Fuck. Jack jus' got distracted by some Whataburger coupons on Jacob's desk. No, Jack, y'can't take the damn coupons. No, not even one. It's still stealin', yo.

*Jack pouts*

NINJA: *sigh* I's never real' got th' hang of typin' in this shit. It's annoyin' as all fuck. Headmusic's Royals by Lord, jumbled t'gether with brainstatic n' voices. Sal wants t' talk 'bout drawin' shit, M.B.'s sayin' somethin' too, but I's can't make out what it be. It be dark in the Closet tonight, yo. Eerie, even. An' I's don' spook easy. I's feel my muscles in my arms tighten. I's roll my shoulders back, bracin'. I ain't good at this narration shit, but I's feel the importance t' do so. I's can feel Grizz watchin' me.

GRIZZLY: Shut that damn music off. That song's really getting to me.

NINJA: Tell th' others, dawg.

GRIZZLY: It's not that I don't want to work on that five-page report. You're right. There's just something about this place that sets me on edge. I'm sorry, I just can't.

NINJA: I's know. We's should get goin' home, then. Buy ice n' all that.

GRIZZLY: Hang on a sec. I wanna make sure we at least clock in our internship hours on the school system's calendar. But after that, yeah, we'd better get going. We still need to pay the light bill, too.

NINJA: Y'mind takin' over, dawg? I's burnt out, n' I's gotta save what energy I's got fer th' drive home.

GRIZZLY: Sure thing, but that song's really gotta stop.

NINJA: I's told you I's can't help it. It ain't me, yo.

GRIZZLY: Whatever.

My fingers are cold on the black keyboard. My back is tense, my feet tired. Annoying-ass song in my headspace. I wish I could claw out my ear drums, but I know it's all in my head. I'm glad Mom's out of the hospital. Wish I had more time to clean out the house, so she could come home. I wonder if the damn wasps are still outside the back door, clinging to the brick, waiting. I'm not big on killing bugs, but with them, I kinda want to. I keep telling myself not to stay up too late, but then I end up reading webcomics in order to shut everyone else up. Sal gets especially chatty at night; it's when he's most creative, but by then our body's completely done for the day - even our fingers ache - so the frusteration begins. Reading webcomics calms him down, and the kids like them, besides. Right now, we're into MGDMT and Axe Cop. That is why we never end up going in to the bakery early. Quite the contrary. We've been going in later and later. I know Roberta notices. Speaking of which, I need to print out my employee evaluation form for her to fill out tomorrow.

BB: She's so nice, she got us a t-shirt, a paper cup and a pen from New York!

GRIZZLY: She sure is, B. Which is why we need to do our best to show up at least at the time we'd agreed to when we first started working there.

I feel a shadow hanging over me, just outside my peripheral vision.

NINJA: Shadow People, yo.