“Cya, Chaos!” Taylor waved at the older colleague as he opened the door to leave. “Don’t forget, you’re in tomorrow.” She turned to Ever, finger guns towards him, “And you’re not.” The door closed and Taylor started moving around the ice cream shop, going through the store closing routine.

  She dipped her head slightly as she looped the apron over her head, hanging it up on the hook on the wall behind them. Ever did the same thing, putting his apron next to hers. He looked at the Drivers Licence that Chaos had materialized for him again.

  Ever Thanatosikos. Nyx had mentioned that “Thanatos” was Death’s formal name. It felt a bit strange that he had his Mentor’s name in his surname, in a way, it was fitting. If he passed his apprenticeship, he would become Death. Would he still be called Ever, or would he be known as Death from that point onward?

  “Yoink!”

  Ever was left holding thin air, the licence now in Taylor’s hands.

  “Hey, that’s mine,” Ever said, approaching Taylor. “Give it back.” He’d had it for less than half a day and he already felt possessive of it. It was as if she had taken away who he was.

  “That’s a terrible photo,” she said. “Then again, everyone’s Drivers Licence photo is.”

  “Can I see yours?”

  “No way,” she said, shooting him a look. She positioned herself in front of the door to the back room, blocking it.

  Ever stopped advancing. Suddenly, he turned around, went to her apron and put his hand in the middle pocket.

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  “Hey that’s my apron!”

  “I know,” Ever said. He thought he could see the impression of something still inside there. He pulled out the bracelet he had given her last week.

  “That’s mine!” She snatched, but Ever was quicker this time. She glared at him.

  “You said that you couldn’t accept this last week. Now it’s yours?”

  “You said that if I accepted it, you would tell me about your second job.” The look on Ever’s face was enough to make her giggle victoriously.

  You walked straight into that one. Death with a tsk.

  *Should I tell her that I’m your apprentice, Mentor?*

  I never said that you couldn’t. I can’t help you deal with her reaction, though. That’s for you to sort out.

  Ever’s mouth formed a thin, resolute line - It was time. He licked his dry lips.

  “For the record, I haven’t actually accepted the gift,” Taylor said. Ever’s mouth hung slightly open. “I don’t like making people do things. If you don’t want to tell me that you’re moonlighting as a stripper, that’s fine by me.”

  “I…” there was a bit too much to process for Ever, short circuiting his brain. “Stripper?”

  “You know,” she said, looking again at his ID. “This address is pretty close to the university. It’s a decent walk from here. You must get up pretty early to come here for work.”

  “I- I guess so.” What had happened? He was just about to finally reveal the truth. How did the opportunity just disintegrate like that?

  “Hm. Swap?” She offered back his ID. Ever looked at it, then at the bracelet in his hand. He gave it to her.

  She looked at it, a coy smile on her face. She put it on, connecting the gold link and admiring it. “OK fine, I accept it.”