Calum sat on the top of the freezer staring at the busy park. Business was slow as usual even though the park was busy. He had sold some ice cream but only had made about $5. 99 in the past four hours. He received $250 every month for running the truck and half the money he collects is his but he still hates his job. He hates how he fails to make a fair payment when splitting the rent cost. He hates the looks he gets driving around a bright pastel pink and blue truck with a gigantic ice cream cone attached to the roof. He hates the stupid blue apron he has to wear with the ugly smiling ice cream cone.
Calum especially hates the hat that fucks up his hair each day. The hat is too small for his head. It use to have a wobbly ice cream cone on top but after his roommates endless jokes he ripped it off. He took off his cap and groaned leaning back on the wall. Calum was basically dying from boredom when a light knock was heard on the side of his truck. Calum sat up and hopped down from the freezer realizing he had a customer. He peeked out the window at the boy. His hair was scruffy and tousled. He wore a pair of sunglasses and a heavy jean jacket. Calum froze. He realized who it was. He was Louis Tomlinson.
Louis looked at him and gave him a soft smirk. “Is your ice cream vegan? ” Louis asked softly. Calum had never noticed how scruffy and drawn out Louis’s voice was. Calum was dumbfounded by the odd question. Calum raised an eyebrow leaning down on the countertop. “Ya’ know. No animal products. ” Louis continued to elaborate. Calum frowned. “It’s an ice cream shop not a burger joint. ” Calum grumbled. Louis frowned back at him leaning onto the counter peeking into the truck. Calum never dreamed that he would want to smack Louis Tomlinson square in the jaw. It was tempting to say the least.
To Calum Louis Tomlinson never seemed like the kind of celebrity to be stuck up but here he was asking for vegan ice cream. He knew his roommates didn’t think much of the boys from One Direction. Michael likes to refer to them as the reason for adolescent girls sexual awakening while Ashton refers to them as the demise of creativity. Calum never payed attention to their music he rather payed attention to his own. He figured Michael was just horny (since he is the only bisexual one in the band) and Ashton was just being a jackass. He never met any of the boys from One Direction before but he knew who they were.
He shifted his focus back on Louis who was still scanning the menu. “Can I see one of your popsicles? ” He asked. Calum shrugged. “I don’t know, are they vegan? ” Calum teased with a smirk. Louis rolled his eyes. Calum turned to the freezer digging out an unopened box of popsicles. He was surprised he even still had them. The customers usually ordered ice cream not frozen water on a stick. He handed Louis the box so he could read the nutrition information. He waited as Louis scanned the box. Growing impatient Calum let out a loud sigh. He didn’t care if Louis was God, the president, or his own mother.
Louis was annoying the shit out of him and Calum was ready to close up for the day. “I’m 100% sure colored frozen water on a wooden stick is fine to eat. ” Calum grumbled. Louis rolled his eyes handing the box back to Calum. Louis glanced back at the menu looking for the price of the popsicle. “You don’t have great service here. ” Louis grumbled fishing out change from his pocket. Calum shrugged. Taking the change from Louis. “Color? ” Calum asked. Louis leaned on the counter peaking into the truck. “White. ” Louis smirked. Calum glared at him. “Ok you can have orange. ” Calum grumbled.
He passive aggressively handed the orange popsicle to Louis. Louis looked back at the park and groaned. “Fucking hell! ” Louis hissed shoving his wallet back into his pocket. Calum looked out to where Louis was looking. What almost looked like a mob was beginning to form. Calum felt bad. Even though Louis was a grade A ass hole he didn’t want Louis to get attacked by the paparazzi and he certainly did not want pictures of him in his dumb ice cream hat serving Louis Tomlinson. Louis spun back to Calum and leaned over the counter. “Listen, i’ll give you $100 if you let me in your truck. ” Louis whispered.
Calum bit his lip. If the company caught him driving Louis Tomlinson around he would be fired for sure. Louis looked at him with pleading eyes and Calum sighed giving in. “Doors in the back. ” Calum sighed. Louis hurried to the back of the truck hopping in. Louis’s eyes scanned the truck. He had never seen the inside of an ice cream truck before. It was eerily similar to how he imagined it. One side was lined with metal freezers. One side had a small tray with below the window that opened to the customers. The boy climbed to the front of the truck and sat in the driver’s seat. “Just sit back there so they don’t follow.
