The Volunteer | CxE Book 2

Arrival

*ch-ching*

"Thank you, ma'am, have a nice day." I hope I don't sound too annoyed. The lady in front of me seemed nice enough, but...

"MOMMY MOMMY! I WANT A SCARF LIKE THAT!"

It was her little rugrat that made me want to shove a towel through my skull.

"Calm down, dear. We'll get you a scarf this winter." She kindly dismissed the terrible tot.

"BUT I WANT ONE NOW!"

In one ear and right out the other. That's what they always say.

"Oh my... Excuse me, sir." I refocused ahead. The lady had way too much blush on causing her cheeks to glow ruby red. Her blonde hair was blown out to comedic proportions giving way to the massive steel hoops slicing through her earlobes. That and the grimy green dress made her stand out like an elf in April.

She dipped in close to ask, "Can you tell me where you got that lovely accessory? It would make my little Tobias so happy." The aforementioned gremlin tugged on her shirttail at the mention of his name. Lucky for me, I'd grown used to these kinds of interactions.

NOT!

I'm so tired of people trying to find out the secret of my scarf. I don't even know it. "I'm sorry... it was a gift. From my father."

The boy's wails wouldn't quit when he heard this. He screamed for his mother to find out where I got the garment but even if his head exploded I wouldn't be able to answer. She continued to plead for me to try and find a solution but I refused to budge.

Unfortunately, Tobias wasn't so patient. The miniature monster caught sight of one of my scarf's hanging tails. It must have been covertly cleaning a bit of dust off my red work vest. Whatever it was doing, it made a mistake. Terrible T quickly latched a sticky mitt onto its delicate fabric. "I WANNA!"

My scarf jolted at the sudden contact. Worse than that, since it had decided to double wrap itself around my neck when Tobias yanked its chain it tightened around my throat like a boa constrictor. I could feel my skin turn blue while his simple mother smacked his hand away. Once I could access oxygen again I enjoyed a mild coughing fit beneath the countertop.

That twerp! He's gonna pay for that!

At least that is what I want to say. But while I was trying to regain consciousness, I had the unfortunate honor of locking eyes with him. Griff. My so-called boss. The golden trim along his boxed cheek had a dangerous glimmer. His paystub eyes weren't the usual dollar signs of joy. Instead, they were two big null values to match the angry glare. I couldn't tell who they were directed at. Me or the monsters I was being forced to serve. Who am I kidding? It's obviously me.

When I first met the machine he showed me so much glee. I figured it was all an act but this was just absurd. He lacked a single strand of compassion for his workers unless they were making him money. He really was a pain.

But since he writes my checks. I'll just have to go along with it. So I took a few moments of reprieve before I once again arose with my name tag being straightened by my scarf before the mother could notice. I tried my best to put on a sincere smile. Maybe I tried too hard because the face I gave clearly sent chills down both of their spines.

I gave a toothy grin. My eyes were closed less they take scene of the bloodshot veins threatening to burst behind them. Maybe I looked like one of those Halloween masks with the ghost face. Or maybe it was because of how my scarf again decided to dramatize my stance by flapping ever so slightly behind me. But what I said next seemed much more aggressive than I meant.