Lo-fi softly played over the overhead speaker system in the store, I didn’t bother changing it when I came in for my shift after school. Then again, I was the only person working the closing shift today but my music taste was absolute shit. Thanks Charlie. I pulled the boxes of vinyl records off the shelf in the back and carried them out with the box cart to the record bins in the shop. I started to restock, putting each record into its respective box, sorting them out alphabetically all while I checked each record, seeing if I wanted to get it for Charlie or myself. By the end of it, I ended up with a bunch of records that suited my brother and my music tastes. I sorted out the pile of vinyls I was thinking of buying according to the music taste we took interest in, most were for my brother like Green day, My Chemical Romance, and Paramore. But I was especially surprised by some of the K-12, M83 and Ghost records in the stock. Definitely snagging those for myself. I texted my brother the vinyls for him to choose out which ones he doesn’t have and if he wants me to check for any limited editions before piling them up and carrying to the front, putting it in the milk crate where I always put stuff I want to hold for myself, going off to stock up whatever needed stocking up and taking in inventory. I wonder if Salem still listens to the records I left there after all these years… or maybe he’s still listening to his classical records… still remember him rambling on how Brahms was the best composer out of everyone.
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I was in the middle of restocking the book section of the store as I heard the store bell ring again, the store was filled with a few people now, it was the store’s ‘peak hours’. Some were those girls who made their whole personality whatever aesthetic was trendy at the time being overly loud in the record and antique sections of the store and the group of alt-kids who were regulars in the store who were actually really nice people but can be loud too. What do they all have in common? They all went to my school. None of them recognized me but I know all of them since they were all in my classes this semester and the last two years.
“Hellloooo, Can someone come to cash us out? Like holy shit. We’ve got places to be.” One of those girls screeched, ringing the bell over and over again impatiently. I sighed out, closing my eyes tightly as she continued to whine like a spoiled kid. ‘End me.’ I got up and made my way to the check out, hopping over the desk.
“Took you long enough.” One of the girls scoffed.
‘Fucking sorry. I have other responsibilities in this store. I’d rather be stocking the manga than cashing you out.’ is what I wanted to say, but I just sucked it up and scanned the stuff on the desk, bagging them. “$160.58 is your total. Cash or card?” I sighed, getting ready.
“Credit.” She said in that tone as if she’s somehow better than me just because mommy and daddy didn’t make her work and let her have a credit card, handing me her card as if she expected me to do it for her.
“Tap when you’re ready.” I muttered, setting the machine up and waiting. Staring blankly at the screen for the transaction to show up as I listen to the girl group gossip, making comments towards me about how I’m not doing my job right. That’s rich coming from them. I would like them to see them try working at least 5 jobs and go full time to school. Privileged assholes. And as if some being higher than me heard my silent pleas, the familiar beep of error came out of the machine, the message ‘failed translation - card declined’ showing up on the monitor. I could feel the adrenaline rush tingle through my system. Finally, karma is a God and they have smiled upon me for this very moment.
“Your card was declined. Want to try a different card?” I said, my voice cracking a bit either from the bliss of the karma that was happening in front of me or my body reacting to the hormonal shots I’ve been taking. Watching the girl scramble through her wallet and trying all her credit cards, each one coming back with it being declined. ‘Bless you, karma… you for once work in my favour.’
“If none of your credit cards work and you have a debit, you can try paying with that.” I said, the satisfaction of my mistreatment as an employee finally paying off.
“Fine.” She scoffed, pulling out her debit card.
“Tap when you’re ready.” I said, queuing up the debit option for the machine. Keeping my eye on the monitor, not wanting to blink.
Declined.
I stood there, slowly turning my attention to the girl and her group. Her friends whispering among themselves as they’re ringleader was red in the face with whatever emotion you would associate with these kinds of situations.
“I can put these items on hold if you like.” My tone with a slight quiver, feeling myself tremble a bit with the moment of the universe’s revenge.
“Please.” She scoffed.
I pulled out the pen and post-it notes out of the drawer, “I just need your name and number to contact you. We will hold your items for 2 weeks. After the two week hold period, we will take back the items and you will not be charged for the items. We will call you in advance before we take back the items you put on hold” I explained, handing her the pen and post-it note pad, letting her fill it out with the required information before she and her group left the store empty handed, the group of alt kids moving up in the line.
“Did you find everything you were looking for-”
“Are you okay?” One of them spoke out as I began to scan their records, cassettes and tee shirts.
“It’s normal. We usually get people like that here.” I responded, keeping my focus on scanning and bagging them in the store’s tote bags.
“Some people just don’t know how to act with employees such as yourself,” another chimed in, “You’re doing great.”
I just nodded in response, looking at the screen, “$105.69 is your total. Cash or Card?”
