FSE

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Bea awoke to her alarm clock, but Mae was already gone. Bea noticed the window was open a bit more than she'd left it. She opened her laptop, and sure enough Mae had left her a message.

“Hi Bea. Sorry, but I left after you fell asleep last night. I know you didn't intend anything, and I thought it would be awkward for you if I stayed. Please don't worry about me reading too much into it. I'll try my best not to. But it was amazing anyway. I'll come by the Pickaxe later."

Bea wasn't sure how she felt about that, but she decided to play it off lightly.

“Hi Mae. Awkwardness be damned, I missed you in the morning! See you later. And… it was pretty great."

She started to write more, but kept erasing what she'd written. She finally gave up and took her bath.

Her dad was up making breakfast when she had gotten dressed.

“Hey Bea. Everything alright?"

“Yeah. Mae came over last night. Dad, I have something I want to talk to you about after work."

Her dad gave her an odd look.

“Bea, you know I love you. I don't care who you like, you know? I just want you to be happy."

“Oh. Oh! You mean Mae? Me and… No. No dad. It's not about that."

“No? I… well. I thought I heard you…"

“Really? I thought you were sleeping. Well, as for that… I don't know really, dad. But this is something else. We'll talk later."

“Okay kid. I'll be here."

“Thanks dad," Bea said, taking the breakfast he'd bagged up. She was running a little late and he always seemed to know and help out like this.

She kissed him and lingered with her hug a little longer than she normally did.

“Dad?" she said, looking directly into his eyes. She noticed they looked older than she remembered. The lenses maybe a little bit cloudy.

“Yeah?"

“Dad. You're the best mother a girl could ever have. Do you know that? I love you so much."

“Aww, thanks Bea… I guess! Now go on, you're running late."

She kissed him again and left the apartment, realizing how much she really meant it. If he decided against selling the Pickaxe, she was going to be good with it. Realizing that lightened her mood, and somehow the morning seemed brighter than normal.

“Hi Bea," said one of her regular customers as she passed him on the street.

She knew Mr. Connors pretty well, but he'd never spoke to her outside the Pickaxe before.

“Hi Mr. Connors. Hows that lawn mower blade doing?"

He chuckled. “Oh, just fine Bea. Just fine. Nice morning isn't it?"

“It is," she replied sincerely. “It really is."

Germ was waiting for her at the door.

“You know, Germ," she said as she unlocked the door, “You've got your own key. You can open up if you want."

Germ shrugged. “Thanks Bea, but it wouldn't be the same. You're looking awfully happy today. You feeling okay?"

Bea started switching on the lights. She wondered momentarily how much of her mood was due to her decision about the Pickaxe and her dad, and how much might be attributed to last night with Mae. That made her a little embarrassed when she remembered it, so she responded with her standard sarcasm.

“What, I can't have a good morning without something being wrong? Go clean up the bathroom till the truck gets here."

“Ah, that's better," Germ laughed and headed to the back room.

Mae dropped in around lunch time. Bea felt a smile coming over her and she fought to keep it down.

“Hi Mae," she said with as little enthusiasm as she could muster. It wasn't easy.

“Hi Bea! Where's Germ?"

“We got a load of hardware in. He's doing inventory back in the warehouse."

“You want me to help?"

“Na. Say, want to go to Taco Buck with me for lunch? I'll have Germ take over."

“Really? Sure!"

Bea opened the door to the warehouse.

“Germ? Me and Mae are going to the Taco Buck for lunch. Can you take over while we're out?"

Germ's head popped up from behind a stack of boxes.

“Sure! Can you bring me back a couple?"

“Will do."

Bea held the door for Mae and shut it behind her as they began to walk up the street.

“So, did you talk to your dad yet?"

“Na. We'll talk about it after work though. Wish me luck."

“Luck!"

Bea noticed Mae hadn't tried to hold her hand. Oddly she kind of missed that. It was, as Mae had figured, kind of awkward. Neither wanted to 'read to much into' last night. And in doing so they seemed more distant than they had been for months.

“Fuck it," Bea said, and took Mae's hand in her own.

Mea beamed.

“Well… I've gotten used to it." Bea explained lamely, though Mae's grin must have reflected in her own.

“Good! You buying?" Mae asked hopefully.

“You got any money?"

“Nope!" Mae replied, seemingly proud of her broke-ness.

“Then I guess I'll have to," Bea laughed.

At the Taco Buck, they put in their orders and sat waiting for their number to be called when Gregg and Angus walked in.

“Mae! Bea!" Gregg called and sat down with them.

“I'll order," Angus said, knowing Gregg had been distracted and wouldn't think about ordering for a good fifteen minutes.

“Wow! This is like old times at the Clik Clak! Why don't we get together much anymore? Hey, you want to go over there for pizza tonight?"

Bea shook her head. “Sorry Gregg, I've got something to do with my dad."

“So," Mae spoke up, “you guys packing yet?"

“Yeah. We started a week ago actually. Angus found an apartment in Bright Harbor that's less than our's here!"

“Really?", Bea said, impressed.

“Yeah. We're going to take a bus this weekend and go check it out. We'll be staying with my cousin overnight."

“You want me to drive you up instead?" Bea asked, almost surprised to hear the words coming out of her own mouth. She must really have been pent up, was all she could figure.

Angus sat down. “Would you really Bea? I mean… If you're offering…"

Bea sighed. She'd stuck her foot in it this time.

“No problem. Can you pay for gas though?"

“Still less than a bus ticket. How about it Mae? You wanna come too?"

“Sure!"

Bea's number was called and she got up to get their tacos. She looked at her three friends and sighed. Everything would be different without Gregg and Angus. She felt sure theirown relationship was doomed, but they sure looked happy now. Well, what did she know about such things anyway? And besides, just because a relationship might be doomed to failure in the end, was that really a reason not to pursue it? She looked at Mae. She seemed so animated around Gregg. They brought out the best and the worst in each other.

She brought the tacos back to the table.

“HOT SAUCE!" Gregg screamed and raced off to get the spiciest kind they had in the Taco Buck.

“Ghost Pepper!" he said, proudly displaying the lethal stuff when he got back.

Mae looked dismayed.

“Let me eat one without. Then when you get yours we'll see who can stand it the longest."

“Okay!" Gregg said.

Bea just shook her head.

Angus' number was called and they left to get their food.

“Hey Bea," Mae whispered in a mischievous tone.

Bea looked up.

Mae was licking one side of her taco. “Remind you of anything?"

“MAE!!!" Bea glared at her, but her face felt hot.

Mae broke out laughing and Bea let loose an involuntary snort that she quickly repressed.

“Mae, I swear if you so much as…"

“Shhh!" Mae hissed. “They're coming back."

The rest of the lunch passed as expected, though surprisingly it was Gregg that threw up first. They weren't actually banned from the Taco Buck though, so that was a net plus. However, Bea did slip the poor guy who had to mop up a five-dollar bill.