Free Draw

When Sierra came to work that day, she found the pantry cabinet open. Checking who was inside to say hi, she found Cyrus rearranging some of the food.

"Whatcha doing?" she asked, Cyrus, stumbling back from his squatting position.

"Oh, it's you." Cyrus went back to organizing the pantry. "Agate is missing again. He isn't in the pantry, so I'm rearranging some things to make sure he doesn't nap here again."

Cyrus stood, wiping his hands as if done with his work. Sierra would have to reorganize it later or see if Shasta blew up at Cyrus for messing up the pantry. He wasn't as protective of the pantry as he was with the kitchen, but it could get close sometimes.

"Now for the breakroom."

Cyrus moved past Sierra, who followed behind. Oliver wasn't under the table. Rather than check the attic, which seemed like the next rational thing, Cyrus went to the men's locker room. He pulled open the door and peeked inside.

"What the hell!" Came Shasta's voice. Sierra surprised that Cyrus hadn't recruited Shasta for the search.

"It's me, Rainier. Have you seen Agate?"

"No?"

Cyrus nodded, "No Agate here," Cyrus announced before shutting the door.

"Well as the manager I did my job. If you see him around, send him to me," ordered Cyrus as he left the breakroom.

"What do you need to see him for?"

"The rent. He's living here again since Sonata's sister is in town. We haven't discussed the new rent yet."

Cyrus waved Sierra off as he retreated to his closet. Sierra wasn't exactly sure what he did with the part of Oliver's fees that had gone to rent, but she had various ideas. Corporate, not even Frank, knew of Oliver's residency at the restaurant.

Sierra continued to the girls’ changing room. She opened her locker, pulling out her work clothes in exchange for her bag. Sierra was about to change when she noticed one of the lockers wasn't completely shut. She set her work clothes down on the bag and moved over to close the locker. The door wouldn't shut. She opened it to see what was keeping it open, to find Oliver squished inside the large locker, fast asleep. Usually, she would have woken and dragged him out. But work hadn't started and she had not checked in yet, so it was not her business at the moment. Maybe after she had changed, she would drag him out. But she did not want to change in the same room as a man. So she tiptoed to her locker and grabbed the clothes to change in the bathroom. Or even the boys’ room if Shasta had left. She entered the breakroom to see the boys’ changing room was open, so Shasta must have gone.

She was about to walk over when she noticed the whiteboard pen hanging from it. With a brilliant idea forming in her head, she took the marker and went into the girls’ changing room. She opened the locker. Oliver was still dead asleep as when she had last seen him. She uncapped the marker then proceeded to draw on his face. Or at least the part that was available due to the bangs covering one side. Drawing on him was much better than Cyrus' option. Once satisfied with the work, she left the room, placing the marker back on the whiteboard and then going to the boys’ room to change.

When she had finished, she returned her clothes to her locker, satisfied that Oliver hadn't moved. Sierra left the break area to check in at the front, then head to the kitchen to wash her hands in the sink.

"That took a while," commented Shasta, not bothered by her delayed arrival.

"Just having a little fun," she commented as she dried her hands.

They heard the back door open. Sierra was looking into the hallway to see Anita had arrived. Cyrus opened his door to talk, probably about the lack of Oliver sightings this morning. Anita nodded and headed for the breakroom.

"Still having fun?" asked Shasta.

"Yeah, Anita's here now. Did you guys make out after your fight?"

"Yes, we made UP."

Sierra nodded, not paying his slip up any mind. She continued to look in the breakroom, waiting for Anita to say something. When she heard a high-pitched scream, Shasta bolted from the kitchen with a ladle, prompting Cyrus to jump out of the woodwork. Sierra followed after him to see Anita in the corner of the room protected by Shasta. Oliver had fallen out of the locker, looking more like a dead body than a sleeping person. Cyrus squatted down, turning over Oliver's face to see the mark. Cyrus glared at Sierra, who tried to look disinterested. Cyrus turned back to the body and pulled Oliver by the ponytail.

"Wake up, sleeping beauty," he growled as he pulled Oliver out of the room, waking him up.

"Ow, ow, please stop, please stop," Oliver begged as Cyrus dragged him off. To the bathroom or his office, Sierra wasn't sure.

"You alright?" asked Shasta. Sierra looked to see Anita still shaking from the encounter and Shasta facing her. The two rather close in proximity.

"Y-yes, he surprised me when I tried to close the locker. He fell out."

"At least you're okay."

Shasta was about to pull Anita's hair off her face when they remembered Sierra. They both looked over to see her watching. Shasta clenched his fist and marched out of the locker room, his face turning red as he headed back to the kitchen. When Sierra looked back to Anita, the girl's cheeks were pink.

"You know, you should make out with him."

"M-make out?!" Anita's cheeks turned bright red.

"Yeah, you two fought, so you should make out."

Anita's cheek color returned to normal as she realized what Sierra was saying.

"We already made out… UP."

Anita closed the changing room door and Sierra returned to work. She could hear cries of pain from Oliver as he tried to wash the expo marker off.

"Well, you'll be happy to know that Anita is willing to make out with you soon," teased Sierra. Shasta started prepping the food faster than before.

"I told you, we already made UP."

"Sure, whatever you call it."