Chapter Text
“Chloe, what the fuck is that?” the dark haired man asked exasperated, standing behind the counter and rubbing his hand up and down his forehead.
“What?” Chloe looked around, pulled her shirt down in front of her to look for stains, checked the bottom of her feet, glanced from side to side and pretended that she couldn’t fathom what the man was talking about.
“Your. Hair. Is. Blue,” The man said, looking again aghast at the sight and making a point to emphasize every word.
“Oh that! Aww come on dude…”
“I’m not your ‘dude’ I’m your boss and you can’t serve people in this coffee shop with bright blue hair!”
“Um have you checked out our clientele recently James?” Chloe said and stood with her arms raised, gesturing around the room. There were various cliche hipster and art student types scattered around the tables of the coffee shop making the most of the free wifi.
James looked around the coffee shop and shook his head, “Whatever,” he started, raising his hands in defeat, “at least you’re actually here on time for a change.”
Chloe let out a shocked gasp and grabbed her chest like she had just been shot with an arrow, “James you’re killing me here man, I am nothing if not the most loyal and productive employee here.”
James stood and looked at Chloe with one eyebrow raised, “Well tonight is your chance to pass on all your wisdom and knowledge.”
Chloe walked behind the counter, throwing her apron on, “Please don’t tell me I’m on newbie duty?!” she exclaimed. She liked the late shift to herself, from 4pm until 11pm she could do as she pleased, chill and read or doodle to her hearts content. The last thing she needed was having to do actual work when she was at work.
“Chloe you are on very thin ice after your ‘beauty school drop out’ makeover so please don’t give me any shit for this okay? She’s coming in at six, be informative and for god's sake be friendly,” James said as he handed her the keys and left the shop.
“Yeah yeah yeah, I’m a ray of fucking sunshine,” Chloe said when he was out the door and out of earshot.
“Chloe, your hair!” she heard a voice behind her say. Rachel had appeared from the back of the shop, Chloe believed that Rachel was half the reason she still had her job here. James’ mad crush on her really helped when Rachel would give him the puppy dog eyes and explain that Chloe was the best friend she had ever had and she would be so upset if she wasn’t able to work here anymore. That had gotten Chloe out of a lot of sticky situations at her job.
Rachel came over and hugged Chloe tightly then pulled back running her hands through Chloe’s hair, “It is awesome!” she exclaimed, “How much sucking up do I have to do to the boss man because of this?” she asked, stepping back and placing a hand on her hip.
“Not sure yet, but be prepared for some mild damage control,” Chloe said with a wink.
“Chloe, you’re gonna end up losing your job here you know?” Rachel said and passed a brush to Chloe indicating that she was on sweeping duty.
Chloe sighed, took the brush and started cleaning up the shop floor, “Oh no what will I ever do when I'm not able to serve coffee every day? Oh yeah I know, do the job I actually want to do!”
“You need money for that Chloe, well paid tattoo artist apprentice jobs don’t usually pop-up in Arcadia.”
“I know, I know…Mom.”
Rachel balled up a napkin and tossed it at her friends head causing Chloe to look up, scowling, “I’m serious Chlo,” she continued, “I know you’ve got your big dreams to get out of here and get noticed but you gotta start from the bottom. Being unemployed is much worse than the bottom. So please, for me, just try.”
Chloe couldn’t resist Rachel’s concerned and doe-eyed expression, “Okay I’ll try, but the hair stays Blue!”
Rachel giggled, “Yup I wouldn’t expect anything less Price.”
“So what time you on til’?” Chloe asked, desperate for a change in the conversation.
“Six, then you have your new apprentice…don’t make her turn to the dark side!”
Chloe looked up again from her sweeping, “Star wars reference…really Rach?”
Rachel began wiping the counter and added, “I know this girl actually.”
“Yeah?”
“She goes to Blackwell. She’s a little shy, well a lot shy actually, but she seems nice.”
“Grrrreat,” Chloe said, “I hella bond with shy girls. Not.”
“Be nice Chloe, not everyone was born with your unrelenting confidence.”
“And agonizingly good looks, wit and charm?” Chloe asked, standing and leaning an elbow on the brush with a big grin on her face.
“If that’s what you call it.” Rachel jibed and Chloe flipped her the bird, “She’s really pretty,” Rachel continued, smirking and staring down at the counter while she wiped it.
Chloe came over to the counter and slammed her hands down, “Okay - now I’m interested.”
Rachel laughed, “I’m pretty sure she’s straight though.”
Chloe rolled her eyes, pushed herself off the counter and went back to her duties, “Figures.”
. . . . . .
Rachel was clock watching for the last ten minutes of her shift when she saw a familiar face walk in, “Max!” she exclaimed as the girl approached, looking nervously around and avoiding eye contact with Rachel.
“Hi Rachel,” she said, approaching the counter. She felt really uneasy in new places at the best of times and the thought of starting a job which involved working with people had terrified her, but she needed cash and at least she had been greeted by a semi-familiar face. Max and Rachel had exchanged a few words in class but they were short of anything close to friends.
‘Come on Max, time to be a grown up and not a shy dork,’ she thought and made eye contact with Rachel, smiling.
“Ready for your first shift?” she asked, trying to sound enthusiastic as she lifted the end of the counter for Max to step behind.
“As I’ll ever be,” Max replied and Rachel handed her an apron to put on.
“You can put your stuff through the back, there’s a few lockers in the staff area.”
Max smiled and went through to the back, it looked similar to the locker rooms at gym except with only a one bench and three lockers...and a blue haired leaning against them. Max ran her eyes up the girl, taking her appearance in - black combat boots, shredded jeans peaking out from under her apron and an intricate and beautiful tattoo down her right arm. She swallowed a little, unsure why she had began to blush profusely. With a gulp, Max walked over, clutching her apron and her bag to her chest, “Hi, I’m Max,” she said.
Chloe pulled the magazine down to lock eyes with the girl and quirked an eyebrow at her, “Chloe,” she replied, “I’m done with my break now, I better…uh…” and then she pushed herself off the lockers with the foot she had been using the lean against them, tossed the magazine on the bench and walked back to the front of the shop leaving Max feeling a little flustered as she started putting her things in her locker.
‘Fuck, fuck, fuck,’ Chloe thought as she walked round to the front of the shop, ‘Stupid damn Rachel…pretty Rach? Pretty? A flower is pretty, a butterfly is pretty - that girl is beautiful.’
“Sup Chlo?” Rachel said, smirking and leaning against the counter looking at her red-faced friend.
“Nothing,” Chloe replied, gaining her composure and busying herself cleaning the coffee machine.
“Uh-huh,” Rachel replied knowingly. She had known without a shadow of a doubt that Chloe would crush on Max. She wasn’t Chloe’s usual type but the girl was really stunning with her mousy brown hair and her bright blue eyes and a face full of freckles. This was going to be great fun for Rachel to spectate.