Nights at Fredina's and then some!

Interlude #2

"Second day on the job and you're already tired?"

It was 12 PM and the first thing Ellis didn't need when he woke and headed down to the complex's dining hall was his uncle's teasing. "Old man. I just woke up."

"Old man I might be, your landlord still will be," Ben said as he ate his salad. "Speaking of, how much are you earning in that place? And what are your days off?"

Ellis sighs. "Funny enough. I forgot to ask how much, and my coworker told me that my day off might be the weekend."

"Pah! Bad of you for not asking." Ben huff.

"In my defense, getting the bomb dropped that I was hired on the stop is at fault." Ellis pointed out.

"But a blessing in disguise it was!" Ben cheered. "I always believed in you to find a job, whatever it was and it wasn't gangster related."

"Well...I'm just glad it's not much." Ellis sighs, "The boss has been nice to me, and my coworkers are all...3/4 been nice."

In an instant, Ben snapped his head and held his pump shotgun. "Tell me their name and I'll go say hi."

"Drop Daisy and turn off the Doom Music." Ellis deadpanned, making his uncle tsk out as he turned off his speaker. "Besides, she's just been cautious after a few...let's put nice and say 'sexual harassment treatment' and leave it at that.

Ben blinked a few times before slowly putting Daisy under the table, returned his hands up, placed them on the table, and sported a mafia boss expression. "So...is a girl-"

"Drop the suave matchmaker. She's WAY off my league, and I would rather have my still functional body healthy and not be dismantled."

"Tch! Killjoy!" Ben's entire attitude flopped. "But seriously. Very bad?"

"Don't know. Won't ask." Ellis said. "Just enough to know that she will keep an eye on me for a while."

"...Well, you are soon to be 18, if that's your decision, I won't bother much," Ben said. "However, if she ever dares to hurt you, just say the world."

Ellis waved his hand as he stood up, "Sure."

"Also...You have a gift from your cousin." Ben said as he brought a wrapped-up gift to the table

"Nelson did?" Ellis looked up in surprise. "How is he?"

"He's fine and dandy. Told him you got a job and got all A in your grades." Bed chuckled. "Call it your well-earned reward."

Ellis took the gift and began to unwrap it, his eyes becoming dots when he saw what it was. "What the fuck?! Is this a 2035 AlienWare Gaming PC?!"

"Latest in the market."

"MARKET!?" Ellis stared at him in horror. "Is the newest version of the PC Gaming in 2024! This thing cost at least 4,000! Where did Nelson get that money?!"

Ben shrugged. "He just said that he had a good job and good friends."

Ellis twitched his eyes hard. "Yeah, sure. Because a guy who started his 'Churro' business a year ago has made enough money to buy the brand new device that came out like a month ago. Makes perfect sense."

"Ah, shut up and accept it, rascal!" Ben yelled out. "It's just proof of how much he loves and cares for you! Go and waste your life in it already!"

"Fine! I will!" Ellis huffed as he grabbed the box with his left arm. "Thanks a lot!"

"Tell that to your cousin, brat!"

In five minutes, Ellis had entered his room...and immediately dashed to the table where he took out the laptop, plugged everything in, and turned it on. "Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" His squeals were escaping as the laptop flashed in, showing a normal-looking background. "Damn it, Nelson! Next time I see you, I'm giving you the biggest hug in the world...provided that I don't punch you for wasting almost five thousand dollars!" He quickly placed his left finger on the moving mouse and searched for what to do.