Sleepover
"He apologised? Isn't that a good thing?" Shiv asked the next morning. She was covering for Lyla who had an appointment.
"No." AJ shook her head, "No, he just couldn't handle his guilty conscience. His apology wasn't sincere. And he still tried to put the blame on me because I haven't been friendly since he got here." She said, "He thinks he's so smart." She shook her head.
She'd had a total of two hours sleep last night, tossing and turning as she relayed Punk's words to her. She had no idea why they bothered her so much. Maybe because part of it was true. She had run away from New Jersey to come here. But that was no one's business but hers. It certainly wasn't his.
"If it makes you feel better, I don't think this place will ever lose its magic." Shiv shook her head as AJ turned to her, "It's the heart and soul of this town. Everyone comes here. Workers. Kids. Teens on first dates. Old people. Tourists even." Shiv said, "It'll always be special to this town. You should remember that the next time he annoys you." She nodded as AJ couldn't help smiling.
"Thanks, Shiv." AJ smiled gratefully. She was eternally grateful for the girls who worked with her. Even with Shiv being so young, she was an asset to the café and the kindest person AJ had ever come across.
"What's the specials today?" Shiv asked curiously. They weren't opened yet but were preparing to.
"Cinnamon bun latte." AJ grabbed her diary where she kept her whole life's schedule in. She would be lost without it.
"Oh, sexy." Shiv smirked.
"An Oreo Frappuccino." AJ read, "And I'm doing raspberry and white chocolate croissants." She said.
"Let's go diabetes!" Shiv clapped as AJ chuckled.
"Hey, what do you know about the kid who works with Phil over there?" AJ asked before she forgot.
"Who? Daryl?" Shiv asked.
"Yeah. You're probably about the same age." AJ estimated.
"Yeah he was in my school year. He dropped out, though." Shiv said.
"Why?" AJ asked.
"He was the top football player, and he shattered his leg during a game last season. His shin bone was literally sticking out of the skin." Shiv nodded, remembering being in the bleachers when it happened. How gruesome and devastating it was to have watched.
"That's pretty horrifying." AJ said.
"Yeah, he was in and out of surgeries and then he kinda lost it. Started drinking with older kids. Didn't show up to school. Basically, he got kicked out." Shiv nodded, "I think it was because his leg wasn't healing. He just gave up."
"So how would this kid know so much about me? Apparently, he told Phil that I'm not from here." AJ said.
"His mom comes to your book club, I think." Shiv nodded, "Maybe you told her."
"Ahh." AJ said, "I forgot this town's talent is spreading people's business."
"I'm kinda surprised he's still got a job over there. He must be enjoying it." Shiv said.
"Yeah, I suppose he is." AJ nodded, "They're becoming quite the duo." She said, nodding over to the window where they could see Punk and Daryl setting up their display board for the day, chuckling with each other.
"They wanna be us so bad." Shiv scoffed as AJ chuckled.
"I think it's probably a good idea if you and her just don't cross paths anymore. It never turns out well." Daryl said, walking back into their shop after putting the display board up.
"I was trying to be the bigger person and she may as well have spat on me." Punk shook his head.
"Don't be dramatic." Daryl rolled his eyes, "It's obvious you're both not going to get along so let's just coexist and be civil." He shrugged.
"She was dancing with a mop when I went in." Punk cared to tell him as Daryl grinned.
"Well at least one good thing came of your visit to her." Daryl smiled as Punk nodded.
Majority of his thoughts last night when he got into bed were frustration and anger that she hadn't accepted his apology, even though he knew he maybe didn't deserve it. A little percentage of his thoughts were, however, taken up by the image of her dancing in her shop as she mopped the floors. She had been so care-free and happy. Until he showed up. Maybe he needed to take Daryl's advice and just stay away.
"When she first opened up here, were people receptive?" Punk asked curiously.
"I'm not sure. I was younger, like thirteen or something." Daryl said, "She definitely wasn't as busy in the beginning as she is now. Like I said, people in this town take time to adjust to new things. But once they do adjust, they'll go to war for you." He said.
