Masked heroes of Earth

Jinx took a drag from her cigarette as Peyton came out with the garbage. “I’ve still got two whole hours, Drum. Which means you have three.” She said and flicked the cigarette on the ground and stomped it out. She leaned against the wall. She knew she should stop. It was a nasty habit that she shouldn’t have even started but she was having a real hard time. It was really a whole year since that day. The day her whole life literally went up in flames. She didn’t know what but something about today just felt...off. It was like that static in the air when a fight’s about to jump off. It was freaky. She decided she should ignore it but the feeling was buzzing in the back of her mind. “Hey, We had practice today, right. I’m totally freaking out, I need to take my mind off of...it.” She asked him. He knew what happened to her, everyone in the band knew what happened. They’d been dating at the time but after everything, She wasn’t really herself. Something changed and they felt they were better as friends so there was no hard feelings.

Peyton finished tossing out the trash as he tried to confront her issue. “Look… what happened to you was horrible,” he started “and what ever really happened that day. It wasn’t your fault.” He walked over and stood next to her. “It was a freak accident, and you shouldn’t let it mess with you. I know they were your parents, and that even though they were hard on you they didn’t deserve what happened to them. It’s in the past now.” He placed his hand on her shoulder, “need to leave it there.”
Peyton went back inside and the door almost came to a shut behind him when the boss poked her head through the door. “Hey,” she said to Jinx, “Just got off the phone with the maintenance guy, he needs to work on our roof. He asked if someone could hold his ladder to get up. Just wait out here for him to get here.”
Minutes went by before the maintenance man pulled up. He first drove past Jinx then backed up to where the back of the van faced the wall of the building. The man climbed out driver seat and walked around the van to grab his ladder. “Hey, hows it going?” the clean shaven black haired man said with a smile. His voice was chipper, but somewhat quiet. He wore glasses and looked to have a few pounds on him. He grabbed the ladder and set it up. He opened up the back of the van and gathered his tools. “Shoot!” He said, “Damn tool box spilled out everywhere.” As he collected the tools he talked to Jinx. “Sorry about this, I swear I wont keep you from your job longer than I have to.” He picked up a few tools and tossed them into the box. “My names Rick by the way,” You can hear the twang of a slight country accent. “And you are?” He extended his hand to shake it.

Jinx nodded at Peyton. "Okay, Yea, your right." She said quickly and he disappeared inside. Shortly after her boss poked through the doors. Jinx fought the urge to groan. "Yes...because I want look up at some old crusty guy's ass all day..." She muttered under her breath. She waited with her back against the store wall. She took deep breaths to calm her nerves. The guy arrived. She gave him raised eyebrows instead of a proper greeting. She couldn't help think. If this guy falls on me, I'm Texas Toast. She watched him fumble with his tools with her arms folded and her leg propped up on the wall. She shrugged. "I get paid by the hour. Take your time." She said dryly. She frowned curiously as he approached her with an open hand. "Jinx." She said plainly and gave him a quick shake . She wasn't much of a people person so he should be glad for that. She folded her arms and looked up at the roof. "This place is like a broken window away from being condemmed...I don't know why they bother."

Jinx shrugged. "Sure it could be fixed but the question is; Should it be." She said after holding his ladder. Once he said he was good and that she could go. She waved him a two fingers wave and headed inside. She felt so uncomfortable around him. There was something strange about him. Something she couldn't place. He looked normal enough.

She arched an eyebrow at Peyton. She gave a small laugh as she watched them leave the store. She wondered what they were looking at her for. Granted the way she dressed, her piercings and her four feet long dreadlocks, she got looks all the time but theirs was different somehow. "Then all is forgiven." She said and got back to work.

Two hours later, Her shift was over. She removed her many hairnets, released her dreads from it's braided prison and clocked out. She give Peyton a wave as she headed home. Typically, she would have rode her Yahamaka to work but today, she felt like she could use the walk, thankfully her apartment wasn't too far away.
She began her walk, making sure took take in the fresh air.