for hairsprayed

[thefreak]

[ It feels like fate is a cruel mistress, because that is the only explanation for why Eddie is being forced to work this summer. Well, forced to work is maybe a bit of a stretch, because the main reason is his van's kind of broken down and he needs money to fix it, and it's a little bit hard to make money doing drug deals without a working van. He can't exactly take the bus to his usual rendezvous spots, after all. Nor could he bring his trusty lunchbox on said bus.

Somehow that led to whoring himself out at the shiny new mall, and landing him a job at Scoops Ahoy, the ice cream shop that thinks it's terribly clever for how many nautical puns it's come up with for each flavor of the week. But he needs this job, so he'll just have to deal with it somehow.

To add insult to injury, he just so happens to be working with Steve Harrington. While he is arguably very nice to look at, he can already tell that they're going to be miserable working together. Steve seems to be dead set on flirting with every pretty girl while Eddie is just struggling to memorize how to use the cash register.

Fuck capitalism. But, of course, he wants to prove that he's better than his father, so he'll stick it out, at least long enough that he can afford to take the damn van to the mechanic.

Which brings him here, to his first day having to wear the damn uniform. He walks out of the back room, Harrington already manning the front counter even though it's still too fucking early for anyone to be grabbing ice cream. He plops the silly little hat on the counter next to Steve before taking one of the elastics of his wrist to pull his hair up into a bun. ]

Well, I hope tattoos aren't against company policy, because there's no way in hell I'm covering these bad boys up, [ he says casually as he takes the hat and drops it back on his head. ]

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[hairsprayed]

[ Steve hadn't been thrilled to take the job at Scoops Ahoy either, but it was better than working for his father and far better than the lectures he'd get from his parents every time Steve asked for some money. There's something very wholesome about working this kind of job, if he thinks about it; the stupid uniform and smiling through customers abusing him feel like a rite of passage for those of his generation born without a silver spoon in their mouths, or those who have recently had it ripped out like Steve.

It could be worse. He could be working at Hot Dog on a Stick where the hats were bigger and the colors clashed horribly. The mall also isn't a horrible people to hit on babes, and Robin is pretty easy to work with, and Steve can't remember the last time there was anyone from upper management on his case about anything. Finding out that Eddie Munson, resident freak of Hawkins High, is Steve's new co-worked definitely puts him on edge, though. He remembers the guy yelling about non-conformity every time they had to do the Presidential Youth Fitness test in gym class, there was no way he'd willingly wear a sailor's uniform and scoop ice cream all day.

Except he does, at least on this first day. Steve is going to be keeping a count of how many days it takes for him to break and show up without his uniform and some stupid excuse about it falling down a well or something. ]

Man, I don't know. [ Looking Eddie over, Steve is surprised by his own opinion that he doesn't look half bad. Maybe it's because he's skinny as a pole and meanwhile Steve has already ripped a hole in one pair of shorts. ] Maybe you'll get points for looking like an actual sailor.

[thefreak]

( Steve is probably right to wonder how long Eddie will keep up being the obedient worker. It's simply not in his nature to blindly follow orders, especially when those orders come from the likes of Steve. In fact, if Eddie didn't need this job so badly he would probably have mouthed off at him by now.

But luckily for Steve, Eddie is saving that for when he can get away with it and hopefully still keep this damn job. He just needs to work here long enough to save up for the work he needs done on the van. )

Do they give points for that? Because hell, I'll get a fucking anchor tattooed on me if that'll get me a raise.

( He sighs as he slides up next to Steve, his back against the freezer, arms crossed across his chest. He just hopes this day goes by quickly and that he doesn't manage to get himself fired on the first day. Does Steve have firing power? Fuck, he hopes not, he'd probably find a reason to fire Eddie. )

So, boss, what am I learning today?

[hairsprayed]

No they don't give— There aren't points, this isn't like art class or whatever. We scoop ice cream and we get paid. And we wear the hats.

[ Grabbing Eddie's off of the counter, Steve holds it out to him. He doesn't like it, either, since it flattens his hair and pushes it back from his face in weird ways, but he wears it nonetheless. Since it has the Schoops Ahoy logo on top, at least it gives the impression that his whole ensemble is a uniform and not just a weird choice of outfits.

For a second, he's about to correct Eddie that Steve isn't his boss because no one is the boss, but he thinks better of it. If Eddie is going to listen to him better while under the impression that Steve has any kind of authority over him, it's probably for the best to keep that bit of power. Working with an anarchist is going to be hard enough as it is. ]

Guess we can start with scooping. They want nice round scoops that aren't too tightly packed.

[thefreak]

( Unluckily for Steve, Eddie is having the time of his life just torturing the poor guy by being blatantly obtuse. It's about the only thing right now that's going to take his mind off of how unfortunately good Steve looks in that damn uniform, while Eddie is sure he looks like a fool.

Which might be for the best. They are here to sling ice cream, not to flirt, and if Eddie could just tear his mind away from the gutter he might actually survive his first day on the job. )

Not too tightly packed. Got it, chief. ( That sounds almost entirely too vague, but if Eddie can get the hang of using the scooper then there may be hope for him yet. He just needs to keep reminding himself that he really needs this job.

He takes his own scooper strapped to his work apron and studies it for a moment before looking at Steve. ) Did you wanna demonstrate first or shall I give it a try myself, my liege?