"Weird." Punk concluded.
"Yeah." Daryl agreed, "I think they're adjusting you pretty quickly, though. Which is good." Daryl nodded.
"Have you saw the weather warning for tonight?" Lyla asked whilst they closed up the shop later that night.
"No. I've barely looked at my phone all day." AJ said, "Is it bad?"
"Yeah, looks like there's gonna be a storm. We might end up without power." Lyla said.
"Well that's just great." AJ scoffed, brushing the floors whilst Lyla cashed up from the register.
"You wanna have a sleepover?" Lyla asked, "I hate storms."
"I mean this in a loving way, but don't we spend enough time with each other?" AJ laughed a little.
"I only worked the afternoon today. I feel like I haven't saw you in years." Lyla exaggerated as AJ scoffed.
"Sleepovers require snacks. And my fridge and cupboards are pretty bare right now." AJ admitted.
"We can stop by at the store on our way home. It'll be fun. We can light some candles. Watch trashy movies. Stuff our faces with sugar." Lyla said, "It'll be college all over again."
"You've charmed me" AJ agreed, "Let's get this place closed and we can go to the store." She nodded as Lyla cheered, speeding up her end of night chores whilst AJ powered through the cleaning.
They eventually locked up the shop, bringing the shutters down.
"Hopefully she's still here in the morning." AJ said, patting the shutter tenderly, hoping the storm wouldn't reek too much havoc through the town.
"The wind is already picking up." Lyla noticed as they walked down the street towards the main grocery store.
"I can go in if you wanna take my keys and head to my apartment." AJ said, digging into her bag and getting the keys out.
"Ok, I'll see you soon." Lyla nodded, heading off down the street to AJ's apartment whilst AJ headed into the store, grabbing a basket and powerwalking to the confectionary aisle immediately.
She tossed their usual go-to snacks into the basket, as well as some new things they hadn't tried. She then headed to the drinks aisle and grabbed a pack of Diet Coke, dumping it in the basket whilst wondering if she should also grab an oven pizza, worrying that perhaps they needed some actual food to consume.
She headed for the pizza counter and stopped in front of it, eyeing up all the different pizzas, trying to determine which one to get when she saw someone stand beside her.
She turned around, and of course it was him.
"I feel like you're stalking me." AJ rolled her eyes, turning back to the pizzas whilst he took out his wired earphones.
"What?" Punk said.
"I said I feel like you're stalking me." AJ shook her head.
"Well, we both finish work at the same time, and this is the only store in town so… I wouldn't say it's a coincidence we're both here." Punk scoffed at her dramatic statement.
"It's a coincidence we both want pizza for dinner." AJ mumbled, looking at him as he eyed up the pizzas with equal confliction as her, "That one is good." She pointed as Punk lifted the pizza which she'd recommended.
"Chicken fajita pizza?" Punk questioned.
"It's spicy." AJ said, "If you like spicy stuff, you'll like it." AJ shrugged. She had no idea why she was even talking to him.
"You like it?" Punk asked her casually.
"It's my favourite." AJ nodded, "I love spicy food." She admitted.
"Yeah, me too." Punk said, putting the pizza in his basket, noticing AJs filled with candy and pop, "You having a party?" He laughed a little.
"What?" AJ turned to him, noticing he was looking at her basket, "Oh, no. Lyla is sleeping over at my place. She hates storms." AJ explained. Even though they had countless sleepovers when there weren't any storms.
"Yeah I heard there was a pretty bad one hitting us later tonight." Punk nodded, "So which one you going for?" He asked, pointing to the pizzas.
"I always say I'm going to try a different one but…" She reached over for one of the fajita ones, "I'm a creature of habit." She said, sticking the pizza in her basket.
"That should be the slogan for this town." Punk scoffed.
"It's painfully obvious you aren't from here." AJ told him. They were both still staring at the pizza counter even though they'd both picked one up.
"How so?" Punk asked curiously.
"It just is." AJ shrugged.
"And here I was thinking I was fitting in." Punk said as AJ turned to him.
"You are fitting in." She nodded, "Quicker than I did anyway."
