mr. perfectly fine

         ❝   Dude, you just sold your soul to a squirrel. That tree rat is going to follow you for weeks now. One bit of bread, a squirrel lifetime of furry stalking.   ❞   Etta eyes the creature in question with suspicion over their sunglasses. She has never been a fan of the runts, especially after having her cheese sandwich stolen by one when she was five. A brow is raised at the man’s wording, some judgement in her brown hues.  ❝   scratch off dad and flip it to grandpa. cosmetics  ?  no one has called them that since the fifties. Also I hope that grind isn’t being wasted on Fortnite.   ❞  

“I know, it’s what I get for being a nice guy. Now owned by the squirrels for all eternity. No doubt he’ll tell all his squirrel friends about me,” he joked, shaking his head at himself. “Oh thank you. Sometimes he makes me feel like it though. I know it means he’s working hard to level up. Games I used to play, you didn’t get outfits and stuff for points. It was a simpler time. And I still like those games. Well, I wasn’t even alive in the fifties. How old do people think I am?” he laughed. “I know he plays Fortnite. So probably. He’s eleven.” 

Annie tried to ignore the fact the man had just fed a squirrel, but the confusion was on her face. “I swear you’ve caused yourself problems.” She sat on the bench, keeping an eye on the beady eyed little thing. She hated squirrels. “Is that something he shouldn’t be doing? Grinding points? Cosmetics? Wow kids have changed a lot since i was one. And i’m not even that old. I was just all about that lipgloss that came on a keychain.”

Jarrod looked up at the woman, letting out a laugh. “I swear I have too, they’ll own me now. What I get for being a nice guy,” he joked, laughing as he watched the squirrel. “It’s apparently playing a lot of games to get points to upgrade or something. Some things can be earnt with game points and some with real money. That he tries to get out of me.” He nodded. “Yeah, new clothes and hair for their characters. I can’t say I had a lipgloss but I was happy with some trading cards and a football.”

“And i was about to say you don’t look old enough to have a son.” He joked, tossing bread to the squirrels. “You’ve made a new friend.” He laughed slightly. “Jesus… imagining being a kid and having to grind for anything. That generation have a shock when they get to the real world.” 

“Now you’re just buttering me up,” he paused a moment. “And I thank you for it,” he grinned as he continued. “I have made a squirrel friend, that will probably own me now,” he joked. “Oh, I know, they act like it’s hard work too. It’s a game, relax. I used to get like that over my sports games. Real sports, not on a TV.”

Cel raised a brow, she had seen many a man make the same mistake. “That sandwich basically belongs to him now.” She put her hands on her hips. “I don’t know how that makes me feel… because i know what it means. But does that mean i’m too old to be playing games and i’m actually playing with children?”

“Hmm, yeah, people have mentioned things about the squirrels here. I thought it was a joke, apparently it’s not,” he laughed, shaking his head. “No, it does not mean you’re too old. I would never suggest such a thing. I like games. Probably just old man games as he says. I think he thinks I’m 60 more than 40.”