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 Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2009 8:01 pm
Grayson still wasn't looking at Jude. He ought to be proud; there was no breaking of the Three Second Rule. His expression didn't change much, either, from the set, mildly disapproving lines it had settled into at the thought of Barnaby taking Jude's place. This would be something he would think on, mull over quietly when he didn't have anyone or anything to distract him. He would write about it, sort of, in his diary. Carefully, so that if anyone picked it up and thumbed through the pages, they wouldn't discover what he was actually talking about.
He didn't see himself changing his mind about this particular situation, though, no matter how much he wrote about it, tried to fathom Jude's reasoning. Jude was perfect as he was, in all his imperfection. He was Sagittarius as much as he was Jude, and in Grayson's eyes and mind, always would be. Even if he died, and his pen was passed along to someone else, it would always be Jude.
How could anyone feel differently? Not just Jude. Topher, Tara, Hero. All of them. They were the Zodiac Guard. They were the ones who fought together, died together, were reborn together.
Not all of them minus Jude.
He brought his arms up, cupped his elbows. And he frowned, deeply.
"I don't think I will, Jude." A car went by, sprayed slush and water up on the sidewalk.
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Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2009 8:59 pm
Barnaby Price returned to the most awkward silence in the history of Larry's Pizza, and that included the time the assistant manager had his wife call to curtly inform him she was filing for divorce and taking the kids. Jude usually had something to say, but when he didn't there was no point in talking.
So neither of them talked.
He worked cleaning the same spot on the counter twenty times, if not more, and virtually ignored the other two. No one else called and no one else came in. Within the hour it was time to go, and Jude peered at Barnaby one last time.
"I'll see you tomorrow, alright?"
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Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2009 9:07 pm
It really shouldn't have been a relief to come back and find his two co-workers in an awkward silence. Even so, Barnaby couldn’t help but feel slightly better, and not only because it would have sucked having to explain to Larry why two of his employees couldn't keep their hands off each other behind the counter at a pizza parlour. He did not think "because peppers invoke violent emotions" would cut it.
Deciding that the silence was better than anything else that had happened today, the redhead let it stretch between the three of them, and began his usual clean-up procedure. It wasn't hard, seeing as they'd barely had any business, but it gave him something to do.
He looked up when Jude address him and nodded. "Yeah man. See you." He held out his closed hand for a fist bump before making his way towards the cash. Glancing over his shoulder, he addressed their other co-worker, making sure to keep his tone light. "I'll close up. You can go home if you want."
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Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2009 9:26 pm
The silence was awkward, but Grayson actually didn't seem to notice it much. He was thinking much too hard about what he would be writing in his diary when he got home, and getting more and more disturbed by the entire situation as time went by. When Barnaby came back, he barely noticed, as he was busily rearranging stacks of coupons on the counter. Over and over again.
He blinked at Barnaby owlishly, taking a moment to contemplate his words before he smiled and nodded. "Thanks. I'll leave, then."
As he walked out, he reflected on his first day of work, deciding that he didn't like it much.
But that really wasn't all that far from his expectations. He'd just have to get used to it, as he had many things in the past.
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