A month passed and slowly but surely, Croy began loosening up. A few days prior, I swear he even cracked a joke during drill practice. It wasn't a very good one, but he made the effort. Lunch time during school became easier and more comfortable as I got to know everybody a little better. As long as I avoided the forbidden topic, everything was fine.
Everybody had a routine and I gratefully settled into it. It gave me a sense of familiarity to have a set schedule. I spent most of my free time sewing with Myra or learning about make-up with Allison. Eventually, I completed my third month at Camp Red Lake.
The days began getting shorter and the air fresher as September rolled around. On this day I was clearing the field with Croy, when Sargent butt-face made an appearance.
"Uh-oh, fuck-wad at 6 o'clock." Croy mumbled as Scaggot approached me from behind.
"Can I help you?" I asked, placing a hand on my hip. He narrowed his eyes before tossing me an apron.
"You're on kitchen duty for a week." He informed me smugly.
"What? Kitchen duty? Why!?" I asked as I studied the stained apron.
"Did you forget about your little outburst when you first arrived?" He asked, rubbing his cheek at the memory.
"How could I forget? It has been the only highlight of my stay so far." I taunted.
"Watch it Gallego!" He hissed, getting in my face.
"Hey, back off!" Croy snapped before stepping between us. He was notably taller than Scaggot, but that didn't seem to intimidate the self-absorbed Sargent.
"Since you love babysitting so much, I brought one for you too." He informed with a smirk as he tossed Croy another apron. "I told you it wasn't over." He said smugly before turning around and making his way back to the office.
Croy groaned loudly as he stared down at his apron. "I'm starting to realize that being your friend is going to be an exhausting task."
"Sorry." I apologized sheepishly. "So, we have to help out the school cafeteria?" I asked as we finished putting away all the work-out equipment. Croy shook his head.
"No, kitchen duty means we have to help serve the meals in the main hall, once a day." I groaned. The main hall was where everybody ate their meals when we weren't at school.
"But the MH suucks!" I whined as I helped him drag all the stuff to the storage shed. "And I assume the kitchen isn't any better!" Croy shook his head.
"Nope, it's humid, cramped and everyone is always cranky. Not to mention we have to plate up more than four hundred meals at any given point." I shot him an annoyed glance.
"You know, you're not exactly helping!" I scolded.
"Me? This is all your fault Ms. attitude!" He chastised before sticking his tongue out at me. I reciprocated causing a small scoff to escape his lips. "In any case, we should get going, tomorrow we have to be up early to serve breakfast. I'll meet you by the main hall at 06:00 hours." He said before draping the apron over his shoulder and walking back to his cabin.
The following morning I stood out-side the main hall, waiting patiently for my partner. The morning air was chilly. I rubbed my arms as I shivered. "Cold?" Croy's voice startled me.
"Morning." I muttered as I hugged myself.
"Let's go inside before you catch something." He motioned with his head for me to follow. Croy led the way behind the building to the employee entrance. A wave of humid air blasted us as soon as we opened the door. A small clipboard hung by the entrance, along with a box of gloves, and a bag of hairnets.
"Don't forget to sign in!" Croy shouted over the noise of the dishwasher. I nodded and quickly wrote my name down on the list.
"What's that sign-in sheet for?" I asked as I grabbed a pair of gloves and a net.
"That's how the warden will keep track of the days you work." He said before slipping the hairnet over his shaggy locks. "What's so funny!?" he snapped when he caught me giggling.
"You look really silly." I snickered as he tied the blue apron around his neck.
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up." He huffed as he slipped on his gloves.
"Are you my two service workers for the week!?" A short lady with red hair asked as she chopped onions. I nodded.
"How are you Katie?" Croy asked as she put down her knife and led us across the kitchen.
"Very good sweetie, it's nice to have you back in the kitchen. This kid was one of my biggest helpers when he first arrived." She told me with a smile.
"Oh really?" I asked intrigued.
"Oh yea! He was a shrimpy kid, scrawny and moody, but I suppose that hasn't changed huh?" She chuckled.
"Katie!" Croy whined in a disapproving tone, causing her to laugh even more.
"I can't wait to hear more." I enthused, causing Croy to groan.
"Maybe a little later darling, right now I need you in the front of the line, pouring chili in trays." She said as she handed me a hairnet too. I shoved my locks inside as she took my arm and showed me where to stand. "Just take this ladle and pour one full serving into this compartment on the tray. Croy, I need you to slice the sourdough for me." Croy nodded and walked over to the cutting counter to get to work.
The hours sped by. When we finally got a chance to breathe and take a break, the breakfast rush was over. We used our breaks to go to the restroom and to eat. I glanced at Croy who was leaning against the counter, reading a magazine and munching on some chili-dipped bread. I smiled to myself as I studied him. He looked so out of place, yet he seemed so at ease. When distracted, his features softened, making him look a bit...innocent.
"Handsome, isn't he?" Another lady that worked in the kitchen asked as she walked by with a bag of shredded cheese. She was also kind of short and she had her honey locks tied up in a bun beneath the net.
"I-I didn't say anything!" I stammered, my cheeks heating up. She rolled her eyes.
"It's okay my dear, I can tell you agree by the way you stare." She smiled before putting the bag on the counter next to me.
"I wasn't staring!" I protested, my cheeks inflamed. She laughed.
"I can tell you're shy, but there's no need to worry, we won't tell him anything. Men are dense, especially young men like him. They're incapable of seeing past their nose!" I couldn't help but laugh at her comment, causing Croy to glance in my direction. I shifted my gaze timidly towards my feet, afraid he would see the blush on my cheeks.
"What's your name dear?" She asked as she put on a clean pair of gloves.
"Hazel." I replied timidly.
"What a beautiful name. I like you. You seem genuine, without malice. I definitely like you way better than the other snake he dated." My heart cringed uneasily.
"Dated?" I asked curiously.
"Yeah, the girlfriend he had before you, there's something really wrong with that girl..." She trailed off before opening the bag and tossing it into a huge mixing bowl with wheels.
"Oh, I'm not his girlfriend." I corrected as I stole another glance at him.
"Really? Well that's a shame, you two would make a beautiful couple!" She mused before pushing the mixing bowl away. I stared down at my dirty boots for a few seconds.
"Hey!" I hissed as Croy threw a small piece of sourdough at me. "What was that for!?" I asked as I picked it off the floor.
"To wake you up, you looked like you were falling asleep standing there." I furrowed my brows as I grabbed one of the grapes I was eating and tossed it at him.
"Ow! Hey that could've hit me in the eye!" He scolded. I stuck my tongue out at him, which prompted him to throw another piece of bread. Next thing you know, a miniature food fight broke out between us. Croy ducked behind the counter as I sent grapes barreling towards him and I used a serving tray to block flying pieces of bread.
"Achem!" Katie cleared her throat loudly when she returned. "Young man! How dare you waste food, I thought I taught you better than that! Clean this up before you go, your shift is over for today!" She scolded. Croy pressed his lips into a thin line as he fought back his laughter.
"Sorry Katie." He apologized as she walked away. When she was gone, we both burst out laughing. "Okay, let's get this place cleaned before Katie throws us in the soup!" He exclaimed, I nodded and got back to work.
That afternoon when I arrived at the cabin, Myra accompanied me down to the Lake to wash my clothes. "So how was your first day of service?" She asked as we scrubbed our garments. An unwilling smile spread across my face as I remembered our food fight.
"It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be."
(A/N: I think someone's getting rather comfortable with her drill partner, don't you? Don't forget to vote if you guys liked the chapter, kisses. Fallen out :p)