Demons and Magic

CHAPTER 7: You’re Hired

“So, let me get this straight. You were fired from your work?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“And … you’re blaming me?”

“Yes. Correct.”

“I don’t get it.”

“Well, to be fair you don’t get most things, but to sum it all up, this is all your fault.”

Alastair just sat there staring at Nathan like he’d just explained to her why he’s suddenly doing cartwheels in the middle of the road with a bikini on. They were in the middle of class — or rather, Nathan was. Alastair doesn’t do much anyway apart from distracting people from whatever nonsense people does in class these days.

“Why is it my fault?” she asked and made a face that convinced Nathan she could be properly demented.

“Uh … because you were following me all day? I don’t trust you not to make some really horrible thing to my boss so I can’t really let you meet him.”

“Well, if he just didn’t deserve it, then I probably wouldn’t do anything to him.”

“Look, Alastair,” Nathan paused and clenched his jaw tight, breathing in hard as he made sure that the teacher was not paying attention to any of them — as per usual — and leaned in, “when you were in Hell, it was probably alright for you to go and punish people. But you’re here now. You can’t just go beating people up as if you’re a thug. This is Earth. You’re dealing with people that are alive. If you continue doing this, one way or another, you’d end up in jail. And to be perfectly clear, I’m not going to help you. I don’t associate myself with criminals.”

A loud, but highly fake cough broke out from just behind Nathan and he slowly turned around, pretty sure that the entire class was now gazing their way. And sure enough, as he looked up into that familiar pointy face with the crooked nose and the thin-rimmed glasses, he saw his teacher staring down at him with one eyebrow raised.

“What may I ask were you talking to the new student about? It seemed urgent.” She was still gazing straight at him as though peering right through his soul, her thin lips barely moving.

Nathan turned to Alastair who was only staring at him blankly, not willing to help out with his misery.

“Uh … I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt the class. I was—”

“You didn’t answer my question,” the woman said again and lifted her head up even higher that Alastair feared she might develop a double chin at the back of her neck.

Nathan only scratched his head, not entirely sure if he should tell her about everything exactly as it is or if he’ll just have to leave out the fact that Alastair is a demon who’s out on a punishing spree.

“That’s it,” the teacher said and rapped a stick on top of his desk, signalling for him to stand up. “You and your friend, head out to detention immediately. After my class I want to see the both of you.”

“But—”

“No buts!” she hissed and took a step closer to him that he sat up immediately, hoisting Alastair up on her seat, too. “And to think that I thought very highly of you, Mr. Lee. Out of all forty of the students in this class, I liked you the best. You had great potential in you. But alas … maybe I was wrong.”

Nathan just hung his head in shame, not even knowing how to defend himself as she said the words because deep inside, he just knew that all of it was true.

He became reckless ever since that party at Jackson’s place. He forgot about his school, his work — his priorities, really, and all just because of Alastair. It was all because of that gray-eyed nuisance who had the face of an angel that was walking beside him right now as they headed straight for detention.

Her face doesn’t even show any signs of worry. Of course, why would she get worried? She’s a demon. She’s lived a thousand years already. All of the human stuff that people these days are all crazy about, to her, this was just child’s play.

And Nathan was worried. He’s worried that he might feel the same way about things as she does even though they both know that can’t be.

He’s only human.

···

“Have you had any experience in handling convenience stores before?” the store manager, a young-looking man with tousled wavy hair, asked as he let his eyes fix itself on Nathan.

He looks about just the age of twenty with his clean-shaven face and bright complexion. If it just weren’t for the dark circles under his eyes, he would be mistaken for someone younger.

“Yes, sir,” Nathan replied at his question and pushed forward his CV. “I worked for four months at a local convenience store before I was forced to transfer at a café. I also have experience doing deliveries for a Chinese restaurant as well as customer service for an auto shop.”

The guy nodded, looking a little impressed, and glanced down at a sheet of paper that contains his questions.

“You’re a student, right?”

“Yes, sir.”

“What’s your schedule?”

Nathan paused to think. “In the morning, my classes start at eight and then it ends at three in the afternoon. But we still have to attend club meetings or something for an hour and a half so we can only go home at 04:30.”

The guy nodded again, his lips pressed in concentration and glanced up at him. “Are you available from 6 PM to 10?” he asked, his eyes a little bleary and tired. “Actually, me and my sister always watches after the store. Me in the morning, and her at night since there aren’t a lot of customers, then. But since she got a job now, she said she needs her sleep. But I need mine, too.” He sighed. “And I still have night classes to attend to, so that’s why I’m looking for someone to work part-time.”

It was now Nathan’s turn to nod at the guy, his face lighting up at the thought that he would no doubt hire him. “I’m available at six to ten, sir.”

“Good.” He leaned back on his chair and glanced down at Nathan’s CV on the desk propped up in between them. “But, I have a question,” he started, leaning in again. “Is there a chance that you’re a runaway?”

Nathan’s eyebrows perked up and his mouth hung slightly open. “A runaway?” he repeated, blinking at the store manager.

“You know, someone who ran away from home.”

He laughed awkwardly at this, his eyes trailed on the guy as though he was about to ask him if it was a joke. “No way. If I actually had a decent home to run away from, why should I?”

“I can see that you live downtown and although you go to a public school, properties and even the apartments there are hella expensive. Your family must be pretty rich, then, for you to be able to afford that place. I mean, have you seen the cars parked out on the streets? And well, I don’t know much about the street you live in specifically, but it looks like a pretty fancy one to me.”

If Nathan could be any more uncomfortable that day, this was it. “Actually that’s not my place. I’m just renting out an apartment. And it’s not really that,” he paused, looking for the right word, and glanced out the glass wall where Alastair stood with a blank expression, “expensive. I think my landlady just felt sorry for me.”

“So, you’re not a runaway then?”

He quickly shook his head. “Yeah, not exactly. My mom knows where I am, but I have to stay here.”

“Ah, so did your mom kick you out, then?”

Nathan was starting to get irritated at all the questions the guy has been asking, but he reckons it’s just part of the interview. After all, he needs to know everything about the person he hires to prevent incidents where he trusts someone who is a complete stranger.

They might be planning a terrorist attack of some sort and is digging a tunnel underneath the store.

“No. I got accepted for a scholarship here and it was a pretty good deal so I was forced to leave my old city. The scholarship runs up to college so I can’t really refuse, you know?”

The guy’s mouth formed into an ‘o’ shape and slowly bobbed his head up and down at him, looking like a toddler that’s been told what the purpose of a hair dryer was. “I see. Bankruptcy, then?”

Nathan just forced out a smile, his lips pressed in a tight line.

“Well, then. You’re hired.” The guy stood up and extended his hand out for a shake. “You should work hard for your mother, okay? I can tell you’re a” — he glanced up and down at Nathan to get a good look of his face — “well, you don’t exactly look like a good boy, but I bet you’re pretty hard-working and completely trustworthy, too.”

Nathan just laughed at this, shaking the guy’s hand as he stood up. “Thank you, sir.”

“Hm, don’t call me ‘sir’.” He smiled. “Bryce is fine. Bryce Rancher. You can start tomorrow.”

He nodded enthusiastically, pleased for once to have talked to this person. “Noted,” he said and gestured to Alastair who was waiting impatiently outside that he has good news.

She just rolled her eyes at him.