Chapter 42
What Else floats in water?

I thought of an example that might help you understand why I don’t really like talking to Gus-Gus. I was on break today and he happened to be on his break at the same time and I pulled out my book and I have a picture for a bookmark, he picks up the picture and said, “What’s this.” Then he sees that it’s just a picture of trees and he said, “It’s not an X-rated picture of you?” I didn’t know what to say, so I finally just said, “I don’t bring those pictures to work with me”. Then I told him there were no pictures like that. Also he stands too close to me and I don’t know if it’s obvious to him but it sure as hell is obvious to me that I don’t want him to even touch me. I mean, contorting my body in unnatural ways just to avoid physical contact should show him something. Maybe I’m too nice to people, (hard to believe I know) and therefore they think I care. Then I got cornered by him and this kid at work, I don’t know what they wanted but I was literally cornered and jokingly freaked out that I was surrounded (this is me being nice while at the same time giving out a cry for help). I finally got out of it and walked to the safety zone where my new friend, who I will call Baby-Face, was.
Baby-Face is one of the only saving graces of having to work at night. I look forward to when he comes in, along with The Warrior, another one of the teenage boys at work, my only question is, why weren’t the boys I worked with when I was in high school this fun? There was much more drama when I was in high school. It was probably me because I was so drama. They are awesome, and they really like me, I feel at times like I have a fan club. Yesterday I was working in the Bakery and there were about 4 of these boys who were all upset that I wasn’t going to be working with them. I just don’t know what to do with all the attention. I mean, I joke that I am cool, but I don’t ever actually think that I am! The more that people like you the easier it is to like them back. I mean, they have to have good taste in friends. I also find that I am very protective of these boys, the ones who are my favorites; there are maybe three or four of them. Today one of the other guys, one that I am warming up to, but I doubt he’ll become a favorite, pushed a cart into the back of Baby Face’s ankles. It was playful, if it hadn’t I would have kicked some ass, but I leaned in to Baby Face and said, “Do you want me to take care of him? I know a guy.” He thanked me for the offer but said he’ll beat the kid up after work.
So I found out that Gus-Gus smoked a lot of pot in high school (this explains a whole lot about him), this places me on a moral high ground and I told him so. He didn’t believe that I never “experimented”. The jack ass that started to tell teenagers it was okay to experiment with drugs and sex was just some damn hippie trying to make himself feel better about wasting his youth and barely being able to speak or urinate properly. Misery loves company. Baby Face thought I smoked and the kid who cornered me thought that I must have gotten drunk at least once in my life. I’m glad that everyone assumes crap about me that is completely false. I was able to get the record straight, well, at least on the smoking charges with Baby Face. It turns out that Gus-Gus and Gus-Gus Jr. don’t know how to handle the fact that maybe not everyone wants to fry their brains and have hangovers.
Meanwhile Baby Face has a bad memory of when we first met, apparently I came in and took over an order he was working on and then took the cart from him. I don’t remember ever doing that but to save myself from falling out of his good graces I apologized and now every time that we have an order together we try to decide who will take the cart according to certain criteria. Who was there first, who asked bagging preference first, and which of us better deserves to just go outside.
I know what you are thinking…I need help, yeah, I was thinking it too…hope it comes soon.