip of shops. The bakery, no, the restaurant, no, the cleaners, no.
"You do realize that you can get a job where ever you want?" Daniel asks me.
"Yeah, but I need to find one that fits me. I can't work in a shop." We stop and sit on the rim of the fountain of Neptune, who I recently found out is the Roman god of the sea.
"You can work at the cleaners." I nod but I seriously don't see that happening anytime soon. Daniel slaps me on the arm.
"What was that for?" I complain. I pretend to be in pain and he laughs at how terrible I am at acting.
"You need to lighten up. You'll get through this; after all you are Finnick Odair!" He stands on the rim.
"You seriously just need to ask any of these people for a job and they will give it to you." I push him into the fountain and we both end up laughing, just like before I was picked for the Games and my life was changed into something different and strange.
"I just hate people giving stuff to me. I want them to want me because I am good, not because I am famous!" Daniel ponders this for a moment.
"Seriously, I have no idea what you are looking for. You make encouraging very hard." He squeezes the water out of his shirt and back into the fountain.
We get up and keeping walking along the road. I wish that I knew something besides fishing. My jobs there are limited. I would have to work under someone because I can't afford my own boat. I could always open my own shop but that is risky. I still want to be with the water. I snap my fingers as I idea pops in my head.
"What?" Daniel asks.
"I have a plan for how I am going to make money."
"Which is going to happen how?"
"I need a boat. And you are going to help me."
"If you need money, I am not going to give it you."
"Don't be stupid! I am going to walk around with a cart filled with candy that you make and sell it to people." He nods but I still don't think he sees where I am going.
"It's going to be a candy store on wheels." His face lights up and he nods like normal.
"Well, then, I suggest we get cooking." We run to the other side of town and Daniel opens the door with his key. The store isn't open yet but they are busy making candy and fixing up the place.
The Crestas left the little glass containers to fill up with candy on the wall and the counter top. Half the wall has been painted red and chair sit folded up in the corner. I follow Daniel into the back room, which looks like a huge kitchen. It has really big mixing bowls and shelves full of ingredients. He throws me an apron.
Then, we get cooking.
On today's list, we have to make chocolate covered pretzels and cotton candy. The chocolate is hard to mold and make perfect pretzel shapes. We have to make all the pretzels by hand. The cotton candy is easier. We just put a ton of water, sugar, corn syrup, and pink food coloring in a big windy machine. Then, I put a little paper tube inside the machine and it creates a perfect mound of cotton candy. It doesn't taste terrible either.
The next couple of days are used by making as much candy as possible. The crew comes in to put in new flooring. We have finished painting the walls bright red. The counter has been filled up with candy and the cash register with change. We set up a few tables in the store and a few more outside. We put up the umbrellas outside. It looks really good from the outside. We even renamed the store, Surf and Sweets. Only two more days before the store opens. That day I am working in the store but every other day, I will be on the beach with my cart. I can barely wait!
This chapter was kind of a filler. More action will happen in the next chapter, promise! The more you review, the faster the next chapter will come out!
~MiKayla