He was surprised she was still standing beside him, voluntarily speaking with him. It seemed like a miracle. Like a daydream.
"I tried dancing whilst mopping tonight." He nodded as she turned to him.
"Shut up." She rolled her eyes as he laughed a little.
"It helped the time go by quicker." He nodded, "I hate cleaning."
"Yeah, it's the worst part." AJ agreed.
"Do you live far?" He asked curiously.
"I'm not telling you where I live." AJ scoffed as he looked at her with annoyance, "You could rob me for my recipe books." She shook her head as Punk smiled, mostly because he knew she was being completely serious.
"You'd know a thing about robbing people, wouldn't you?" Punk said as she scoffed.
"That display board is a disaster waiting to happen, and the number of dogs I've watched pee on it is disgusting." She said, "And it lived in my staff toilet for two weeks."
"What?" Punk turned to her.
"Yeah." She nodded, "I would burn it."
"You put it in your toilet?" Punk said.
"Felt like a good place." AJ nodded as he rolled his eyes, "I have to go." She announced, turning to walk away.
"Don't blow away out there." Punk mumbled, shaking his head at the ridiculousness of this woman.
"What?" AJ turned around, hearing him mumbling.
"Goodnight." Punk smiled pleasantly as she just nodded and walked away.
"Wait. You guys had a normal conversation?" Lyla asked, coming into AJ's small living room with the pizza fresh out the oven, sitting it down on the coffee table.
"Normal for us, I think." AJ nodded, sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table as Lyla sat down beside her, "I recommended this pizza to him."
"Very normal." Lyla said, surprised.
"He seemed pretty horrified that I put his display board in our toilet." AJ said.
"You told him?" Lyla asked, taking a slice of pizza whilst AJ already tucked in.
"Yeah, it came out." AJ said, "And do you want to hear a red flag?"
"What?" Lyla asked.
"He has earphones with wires." AJ said.
"Oh God he's stuck in 2001 with your Aunt Nico." Lyla cringed as AJ chuckled, "We should address the elephant in the room, though. Right?"
"What?" AJ turned to her.
"He is insanely handsome." Lyla said as AJ just scoffed.
"Speak for yourself." AJ said.
"I wonder what age he is." Lyla said whilst AJ just ate her pizza quietly, "You don't think he's hot?"
"Yes, he's hot." AJ shook her head, "But he's an asshole. Which doesn't make him that hot at all."
"You still haven't… slept with anyone since…"
"No." AJ said.
"Would you ever even consider dating again?" Lyla asked, "There are some nice guys around here. I could see you married to a farmer." She shrugged as AJ turned to her with horror.
"Well, unsee it." AJ scoffed as Lyla chuckled.
"I'm just saying… maybe you'd enjoy it." Lyla nodded in a kind, quiet voice. She knew this subject had to be approached carefully with her friend.
"I have no interest in dating." AJ shook her head.
"You deserve some happiness." Lyla said, "Someone to make you feel good."
"And when was the last time you went on a date?" AJ asked with temper.
"Few weeks ago." Lyla said, "It was a Tinder date, but it still counts." She emphasised as AJ rolled her eyes, "We all need some sexy time every now and then."
"I have plenty of sexy time with myself. You don't have to be so worried about my love life." AJ shook her head, "Why are we talking about this?" She questioned with frustration.
"I just want you to be happy." Lyla assured her, "You don't ever think about dating again?" She asked seriously as AJ tossed a crust down on her plate, bringing her knees to her chest and hugging them.
"Sometimes." AJ admitted, "My heart just isn't in it, though. I don't care enough. Not after what happened. I enjoy my own company." She shrugged as Lyla looked at her sadly, "And anyway, I'm too busy to date."
"It'd be nice to find a balance, though." Lyla nodded, "I'll never understand what you're dealing with… with what happened." She said, "I just want someone to realise how amazing you are, like I do."
"We should just get married then." AJ turned to her as Lyla smiled.
"I'd marry you no questions asked." Lyla nodded as AJ smiled. She had no idea what she would do without her best friend, especially through these last six years.