The Riches (Obikin AU)

Chapter 2

Ben's question left me embarrassed and slightly angry, but I didn't have time to dwell on it. My shift at Watto's was starting soon and I had to start making my way over. Watto's was set up in between the east and west side of town, connecting the rich community with the poor. The area was also where all the schools were set up.

Watto's was the only gas station and convenience store in town, so it got a lot of customers, however, there were only about two to three people working at a time. When I first started working there, I usually worked a shift with my friend Kitster. It was pretty fun until Kitster...never mind. Anyways, now I work a shift with a fourteen-year-old girl named Ashla. She's nice, she's just inexperienced. Once she gave a customer one hundred dollars in change instead of ten dollars. Not that I can blame her, I had many misfortunes when I first started working at Watto's such as "accidentally" punching a costumer in the face, which I'm surprised didn't get me fired. Anyhow, since Watto's was in the middle of Janesville so I didn't have to walk back to the east side of town, but this also meant I wouldn't see my mom until the late evening.

As I approached Watto's I realized the gutter had fallen off the roof for the third time that month and the roof that Watto promised to replace for the past couple months was still there. Typical. Did I mention that Watto hardly showed up for work?

As I opened the front door to the dingy store, the shop keeper's bell rang and Ashla greeted me excitedly.

"Guess who went on a date with Kaeden last night?" Ashla squealed.

Ashla had been crushing on Kaeden, a girl in her English class last year, for a while now. It's all she ever talks about. I keep telling her she ought to be careful in this town since admitting homosexual feelings could get you killed, it's happened before. Ashla and I came out to each other last year when she admitted that she had feelings for Kaeden. At first I was worried she would spill my secret, but she's kept it and honestly, it's nice having someone to talk to.

"Ashla—" I started.

"I know, I know. You want me to be careful. Don't worry I've got everything under control. Everyone thinks we're friends. Just let me be excited for a second okay? Anyways, I took Kaeden to that place you showed me in the woods, you know with the small pond thing? Well, she loved it and then we kissed and it was so amazing. I still can't believe it actually happened."

Thankfully, there were no customers in the store to hear all about Ashla's date.

"Anyways," Ashla continued, "I need to restock the toilet paper in aisle four. Right before you got here an old lady bought all the stuff we had on display. Can you take cash duty?"

I nodded and Ashla went to the stock room to get some toilet paper.

I hate cash duty; you have to deal with customers. Just as that thought went through my head the shop keeper's bell rang signaling customers arriving.

"Welcome to Watto's. How can I help you today?" I said in monotone without looking up from the cash register.

"Yes actually. Could you direct me to the trash cans? Oh, wait, they're right here."

I felt a finger poke into my chest and I froze. I recognized that voice. It belonged to Nick, who's hated me ever since I stood up for my friend Kitster in sixth grade. Nick was tormenting him, something he did regularly. Nick offered me a spot in his "clique" and I refused, standing up to him instead. That really upset him and he's hated me ever since. Did I mention he also knows my biggest secret and loves tormenting and blackmailing me with it?