Chapter 3

"So, I'm going to have to find something for you to do," Mike explained after Rose had left.

"You really weren't looking for help?" Rory sighed.

"Well... to tell you the truth, no." Mike answered.

"I can always just go apply at The Calf." Rory stopped filling out the paper work.

"No, you really don't have to." Mike smiled. 

"I... you..." Rory started to stare.

"You ok?"

"I'm gay." Rory blurted out.

"Oh... well I kind of thought you might be." Mike said nonchalantly.

"Rose didn't tell you?"

"No. Rose doesn't go around telling intimate details."

"So, I really can have the job?" sheepishly Rory asked.

"Yes. If I didn't give it to you, Rose would kill me." Mike laughed. "I swear, Rose did this so we could date."

"Would it be a bad thing?" Rory blushed, finishing the paperwork.

"You're only sixteen." Mike stated.

"I'll be seventeen in a month!" Rory protested.

"It's still a four year difference." Mike countered. Rory defeated handed over the pen and papers. "Look, I can't date a sixteen or seventeen year old. It would be too weird."

"We could try," Rory whispered.

Mike patted Rory's back. "Look, try finding someone your own age, have fun." Rory gave a weak smile and nodded. "Rory, you're a really cute looking guy. I mean, if I were younger I would have said yes."

Rory nodded. "So... what do I need to know?"

"About... guys?" Mike asked perplexed.

"Well, I'd like to talk about that to, but I meant about my job," Rory explained.

"Basically, I have no idea." Mike laughed.

"You're serious?"

"Yeah, you're my first employee. I have no idea what to do with you..."

"I could learn how to use the register." Rory suggested.

"You know, that's a good idea!" Mike smiled. "Well, let's start with ringing up the CDs with barcodes." Rory listened intently as Mike explained the intricacies of the register. Mike had to re-explain a few things, because Rory would occasionally just stare at him. Mike laughed it off. When he told Rory he could have the bathroom to himself, the kid turned six shades of red.

A few hours later Rory knew everything he needed to check out customers. Mike stood behind him, watching for the first few. Then he let him fly solo. Confident in Rory's abilities, Mike went into his office to order more product. 

Rory was in the middle of playing with the tag gun when he was tapped on the shoulder. Jumping around, Rory's breath was taken away. Standing before him was a boy with dark curly hair that hung just below his strong chin line. The guy's lashes were dark, contrasting nicely against his bright, golden eyes. "Hey, this place is open?" Rory ignored the question, staring at his lips as the moved. "Earth to kid!" the teenager tried getting through.

"Hi there," Mike bounded out of the office, greeting the teenager.

"Hey, what's with your employee?" the teen asked.

"Rory... I think he's taken with your looks." Mike laughed.

"Oh... he's gay?"

"Yeah, it's not a problem is it?"

"No." He smiled.

"Hi, welcome to Jeremie's Records," Rory stated, staring at the teenager. Mike and the teen shared a belly laugh. "I'm Rory, how may I serve you?"

"Rory, do you need a break?" Mike asked him. Rory shook his head no, still not taking his eyes off the teen.

"Should I kiss him?" the teen asked.

"YES!" Rory shouted, leaning forward.

"You don't even know his name!" Mike shouted, pulling Rory back.

"It's Izy," He said winking at Rory.

"Mine's Rory!" breaking away from Mike, Rory went around the counter to Izy.

"Hi," Izy said, holding his hand out. With a defeated sigh Mike went in the back as Rory took Izy's hand.

"So... I think I should buy something so your boss doesn't get pissed," Izy laughed. Rory nodded slightly. "Well, any suggestions?"

"I like Pat Benatar." Rory stared at Izy again.

"I've heard of her," Izy said walking toward the aisles, Rory following his exact steps. "You ever hear of Nightwish?" Rory shook his head no. "You should give them a listen, they're really cool."

"I'll do that."

"Awesome, I could lend you a cd of theirs. If you want me to." Izy smiled thumbing through the rack of CDs.

"Really? That would be awesome!" Rory smiled intensely.

"Cool. So when do you get off of work?" Izy asked, grabbing a CD with a demonic woman on the front.

"I get off at two!"

Mike laughed. "I'll come by then, and borrow you the CDs."

"Thank you." Rory grinned.

The two boys talked a while more about music. Rory mainly took note of bands that Izy suggested. During their time together, Rory kept inching closer to Izy, breathing in his scent. Not realizing how close Rory had gotten, Izy turned around sending both boys to the floor. Rory quickly forgot the pain of the fall when he realized Izy had fallen on top of him. The boys stared at each other, neither knowing what to do. After an awkward moment Izy suggested that they get up.

"Why?" Rory asked, wishing that Izy could lay on him a bit longer.

"Well, what if a customer sees us?"

"Oh... I guess we should," Rory nodded weakly nodded, wishing that the hunk would linger a bit more. Instead Izy rose, extending a helping hand. Rory grabbed the hand and was pulled to his feet.

"You're pretty light." Izy said as he kneeled to gather the CDs he had dropped.

"Yeah, I guess so." Rory's face turned red again.

"Alright, I have to head home. I told my Mom I wouldn't take too long." Izy lead Rory to the counter.

