My Bubblegum King - Chapter 6: Chapter 6

I spent all day on Saturday inside with Sim. We eat and clean up together, talk a bit, sleep some more and do a lot of reading. I finished up all my assignments and even got to read through half of my course outline on two different courses. The week coming would official start up my college life and I didn't want anything to get in the way at all. Then of course I had a lengthy video chat with Sebastian.
On Sunday Ry came over and all three of us had breakfast together and watched a movie. In the afternoon we decided to go for a walk around Campus, Sim had to rain check because it was the appointed time for a call to his family back home. Taking a walk was also an excuse to leave him in private with his family. Everyone could tell he missed them so much.
The weather was nice so I had on shorts and a sweatshirt. Ry had on short shorts and a tank top, we walked hand in hand around.
"Do you think I should look for a job?" She asked, swinging our hands together.
"Are you broke already? Ry, I told you to keep your splurging to a minimum."
"It's all that fur coat's fault," she whined. "I saw it and I just couldn't resist Pax."
I stopped, frozen on my steps in surprise. "What? You really splurged?!"
She burst out laughing, "Of course not. Do you think I'm a fool?"
"Yup, totally." I got smacked for that.
"I'm not a fool, I didn't spend all my money... yet."
I rolled my eyes, "but..."
"But, I did see an unresistable fur coat but I didn't buy it, I just inquired the price and I can't afford it now." She pouted. "So I need a job."
"You have fur coats."
"Not this one, it's so different. You should see it."
"Have you asked your dad?"
She squeezed her lips, "he won't give me. It's not been long since he's been in Seattle with Spencer, he'd tell me he's still trying to adjust and settle."
"Oh," I almost forgot about that. "Have you heard from Spence? Hope they aren't killing each other over there?"
Ryder laughed. "Spencer started college last week and he's been traveling around with the money his mom left behind for him. Turns out he's kinda rich after all. Anyway, no they aren't killing each other, I think they are getting along just fine."
I smiled, "that's good to know. Percy would be happy to hear that."
Ryder nodded, "do tell him. Anyway, so work or not?"
"I think you should forget the fur coat."
"Pax!"
"Fine, if you have the time and strength for a part time, why not?"
"So you're in support?"
"Ehh," I wiggled my hand here and there to show my indecisiveness.
"Would you work with me?"
"No way," I shook my head. "I have enough work load already. And I don't know how the year is going to be, maybe as a sophomore."
"Well you don't even need to work," she pulled us towards a board/wall that had different posters on it. "Your boyfriend is a billionaire."
I rolled my eyes, "Not really. You know he's not using the money, it's basically useless for now."
"He's just too humble," she pulls a paper out. "You don't deserve Seb, he's too perfect for your unhelpful ass."
I nod after hissing at her. "I agree that I don't deserve him."
"You know I'm kidding right?"
"I'm not and that's vandalism," I pointed at the poster she plucked out and tore.
"How on Earth is this vandalism?"
"That paper was meant for the public. It's basically public property and you just destroyed it— exact definition of vandalism."
She linked our arms and pulled me with her to continue walking. "I'm representing public and I've seen it so it doesn't matter and that job was meant for me anyway. Nobody would need it after I've gotten it."
"What job?"
"Oh, you didn't read it?"
"No shit."
"It said a part-timer is needed at Go, the animal shelter. It mentioned flexible hours and other bonuses."
"Animal shelter?" I groaned, "Ry since when did you become a vet?"
"It also said not much experiences needed."
"That means an iota is probably required. Which you do not have."
"I have an iota," she countered. I crossed my hands at her, waiting for an explanation. "I once took care of Plump, Landon's rabbit. And I was great with Stormi, Percy's dog."
I face palmed, "we're done for."
"Don't worry, I'll get the job and you don't have to do anything except be there."
"Fine, it you say so." I sighed. "Let's watch miracles happen."
Ryder and I walk quite a distance before we finally come across what seems to be the only animal shelter on campus, Go. We stood outside and stared at it.
"How come it's open on Sunday?" I asked and Ry shrugged. "Did you think far into that? You might be working on Sunday's too."
She winced a bit and I laughed. Then she frown, pulling on a serious face and pounded her chest. "For the fur coat."
I watched her enter the building, completely amused by my best friend's madness. "For the fur coat."
There was nobody at the front desk inside the building. We looked around confused for a minute. There were chairs that made it also look like a waiting room and different posters of animals around, both for their health purposes and educational ones. There was even a poster with animals named from A to Z and on the front desk there was a skeleton of what looked like a rat.
"Maybe it's not actually an opened day?" I suggested to Ry. "Maybe it's just open for maintenance of some kind."
Ryder ignored me and proceeded to shout out into the building. "Hello?"
"In here!" Some one answers her from inside. The voice came out from an open pathway without a door but there was a plank wood there that serves as a kind of barrier.
Ryder smirked at me before following the sound. I cautiously follow behind her. "What if we enter inside and something attacks us, chopping us to pieces or we just disappear. Nobody knows we're here Ry."
"Shut up Pax," she said. "And they don't know that nobody knows we're here."
"Good point."
We raise the plank wood and walk through, entering another room that looked like a theater with faded blue walls. There was an operational table in the center, medical instruments and pills lining up around the walls. A machine was hanging off the egde of the table and at the moment it was facing away from the person before it. The person that called us perhaps. She was cleaning up the table and she had those blue big shapeless clothes they made people wear at the hospital before going in the Intensive Care Unit to see a patient. Her hair was in a net too and she had gloves on.
I'm guessing a surgery just went down. The entire place smelled like bleach, drugs and animal.
"Hello?" Ryder asked, stopping her walk any further when I pulled at her shirt.
