Knives & Pens

Pandora knew Juliet still thought something was going on between her and Andy by the way Juliet looked at her, their ‘friendship’ got even worse and Juliet couldn’t even stand to be around her but had to show Andy how sorry she is she had to get along with Pandora. None of the guys trusted Juliet anymore, but they knew she was trying to show them how sorry she was like she was to Andy, but it wasn’t working for most of the guys. It was Wednesday morning and Andy was driving Pandora to work, her first job ever. She was beyond nervous, afraid she’ll mess it up.
“What if I fall?” Pandora asked him, he sighed.
“Why would you just fall?”
“I wouldn’t just fall, I mean what if I trip over something and fall?” Pandora said, Andy thought for a second.
“Watch where your going and you won’t fall.”
Pandora shook her head side to side. “Yeah, that is very helpful advice.”
“I thought it was, but no seriously Pandora. You’re going to do great! If something goes wrong, talk to the manager or something. It’s going to be fine.” Andy said, turning into the grocery store parking lot. This was the only place that Pandora received a phone call back, and she took it immediately. Instead of parking and walking Pandora inside, Andy pulled up to the door and looked at her. He wasn’t going to get out, he figured he’ll be attacked by possible fans inside.
“I can’t do this.” Pandora said, hiding her face in her hands.
“Yes you can, there’s nothing you can’t do!” Andy told her, grabbing her hands and pulling them away from her face. She looked at him and took a deep breath, Andy smiled softly.
“Call me on your break, and don’t get into trouble because I don’t want to come back here and whoop someone’s ass.” Andy said, Pandora laughed and shook her head side to side.
“Alright, talk to you later.” She said, she opened the passenger door and hopped out of the mustang and headed into the building. Andy sighed and waited until she was completely in the building before he drove off, he honestly didn’t want Pandora working because he wouldn’t be there just in case she needed him but they had a very, very, long conversation about it and Andy was suckered into agreeing.

Pandora entered the grocery store around 10:55 AM, she was immediately greeted by a woman that looked like she was in her late twenties and her tag introduced her as Faith the manager.
“I’m guessing you’re Pandora?” Faith said, Pandora nodded and shook her hand.
“Yes I am.”
“Great! So at first, I’ll start you off with bagging and see how you do. If that’s okay with you?” Faith said, Pandora nodded, really wishing she could use her voice more.
“That’s fine.”
Faith smiled and led Pandora over to a checkout line, she told the cashier whose name was Colin.
“Colin this is the new girl, Pandora. I’m going to leave her with you for the afternoon, you’ll train her.” Faith said, Colin nodded and smiled at Pandora. He was a little cute, but Pandora tried not to pay attention to his looks.
“Sounds good with me.” Colin said, Faith nodded and patted Pandora’s shoulder before walking off. “So, Pandora. Have you ever bagged before?”
Pandora shook her head side to side and swallowed hard. “No, this is my first job actually.”
“Oh, that’s not bad. But I am very sure you’ll do great, and if you need any help at all just ask.” Colin said with a smile, Pandora smiled and felt her cheeks heating up. She hated that she blushed for no reason at all, it was embarrassing and annoying. Pandora stood beside Colin, as he waited for a shopper to come down his line which was probably going to be soon. It was only eleven now, there wasn’t a lot of shoppers out at the moment.
“I feel like I’ve seen you before.” Colin said, reaching in his pocket and pulling out a pack of bubble mint gum.
“Really?” Pandora questioned, Colin nodded and stuck a piece of gum in his mouth and offered Pandora some but she shook her head side to side lightly.
“Yeah, somewhere. On TV? I don’t remember, but just to clear my mind, are you famous?”
“I wouldn’t consider myself famous, but I have posted some videos on Youtube, been in an interview and toured with a band.” Pandora said, Colin’s eyes widen.
“If that’s not famous, then I must be dumb. What band?”
“Their called Black Veil Brides.” Pandora replied, Colin had heard of the band a few times because of his little sister, who is a big fan of them. But personally, Colin wasn’t really into them as they weren’t his music type, but didn’t hate them.
“I’ve heard of them, I’m not a fan or anything but my little sister listens to them all the time.” Colin said, Pandora giggled soft.
“Oh, that’s cool. I’ve been a fan of them since I was fifteen.” Pandora said, Colin smiled.
“But that is pretty cool you got to tour with them, that’s a big deal. Only happens in fantasies.” Colin said, seeing a shopper approaching his line. He stood up straight and looked at Pandora as she is about to bag her first set of groceries, her heart was pounding and she was nervous and Colin could tell.
“Just think of it like your packing to go somewhere, you’ll get the hang of it.” Colin told her, she nodded and as Colin started to ring up the groceries she started to bag them. At first she wasn’t very good, but as the day continued she got the hang of it and acted as if she’s been bagging for years.





