Chapter 5 | A regularish school day

                                    

                                          
I woke up to my alarm. As soon as I switched it off I immediately thought about everything again, I'm just happy that it wasn't a fever dream. 
                          
For some reason I couldn't stop thinking about Henry.
                          
I put on the bracelet Ray gave me, and put my gumball tube in my backpack behind all my school books so nobody could find it, I headed downstairs for breakfast, hiding my bracelet under my sleeve.
                          
"Hi mom!" I shouted, she was in the kitchen making pancakes.
Something you don't know about my mom is she makes the best food. I'm suprised she didn't choose a chef as her career, instead she works as a receptionist.
                          
"Hey honey!" she said cheerfully as she placed my food on the kitchen table. "So what do you have to do now you work at that junk shop?"
                          
I startled. "Oh uh It's super boring all I do is clean, my boss is super nice, his name is Ray."
                          
"Oooh how lovely," mom said. "I must meet him sometime, just for a quick hel-"
                          
"He doesn't really nice to meet new people". I interrupted. "He's quite anti-social, but i'll tell him you said hi."
                          
"Oh okay, well-"
                          
I ate my pancake as quick as I could, I didn't want to talk about Junk N' Stuff as it was too awkward and I couldn't think of any excuses at the moment.
                          
"I must go now mom, I have a shift after school so i won't come home until dinner time, bye!"
                          
"Okay honey that's fine, don't be late!"
                          
I put on my shoes and shut the front door.
                          
Swellview high was only a five minute walk so I didn't need to drive there. 
                          
I love my school, the teachers are nice, well, except for Miss Shapen, my math teacher, and my friends are okay. They leave me out sometimes but I tend not to get sad about it, maybe I can be friends with Henry and Charlotte now since we work together.
                          
I arrived at school and put my books in my locker, the locker system at Swellview high is so strange, you put your thumb on the lock like a phone and it opens your locker, fancy isn't it?
                          
As I was putting my folders inside my locker to the corner of my eye I saw Henry, he was wearing a light blue flannel and black jeans, he spotted me and walked over to me, along with Charlotte.
                          
"Hey Al? Can I call you Al?" Henry said.
                          
Charlotte rolled her eyes as per usual. "You don't know how to talk to girls, do you Hen?"
                          
"Haha it's fine", I exclaimed. "You can call me Al if you want to I don't mind. I'm still getting used to this thing, like being a...you know what..."
                          
I showed him my bracelet to indicate what I meant.
                          
Henry leaned on my locker, shutting it, he looked embarrassed but played it off.
                          
"It took me a while to get used to things"  he said, "on my first full day there's usually a really tough training so you better be prepared for it after school!" he awkwardly giggled, I smiled. "plus Ray is so weird, and he doesn't like you mentioning his age by the way, he thinks he's getting old, even though he's 35."
                          
"oh thanks for telling me, haha, I don't want to make him mad you know, since he's my boss."
                          
Then the bell rang for first period.
                          
"Well we can't be late!" Charlotte said quick tempered. "Cmon henry." she grabbed him by the arm and walked away.
                          
"see you after school!" henry shouted, waving with his other arm. "I can't wait to give you a tour of the...you know what!"
                          
"Bye!" I waved, smiling as i walked into first period, blushing. 
"I definitely have a crush on him" I thought to myself, but I can't! I cant put love before work, he's meant to be my work partner, not my crush!
                          
My smile faded.
                          
Or can it be both?