---
It was already near closing time, I was already done with my tasks in the store so I just opted to camp out at the cashier. Sitting on a stool and leaning on the surface as I watched random youtube videos on my laptop to kill the time, keeping my eye on the only person in the store. Somehow his presence was familiar, I had a friend when I was younger that kinda looked like him. Reddish-brown hair like a fox, skin and pale as snow… and like, super tall for a 10 year old. The amount of times we got stopped from boarding the bus to go home just because he looked older because of his height was so funny, he ended up carrying around a piece of ID that showed that he was the same age as me. I wonder what that guy is up to now since he moved to the west-ish side of town.
“Hey, sorry for keeping you here a bit longer. I know you should be cleaning up.” The guy suddenly appeared in front of me, nearly making me fall out of my stool.
“It’s no big deal… Just need to count up cash.” I sighed, sitting up straight and looking at the last person of the night, looking at the guy. His eyes widened when he got a good look at me.
“Holy shit? Cessair Egnatius?” The guy said in shock. I realised why the guy reminded me of my friend that moved away. Because it was him.
“Harvey Bullough? Look at you, in a uniform and still tall” I said with an exhale, the guy started to laugh with a smile.
“And look at you still tiny, get your ass over here and hug me!” Harvey said with a smile I could never forget if I even tried. I jumped over the desk and Harvey pulled me into the tightest hug I have had in a while, excusing the hugs Toby gives.
“How’s it going?” Harvey said, holding onto my shoulders, looking at me. “How’s the scar on your eye? Did it mutate and now you’re like those things in the recent Resident Evil game?”
“Haha, very funny. Yeah, I became Donna Benevieneto and now I control all the porcelain dolls in the antique section when no one is looking.” I said with an exhale through my nose, Harvey laughing.
“Ah, still got that sense of humour I like after all these years.” Harvey chuckled, patting my head. That’s what I liked about him, he can still understand me even if I didn’t show any emotion both on the surface and in my tone of voice. He could read me like a book, and is flawlessly right.
“How’s it that I’ve been a regular here but just never seen you? I always shop near closing hours since it’s quieter.” He questioned, letting go of my shoulders and letting me get back to my post.
“I’ve recently taken the closing shifts on weekdays, opening shifts on weekends and I try to work full time on holidays and days off.” I said, picking up the stool and tucking it away into the corner of the small area, putting away my laptop into my backpack,
“Makes sense… So you're gonna do that whole customer service talk now?” Harvey chuckled.
“I will if you want me to… or we can catch up while I check you out.” I said, picking up the records he places on the desk with care, scanning them into the system.
“How’s school going? What highschool are you even going to?” Harvey started.
“GoldenValley Public school. What about you? Gonna guess a Catholic school cuz… uniform…?”
“Nope, Private school… Redwood private school for boys.”
“Look at you, Mr. Bigbrain. Private school life treating you well?”
“Eh, Private school isn’t that different from any other school. It’s just a uniform and costs more money. But it’s been going good, passing my classes at least.”
“Of course you’re passing. You’re one of the smartest guys I know.”
“What about you? School treating you well? Oh! What about Charlie?”
“School is okay, surviving. Charlie is dorming so I’m living alone in the meantime as he studies in uni for engineering.” I rambled, finishing up scanning and bagging the records. “Your total is $235.90, cash or card?”
“Geez, how many times do you say that? You sound like a robot,” Harvey laughed, pulling out his wallet from his pants pocket, “Debit please.”
I nodded and queued up the card reader, waiting for the transaction to go through.
“You know Cessair… we should go out, catch up over dinner one day.” Harvey broke the silence, tapping his card onto the card reader.
“Are you asking me out on a date? Also, do you want the receipt in the bag?”
“Kinda to asking you out on a date, and yes to the receipt. It’s a friend date, I want to know what’s been going on with you.” Harvey smiled, taking a sharpie from the mug on the desk, “Now give me your hand, I’ll give you my number.”
I rolled my eye, putting the record-filled tote bag onto the counter then stuck out a hand, Harvey taking it and uncapping the marker. “You know you could just write it on a piece of paper… like, I have sticky notes you could have used” I sighed, watching him write down his number on my hand.
“Yeah, but you still might forget the sticky note so, it’s better like this.” Harvey smiled, finishing writing down his number and taking his purchase. He walked out and I immediately picked up my phone, calling the number he wrote on my hand.
One Ring.
Two Rings.
“Awww… Miss me already, Cessair?” Harvey’s voice came through the speaker of my phone as he picked up. I looked out the store front window, seeing Harvey smiling and waving factically. I returned it with a nod and thumbs up before hanging up, watching Harvey walk off to his car and drive off into the night. Leaving me standing at the back of the cashier, permanent marker on the palm of my hand and a new contact on my phone.
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