Heart Of Gold

First Day

Jake's three-dollar alarm clock jolted him awake bright and early.

Not willing to risk losing his new job and the cabin that came along with it, he had double and triple-checked that the alarm was set last night. With any luck, he would have time to eat, drive into town and maybe even grab a coffee before getting his assignment for the day.

The jeans he had worn yesterday lay crumpled on the floor.

Jake gave them a good shake before sliding them on. He hadn't done laundry in a week, and was determined to put off a trip to the laundromat for as long as possible.

Jake rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and wandered over to the kitchen. He was about to pop two slices of bread in the toaster before realizing that they didn't have one yet.

Undaunted, he spread peanut butter on the two slices, chugged some milk from the jug and grabbed a banana. A thought struck him and he grabbed another two slices of bread, spread more peanut butter on them, and stuck the slices together.

Presto - lunch.

Satisfied, Jake wandered over to the couch where Will slept, drool forming a thin line down his chin, and thought about the best way to wake his friend up. Will had pushed the couch over against the wall and was sprawled out on the pullout mattress like a baby giant.

Jake put one foot on the mattress and pressed lightly. A soft squeak sounded.

Perfect, Jake smiled.

With one hand on the wall to brace himself Jake pressed down again and again on the mattress with his foot, moaning dramatically as the squeaking springs got louder and louder. Will groaned, still stuck in a dream, and rolled over to his side, grumbling.

Jake sped up his steps on the mattress, moaning louder than before.

Whether it was Jake's exaggerated moans or the increasingly violent shaking of the mattress, Will blearily opened one eye.

"Dude, come on!" he groaned, burying his face back in the pillow.

"Payback," Jake grinned.

Will had pulled the same stunt on him a few months back while crashing at the O'Neil house. Jake's parents had been asleep down the hall when Will woke him with the same routine. Harry O'Neil was a notoriously light sleeper, prone to catching Jake and his brothers creeping in past curfew during high school and promptly grounding them for a week.

He also hated being woken up.

Will's prank had gotten him booted out without breakfast and Jake stuck with a midnight curfew for the next two weekends.

Chuckling, Jake tossed a pillow at Will's head and ran out the door. A light dusting of frost crunched under his feet on his way down to the Mustang but the sun was rising and Jake knew it wouldn't be long before the frost melted away.

He made it into town with ten minutes to spare and saw Mr. Smithers waiting for him outside the office. Five men stood beside him, gesturing at the three blue work vans parked along the curb. The men wore faded jeans and fluorescent orange shirts with reflective stripes and white hard hats. Mr. Smithers handed one to Jake as he approached the group.

"Good to see you've survived your first weekend here," Mr. Smithers tithered. "I have to admit I wasn't sure you'd be up so early."

"No sir," Jake said. "Like I said before, I'm a hard worker. Mornings don't bother me so showing up on time won't be a problem."

"Good boy, good boy," Mr. Smithers said. One of the men, a kindly-looking fellow, watched Jake thoughtfully. "Now, where should I put you today?"

"Hey Smithers, I can take him," the man offered. "Since my guy left for Fort Mac, I've been a one-man show. The boy looks like he's a fast learner. I'm Bruce, by the way."