Pandora and Colin returned to the checkout line after their break, it was now around three and the grocery store was busy as usual. They were talking about bands, as they worked. Pandora was focused on bagging, and as soon as she heard a high pitch scream she jumped and dropped the eggs. Colin started to laugh at her, and she felt really embarrassed.
“Damn it.” Pandora said through her teeth, Colin smiled.
“It’s alright, hey Charlie! Will you go get another carton of eggs?” Colin said to a guy with dark shaggy brunette hair, he nodded and took off to get another carton of eggs. The woman didn’t see bother about it, she knew Pandora was frighten by the scream. Charlie returned with the eggs, and Colin rang them up and Pandora bagged them and placed them in the shopping cart. After the woman paid, she took the shopping cart and walked away.
“That was bad.” Pandora said, Colin rolled his eyes.
“Chick, that was the first thing you dropped. Don’t be so hard on yourself, but I wonder why that girl was screaming.” Colin said, Pandora looked up and saw a very tall, dark figure walking around with a bunch of girls behind it.
“I’m guessing that’s why.” Pandora said, pointing to the figure. Colin followed her point, and figured it was some celebrity but it didn’t make sense for a celebrity to be at a grocery store.
“Huh, that’s weird.” Colin mumbled, looking back at Pandora.
“Pandora!!” Yelled a male’s voice, Pandora followed the voice and saw Jake running towards her.
“Jake!!” Pandora said, he reached her and pulled her into a tight hug.
“What’s up?”
“Working, what are you doing here?” Pandora said.
“Well, we came by to see you and pick up a few things with Andy. But we lost him in the crowd.” Jake said, Pandora looked at him.
“What do you mean ‘we”?”
Jake pointed over to the fruit and vegetable place, and Pandora saw CC, Ashley and Jinxx walking around as people took pictures.
“That’s what I mean.” Jake said, Pandora smiled.
“Oh, Jake this is Colin. Colin this is the lead guitarist for Black Veil Brides, Jake.” Pandora said introducing them, Jake shook his hand and said “Hi” but that was mostly all he had to say.
“So, how are you doing on your first day?” Jake asked, Pandora shrugged her shoulders and before she could answer, someone did for her.
“She’s doing great, and she better not think differently.” Said the deep voice Pandora could recognize anywhere, she looked over and saw Andy standing there and his shopping cart half filled. Colin started to ring up the groceries, and Pandora started to bag. Ashley suddenly appeared with a smile on his face, watching Pandora bag Andy’s groceries.
“You look hot doing that.” Ashley commented, Andy gave him a “I’m going to hurt you” look.
Jake slapped his arm. “Dude, seriously, she’s focusing. Don’t bother her.”
It wasn’t long until she had all the groceries bagged and put in the shopping cart, and Andy was all smiles.
“Why didn’t you call me?” Andy asked her, Pandora had totally forgot.
“Oh crap, I’m sorry, I forgot.”
Andy raised his eyebrows and looked at Colin, then back towards her. “Yeah sure, I’ll believe that for right now.”
Pandora knew where he was getting at and felt her cheeks turn red, Jake chuckled.
“Andrew, it’s not like that!”
Andy nodded and grabbed his shopping cart. “Oh yeah, totally not like that. I’ll see you later.” Andy said, he stopped and leaned down and kissed her cheek then kept on walking. Jake hugged her bye, and so did Ashley right after he gave Colin a warning overprotective big brother look. Jinxx and CC waved Pandora bye as they followed Andy outside, once they were gone Pandora felt totally embarrass.
“Sorry about that.” Pandora apologized, Colin chuckled.
“It’s cool, they seem pretty protective over you.”
Pandora nodded. “They are.”
Colin smiled and so did Pandora, they both got back to work so they wouldn’t get in trouble and finished the day at six. Colin walked Pandora outside, to see Andy’s mustang sitting there already waiting. Colin didn’t know how long he’s been waiting there, but Colin felt awkward when he told Pandora bye and headed off to his truck. Pandora hopped inside the mustang and put on her seat belt before Andy drove off, she was tired honestly.
“You like him.” Andy said randomly out of the blue, Pandora looked at him in shock.
“I do not!” She protested, Andy gave her a look and Pandora knew she had lost.
“I’ll believe it for now.” Andy told her, yes honestly he felt a bit jealous.
“I don’t like him Andy, I just met him a few hours ago.” Pandora told him, Andy didn’t ask much else about it. The rest of the conversation was about her first day, and even though the topic was changed, Andy still didn’t feel like he could trust the guy she worked with. Not yet anyways…