Don’t touch anything. ” Louis nodded and did as the boy said. The boy tumbled with the keys and started the van up. Louis took a look at the boy. He had to be at least 18. His face was young though. He had darker tanned skin and dark brown bushy hair. His brown eyes looked up glancing at Louis through the rearview mirror. Louis quickly looked away so it didn’t seem like he was staring. He unwrapped his popsicle so it didn’t melt and took a lick. The boy cleared his throat before looking back at the road “What’s your name? ” Louis asked. “Calum. ” He replied. Louis nodded making a noise acknowledging Calums answer.
He continued to munch on his popsicle as Calum drove. The ride was quiet. Calum wasn’t a fan of small talk. Out of boredom Louis’s eyes began to drift around the truck at the random knick knacks Calum kept in the truck. Louis had left most of his clutter back home in england so was like eye spy to Louis. A plastic snow globe with a penguin surfing sat on a tiny shelf beside a plastic green alien. Below along to his spare work apron hung a tacky bucket hat with an Australian flag patch on it. He noticed a bobble head. Taking a closer look he noticed the figure was Billie Joel Armstrong, the guitarist of Green Day.
Louis liked Green Day so that made him smile to himself. He stared at the cardboard box under the knick knacks wondering what hid inside. Once Calum pulled off to a gas station to fill up the truck and pick up a few things inside Louis decided he could snoop. Louis crawled over to the box and opened the flap. He picked up the stack of Cds. All albums he knew Nevermind by Nirvana, American Idiot by Greenday, A Night At The Opera by Queen, Good Charlotte’s Greatest Hits. Louis reached the bottom of the stack but didn’t recognise the four two albums. Each cd was enclosed in a clear plastic case with writing on the front.
The first said ‘Unplugged by 5 Seconds of Summer’ the second read ‘Something Here by 5 Seconds of Summer’. They were all by 5 Seconds Of Summer. Louis flipped the album over reading the songs to himself. ‘I Gotta Get Out, I Miss You, Jasey Rae, Too Late’. Before Louis could get a closer look at the second album Calum had returned and looked slightly annoyed. He set down the plastic bag. Louis hadn’t even heard him enter the truck. “Why you touching my stuff? Are you still looking for vegan ice cream? ” Calum hissed snatching the album’s away from Louis.
He tossed the albums behind him into the passenger’s seat. Louis nervously ran his hand though his hair. “I could honestly just kick you out of my truck and scream your name and watch you get ambushed by preteens but i’m not a piece of shit. ” Calum spat. Louis sighed. “Sorry just naturally curious. ” Louis sighed. Calum sighed setting the plastic bag in the back of the truck. He made his way back to the front and moved the albums from the side seat. “If you put my hat on you can sit up here. Nobody will know. ” Calum said. Louis nervously put the blue cap on over his hair and climbed into the front seat.
He felt slightly stupid in the ice cream hat but he didn’t really care much since he was in a more comfortable seat. Calum drove quietly down the road. “Where do you want me to take you? ” Calum asked. “Ugh could you take me to my apartment? ” Louis asked nervous Calum would say no. “Wheres it at? ” Calum asked. ““West side. ” Louis said. Calum nodded. His house was close to Louis’s but he didn’t mind. Ten minutes of silence passed and Louis felt awkward. He wondered if Calum did too. “You can put on some music. ” calum mumbled. Louis grinned. He picked up one of the albums. “Can we listen to this? Louis asked holding up the album titled 5 Seconds Of Summer. Calum rolled his eyes. “Eine knock yourself out. ” Calum grumbled gripping the wheel. The two boys drove in silence as Amnesia played peacefully in the background. Louis looked at the cd case confused. “What is the name of this song? ” Louis asked. “Everything We Didn’t Say. ” “Never heard it. ” “Many haven’t. ” “It’s a good song. ” “Well aware. ” “Who is in this band? ” Louis asked. Calum tensed up. “You sure ask a shit load of questions. ”
Calum mumbled. Louis blushed. He was quiet for the rest of the ride till they pulled into the parking lot. It’s my me and my friends band. It was one of our first songs. ” Calum finally answered before ejecting the cd. Louis handed him back the ice cream hat. “I like the music. It’s original. ” Louis said. Calum shrugged popping the cd back in the case. “Here you can keep it. We have lots of copies. ” Calum handed the cd to Louis. Louis grinned taking the cd. He shoved the case in his pocket and thanked Calum before making his way inside. He took one last look at Calum and his pastel ice cream truck. A cold chill ran over him as the kiwi boy drove away. He hoped they would bump into each other again one day.
