An Early Prank

I'm not always at my nicest in the mornings.

I mean, I still can play nice.

But, I'm more easily irritated and more prone to being snarky/sarcastic.

So when I get a prank phone call early in the morning.

It doesn't end well.

It was 7:45 am at work.

I was in the middle of cleaning cages when the phone rang.

Which glancing at my watch, I automatically groaned.

Hoping that it was just the grooming department ringing out to the main part of the store. (Since grooming opens before the main store opens) or that it was a coworker calling to say they were going to be late or something, I picked up.

It was neither.

A boy.

More than likely a teenager though it wouldn't surprise me if it was some stupid college guys.

Though why in the world either one was awake at that time is beyond me.

Did they stay up all night?

Were they in the middle of getting ready for school?

Did they set their alarms with the soul purpose to call the store and prank us?

Honestly.

I don't know.

I don't know why anyone would ever think to prank call a pet store in the first place.

I mean...what's the point? A cheap thrill? *shakes head*

In any case.

I didn't know it was a prank call at the first.

Because the guy on the other end was like "I'm concerned about my lizard, I think he's sick and might need a vet."

"Okay." I said internally groaning that a customer would call with such a question that early in the morning when most stores don't open until 10am anyways. *shakes head* "What's the problem?" I asked him.

"Well, his tail fell off and I'm really worried."

"What kind of lizard is it?" I asked.

"A Western Desert Lizard."

Yah. I had no idea what type of lizard that was. It could be anything really if not made up. "Well some lizards do loose their tails if they're in danger, so it could grow back I wouldn't be too concerned."

"Oh...so I should keep it in a safer place?"

Me. "...sorry what?"

"Because I dropped a board on it's tail."

"Well...yah....you need to keep it in a cage that is more stable."

"Oh....and should I be feeding him?"

And that's when I knew. Ugh.

Because while boys can be dumb. They aren't that dumb. Still, I played along.

"Yes, you should be."

"Ah, because he's really skinny and such..."

"Yah." I could hear other guys laughing in the background. "But if you feed him it won't be considered animal cruelty. Besides pranking me is there anything else I can help you with---"

He hung up on me.

Ugh.

The conversation left me shaking in...well irritation. It wasn't anger. But annoyance, irritation, etc etc. Because AGH!! Boys are SO DUMB some days. >.<

So I vented to it to a coworker, and was going to call it a day and refocus on work.

When the phone started ringing again.

I glanced at the number with a frown. It looked similar to the number that had just barely called me.

(Turns out it was slightly different)

But I picked up with my usual greeting spiel. Though usually before the store opens I don't tell the customer my name so they won't know who they talked to on the phone if they come into the store later.

"Hey, I have a problem with my frog."

Which was basically the same way the phone call five minutes before had started.

And since the odds for having two phone calls in a five minute period with one of them being a prank call and the other not....are rather low that early in the morning....

I decided to not play their game. Obviously they didn't know that it was the same person who had answered the phone before.

So I said. "Oh, is it the same problem the lizard had?"

A beat. "What lizard?"

"The one missing a tail, that this number called about around five minutes ago as a prank call." I said. If they paid any attention at all they would realize that I just confirmed I had caller ID and knew their numbers.

"Oh...no....that guy seems dumb."

I could hear more laughter in the background.

"Yah, it was a bit. So....can I help you with anything else besides dealing with your prank call this morning?"

"Sorry...what?"

"Dude." I said barely staying nice on the phone. "It's too early to be prank calling."

To which he said. "oh...I'm sorry about that." And hung up.

*shakes head*

Who knows if the guys actually felt anything like remorse for wasting my time.

Honestly, I wonder if they were actually thinking at all. Perhaps they had stayed up all night and were loopy. *shakes head*

In any case, it left me fuming at the dumbness of boys.

Wishing that I had the power to teleport them to the store and either a) slap them or b) put them to work since they were awake anyway not doing anything productive.

lol. I even tried to understand where they were coming from, by asking a couple of my guy coworkers why boys would do that so early in the morning.

They had no answer. Because their response was. "I would be sleeping." lol. Which I think is most normal guys responses. Why get up early when you can sleep?

*exhales*

I was kinda hoping that they would come into the store to apologize.

They didn't.

But hopefully they'll know not to be stupid like that again.

Hopefully.

Until you next read these words;

I'll be watching the leaves.

Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi