Boo

Ch. 3

Logan had heard that a nearby coffee shop had been looking for workers. Knowing that he needed to pay rent somehow, he quickly jumped for the opportunity.

He walked in, the smell of pastries and coffee beans hitting him like a truck.

"Welcome." The guy at the front greeted him in an unenthusiastic tone. "Your order?"

"Oh, no. I'm here to apply for a job?" Logan smiled weakly.

The boy rubbed at his mismatched eyes, looking tired beyond belief.

Looking at his eyes, Logan noticed heavy dark circles underneath them. He looked like he hadn't slept in weeks. Also, it was notable that he had a huge, red scar that took up around half of his face.

He blew a piece of caramel colored hair out of his eyes, looking completely indifferent.

"Name?"

"Uh, Logan." Logan mumbled. "Berry." He added, for good measure. "It's nice to meet you, uh," He glanced at his name tag (a sticker with the words 'Hello, my name is' printed on it), "Janus."

"Well, Logan Berry," The boy grumbled, "you know how to make a cup of coffee?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"You're hired." Janus murmured.

"What?" Logan asked incredulously. "No interview? I haven't even met the manager!"

"I didn't get an interview." Janus shrugged. "And besides, the manager only comes here, like, once a month. She won't notice if we suddenly have another worker."

"That is terrible management."

"Tell me about it." Janus rolled his eyes.

"Well, uh, when do I start?" Logan asked, furrowing his brow.

"I don't care. Now, if you want. There's a bunch of aprons in the back." He gestured with his hand. "Now fucking move, you're holding up the line."

Logan moved out of the way, letting the next customer go up to the counter.

He hesitantly walked to the back, not sure if he was really allowed to.

As promised, there were a bunch of aprons stacked on a nearby table. Next to them, were a bunch of 'hello, my name is' stickers. He grabbed a nearby pen, scribbling his name in perfect letters on one of the stickers.

He put an apron on, rolling his sleeves up. After quickly plastering the sticker onto the front of his apron, he adjusted his glasses and walked back out.

"So, uh," Logan began, walking behind the counter. Janus turned to him raising a brow.

"What?" He snapped, scowling at him.

"What do you want me to do?" Logan asked, looking around.

"Clean some tables, I don't care." Janus scoffed. "Just don't bother me."

How pleasant, Logan thought sarcastically.

---

Logan had spent the whole day cleaning tables. Janus would snap at him when he tried to go behind the counter, so cleaning tables was really the only thing he could do.

"Hey, Logan Berry, come here." Janus said, waving him over. It was closing time now.

"Yes?" Logan hummed, obeying his command.

Janus fished something out of his pocket. "Here."

Logan took it. "Fourty dollars?"

"You're payed five dollars an hour." Janus shrugged. "And from now on, you show up every day. Got it?"

Logan nodded. "Got it. Thank you." Logan had to work eight hours a day? He would never have time to work on his book!

"Now get out of here, I wanna smoke." Janus waved him off.

"You smoke?" Logan asked.

"I quit." Janus grumbled, pulling out a cigarette.

"But--"

"I said I quit. Didn't say it stayed that way." Janus snorted, putting the cigarette in his mouth and digging around in his pockets for a lighter. "Where do you live, Logan Berry? Far from here?"

"Not really. That apartment building over there." Logan pointed out the window.

Janus' brow furrowed. "That apartment building?"

"Uh, yeah." Logan tilted his head.

Janus muttered something under his breath, still looking for a lighter.

"What was that?" Logan frowned.

"Room 109." Janus sighed, finally finding a lighter. He lit his cigarette.

"What?" Logan murmured in confusion. That was the room next to his.

"Roman Prince lives in that room. Mind dropping by and telling him to call me?" Janus asked, letting out a puff of smoke.

"Roman Prince?" That must've been Patton's roommate. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks, you're a good kid." Janus nodded.

Logan nodded. He quickly left, not wanting to breathe in any secondhand smoke.

Roman Prince, huh? So that was the name of the guy who didn't wanna visit Logan. Not that he cared, of course. It hardly mattered to him.

Logan idly wondered if Patton also knew Janus.

---

When he got home, his exhaustion finally crashed down on him. He immediately went to his room, collapsing onto the bed.

He stared up at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to take him away.

Logan had gotten a job today. He was actually kind of proud of himself for that. He doubted his father would feel the same.

He bolted upward, eyes wide.

Shit.

He was supposed to call his father.

God, Logan had only been living alone for a couple of days and he already messed up. He sighed, lying back down.

He would just call in the morning. Surely, his father wouldn't be too mad?

He closed his eyes, trying to make the underlying sense of dread go away. He would be fine. It wouldn't happen again.

Slowly, he felt himself drift off.

A/N:

Oh yeah, we're introducing our characters before we get into it 😝