The girl looked up and lo and behold it turned out to be the hot waitress from the EatOut. I felt Ryder freeze from her clothes. The girl smiled at us, not in recognition but in curtesy.
"Sorry there was no one out front and Welcome."
Ryder was speechless so I had to talk, biting in my amusement. "It's no problem and thank you."
Her eyes moved from Ryder to me, "how I can I help you? Do you have a sick pet or you're here to look at the animals or..."
"I-I-" Ryder cleared her throat. "Sorry. I'm actually here for the part time offer?"
The girl raised a brow in askance and Ryder elaborated, flustered completely. I couldn't blame her, the girl was really pretty with the sharpest features.
"I-I saw the flyer on a board."
"Oh," She said, slapping her forehead with a glowed palm. Then she flashed us a charming smile that almost rendered me speechless. "I totally forget about that. I'm not the one you should be talking to them," she snapped the gloves off her fingers. "I'll go get my senior."
"Sure," I put my hand over Ryder's shoulder. "We'll wait right here."
"One minute," she turned around and disappearing through another pathway that if you listened carefully, you could hear barks from.
"What were you saying about this job hunt not being for me?" Ryder whisper gushed as soon as the girl was out of sight, jumping and grabbing my shoulder. "Did you see her?! Fuck Pax, it's destiny. It has to be, I can even see fate's hand in this."
I laugh, covering my mouth to keep the sound controlled. "Oh gosh, you should have seen your were stunned."
"Don't blame me," Ryder turned to make sure nobody was coming before returning back to me. "That girl is on fire."
"So are you taking back your words on not doing girls anymore?" I asked, raising a brow.
She turned red, "No... Not yet."
"Mm-hm."
"I don't even know her name Pax, don't you dare jinx this for me." She took in a deep breath. "First we get to know her and make sure she isn't an axe murdering sociopath that feeds on the fur of cats, and then if I'm her kind of thing."
"Then," I prod, watching her with amusement.
"Then fuck yes, I am taking back my word. Are you kidding me?!"
I hold her hand so tight, holding in my squeal. "Okay, let's calm down," Ryder laughs. "First you have to get the job."
"Yup," she turned back and ran her fingers through her hair. "Get the job, then the girl."
I almost laugh again but then footsteps make me choke on it, coughing as the girl returned. We tried to look as innocent as possible like we weren't discussing getting into her pants just now.
"I apologise for the wait," she carries the plate containing injections that are on the table up. "He's coming."
"No problem," Ryder answered her, following her around with her eyes.
We hear the footsteps first, followed by the 'crying' sounds of a dog and after that long legs come into view belonging to someone that stuns me and Ryder again. Diego freaking Royal. He's carrying a big furry brown dog, he has on the same blue shapeless gown that the girl does and he has a beanie on his head again.
My jaw dropped as I watched him walk up to the table at the center, not looking away from the dog in his arms for one second. He still looked at good as before, as good as party night, maybe even more now with an imjured dog. Oh God... The party!
"Jodi, I think he hit his leg on the cage trying to get up and now it's bleeding again," Diego said in his deep calm voice, squeezing his face up like he was the one in pain.
"I told you we should have strapped him up," Jodi, as we have learnt said, returning to the table with the injection plate again.
"I wanted him comfortable, it's not a crime to-" he looked up then, our eyes meeting and he literally had to do a double-check, blinking like he couldn't trust his eyes.
Yeah, me too buddy.
"Paxton?" He asked, making everybody turn to me. I couldn't look at Ryder so I kept my eyes on him.
"Oh shit, they are waiting for you D." Jodi said, giving us apologetic looks. "I'm sorry about this, maybe you both should wait outside?"
"Um, sure-" Ryder started to say but was cut off.
"No, wait," Diego puts his arm out, his eyes flicked from me to Ryder and back to me. Even with the distance, I could see the gleaming light of amusement in his green eyes. "Who wants the job?"
"That would be me," Ryder raised a hand up and I looked away from Diego to see Jodi preparing an injection for the poor dog. I was already feeling sad especially with it's whimpering.
If Diego was disappointed, he didn't show. "Oh, do you have an working experience or experience with animals?"
"With animals," she glanced at me. Just go for it. "A little, a very small little."
Diego narrowed his eyes at her, then shrugged. "I can work with that. Working experience?"
She looked at me again. Shit. "None."
"So you've never worked as a receptionist before?"
"Receptionist?"
Diego held the dog down and I looked away as Jodi injected it. My eyes almost started to sting even, I shouldn't be here. "Yes, that's the job over. One of our receptionist had to leave."
"Oh," she turned to me and I blinked pretending I wasn't affected. Ryder mouths, "Receptionist?"
I shrug and mouth back. "For the fur coat and the girl."
She inhaled and nodded. "Sure, I can do receptionist. Easy peesy."
"Sure?" Diego asked, raising a brow. Jodi looked up too and I see her small smile.
"Sure."
"Then you come on Monday and we'd discuss your hours, mind you, this place might be more filled then."
"I'm hired?" Ryder asked, pinching me.
"Ouch!"
"Sure." They laughed.
"Yes!" She jumped, then calmed down again. "I'm Ryder Tracey, by the way."
"Nice to meet you," Diego said, about to start unwrapping the bandaged leg of the dog. "I'm Diego, she's Jodi and this fella is Barney."
"I'm Paxton, and I have to go out now," I said, dragging Ry out before the bandage comes off. I can't take that.
"Hey Paxton?" Diego called, making me stop. I turned back meeting his green eyes again. "A minute of your time after?"
Nope.
"Okay, I'll be outside." He nodded and I do too before leaving.
"Pax, are you sure this is an animal shelter or a Hot Humans Shelter?"
I laughed, "I don't think Barney is human or hot, so... unless you thought he was?"
"Fuck you, you know what I mean."
Yes, I totally do.