"I'll check you out then." Rory said walking behind the counter. He stood there staring at the register and CDs. "Mike!" Rory shouted after a moment.

"Yeah?" Mike appeared from his office.

"I forgot how to do this." Rory whispered.

Mike sighed as he grabbed his forehead. He let out a chuckle.  "Take a break, and talk to the boy some more. I'll ring him up." Rory nodded and ran around the counter.

"You really forgot?" Izy smiled.

"Yeah... I jus..." Rory trailed off, hanging his head.

Izy laughed. "It's OK."

"It is?" Rory perked up.

Izy leaned forward, kissing Rory on his cheek. Rory's knees wobbled. "I can do that again." Rory leaned forward. Izy pushed him back. "We'll have to have a date first."

"When?"

"Next Saturday?"

"Yeah!" Rory squealed.

Mike laughed. "Hey, I'll need to see an ID for some of these," he explained to Izy.

"No problem," Izy said, pulling his wallet out. "Just don't laugh at my real name." He said handing over the card.

"I won't.... ok you're seventeen. It will be thirty two, twenty one." Mike handed the card back.

Izy flirted with Rory as he handed over the money. After getting his bag and change Izy left, turning around to wink at Rory one last time. As soon as Izy was out of sight, Rory slid to the floor against the counter.  Mike came around and sat by his employee. Rory just smiled and leaned against his employer.

"I should fire you." Mike said.

"Uh-huh." Rory smiled.

"I really should."

"Wait... what?" Rory shouted jumping up and hitting his head against the counter.

"You ok?" Mike said as Rory rubbed his head.

"Yeah... I'm not fired am I?" Rory pleaded.

"No. I can't fire you for being absolutely smitten."

"I was?"

"Oh yeah. Like a puppy." Mike and Rory shared a smile. "Let's get up. I'm sure there's something you can do." Rory kept himself busy. Every once in a while, he was caught daydreaming about Izy. He tried to focus on work, but the amber eyed teenager kept invading his thoughts.

Rory's heart raced as the door opened. "Hey!" Rose said skipping in.

"Hey..." Rory half heartedly said.

"Ok... what the hell is wrong?" Rose asked, putting her hand on Rory's shoulder.

"You're not him." Rory smiled weakly and went to the counter.

"Who's him?" Rose sat on the counter and stared at Rory.

"He's... he's amazing." Rory giggled.

Rose smiled. "So what's his name?"

"Izy..." Rory wrote the name on a piece of paper.

"Is-he cute?" Rose giggle.

"He's gorgeous... and perfect."

"Suicide, look at me." Rory followed the command and looked at his friend. "Don't fall too hard ok?"

"Why?" Rory shouted.

"Suicide, this is your first major crush. I just don't want you hurting yourself over this guy. If you do, I'll have to kill him."

"Don't hurt him!"

"I won't... unless he hurts you." Rose slid off the counter and pulled Suicide Boy into a hug.

Rory didn't notice the door open. He was too lost in the thought that Izy may end up not liking him. He wondered if Izy was just going to set up a prank. The kiss made him think twice though.

"That your girlfriend?" Izy asked pointing at Rose.

Rose let go of Rory and turned around. Her mouth hung open as she saw the boy. "You know what I said earlier?" Rose asked Suicide. He nodded as he walked around the corner. "Forget it. If he breaks up with you, I'm taking him!"

Author's Note

once again, grammar and voice.

Reviews

[Chris]

Pretty good chapter. I liked how you began the chapter. I wonder, is the last line of dialogue foreshadowing of what might happen later? You don't have to answer this question, but I thought it might be foreshadowing. Regardless, I thought it was a pretty good way to end the chapter.

And now for grammar! The thing you love!

"I'm gay." Rory blurted out.
"Oh... well I kind of thought you might be." Mike said nonchalantly.
Commas should end the dialogue, not periods.

Rory defeated handed over the pen and papers.
Commas should surround "defeated."

"Well, I'd like to talk about that to, but I meant about my job," Rory explained.
"To" should be "too."

Rory ignored the question, staring at his lips as the moved.
"The" in front of "moved" should be "they"?

"It's Izy," He said winking at Rory.
"He" should be lowercase and a comma should be after "said."

"Mine's Rory!" breaking away from Mike, Rory went around the counter to Izy.
"Breaking" should be capitalized.

"You should give them a listen, they're really cool."
Comma should be a period.

"I get off at two!"
Mike laughed. "I'll come by then, and borrow you the CDs."
I think you meant to put Izy, not Mike. Also, did you mean to say "borrow you"?

"Oh... I guess we should," Rory nodded weakly nodded, wishing that the hunk would linger a bit more.
One of the noddeds need to be deleted.

"I forgot how to do this." Rory whispered.
Comma should end the dialogue, not a period.

Rory stopped filling out the paper work.
Nothing grammatically wrong here, but I don't care for the bluntness of it. I feel like you should say something else, like him lifting the pen off the paperwork (it's paperwork, not paper work, by the way) or something along those lines. It would help show, not tell, and showing is what you want to do as a writer. It would create a picture better than simply saying he stopped filling it out, anyway.

Hope this helps. :)

[J]

Love it. I am glad you gave Rory a crush maybe Izy will keep suicide off Rory's mind.