They returned home, and Pandora headed straight inside to the couch where she crashed down. Andy chuckled, and laid his keys and phone down on the coffee table.
“Don’t go to sleep yet, you have to eat dinner.” Andy said, Pandora groaned.
“But I don’t want to eat, I want to sleep.”
Andy rolled his eyes and pulled her up to sit up straight. “You’re going to eat, even if I have to force you to eat.”
It was so easy to lose against Andy, you just always lost in anyway possible. The three of them ate before seven, and before it was nine thirty Pandora had passed out of the couch with her head in Andy’s lap.
“Is she asleep?” Andy whispered, looking at Juliet who sat in the recliner. She looked at Pandora, with an uncaring expression and nodded. Andy sat there for a second, trying to figure out how he was going to get Pandora upstairs to her bed without waking her up. He took a chance and slid his hands under her and lifted her up into his arms, she continued to sleep but wrapped her arms around Andy’s neck barely. He carried her out of the living room and carefully upstairs, when he reached her bedroom he was so glad the door was open or there was no way he’ll get the door open without an extra hand. He laid her down on her bed, and covered her up with a soft blanket since he couldn’t cover her with the comforter. Pandora still slept peacefully, and Andy smiled once he left the bedroom. He headed back downstairs into the living room where he laid down on the couch, he was tired himself, but couldn’t take a nap once Juliet started a conversation.
“What are we Andy?” She asked.
“What do you mean?” Andy asked her in confusion.
“Are we boyfriend and girlfriend, or just friends?” Juliet asked, Andy shrugged his shoulders.
“I don’t know, I haven’t asked you out again.. So I guess we’re just friends..” Andy replied, Juliet nodded and was silent for a second.
“And you and Pandora?”
“Juliet I told you, we’re best friends. That’s it. There’s nothing going on between us, I’m not secretly dating her, I haven’t kissed her, I don’t sleep with her. Nothing is going on, me and her are just friends. That’s it.” Andy told her, he was honestly getting frustrated with Juliet and her questions about him and Pandora. Every question she asked, made Andy feel uncomfortable and the feelings for Pandora to return.
“Sorry, I’m just asking.”
“What makes you think I’d just start secretly dating her? If I started to date her Juliet, you would know. I wouldn’t keep it from you.” Andy told her, Juliet swallowed hard as tears filled her eyes.
“I keep asking because I know how much you like her, and how much she likes you. And I know how easy it would be to lose you to her.” Juliet said as tears rolled down her cheeks, Andy just looked at her, unsure of what to say. The living room was filled with an awkward silence, and Andy had no idea what to say. He sat up straight and looked at Juliet, watching her wipe away her tears.
“You won’t lose me to her Juliet, but I can’t promise you won’t lose me to someone else.” Andy told her, Juliet nodded and knew he was right. But she was definitely not going to lose him to Pandora…

Notes