It was my first day at work at my new job. I recently just bailed my brother out of jail for the eightieth time. He just needs to get his life together, I swear. I can't handle his constant nuisance. He needs to go to rehab or just at least try to get off the coke and heroin. He was in and out of juvie my whole childhood. God knows I could have used someone with the crap I had to deal with when he wasn't there. When no one was there but me and Paw.

I walk up to this stupid outdoor store. It is the kind that sales camping, fishing, hunting, and boating crap. People now days are lucky to have this by choice. They have the luxury of having this. They didn't have to grow up camping because your paw ran you out of the house because he was drunk constantly and trying to hit ya. They are lucky that their paw didn't try to shoot at them at least once a week, like mine and Merle's. Lucky, that's what they are. I'm ready for my freaking turn at the high life.

I get in and clock-in in the back. I walk up and get the stupid little work hat that they make us wear. I look at myself in my reflection that I see in the window. I read the backwards lettering of "Camper's Nest" on the cap. The worst name that someone could have named an outdoors store. I bet it was some rich guy thinking that his name was clever. Idiot.

I guess this job will just have to work though, because in less than a month I'll have to bail Merle out again and I am out of money. I see the manager, Glenn. I go talk to him and ask him what I am supposed to do. You see, I'm in "training" as they call it. This is honestly my first job. I've always just followed Merle round and crash with his friends while he's in jail. I didn't think I needed this crap. I could live by myself without anyone's help. I don't need no one.

"Oh, hey Daryl!" Glenn says. He is always in a good mood. That will probably get old fast. "You will be stocking the shelves and stuff today ok? Here follow me around and I will show you around the store and where everything is. I'm not going to be running the cash register today. That's the worst part of the job, it's too stressful. If you need me you can just find me around the store helping customers or doing something."

He shows me around the store pointing out that there are signs to help me see the different sections of the store that read "Camping," "Hunting," and "Fishing," So, I know where the tents, fishing poles, and guns are at. He leads me to the store room and says, "Well, just walk around the store and see if anything needs to be restocked and if they do, come get it from here. Remember to write down on this clipboard," he says as her hands me a clipboard with a bunch of products on it. He continues, "what you get out of here, ok?"

I nod in reply as he turns and walks off. I decide to walk around to see what the shelves need more items. I see a couple of other workers asking shoppers if they can help them find anything.

I am carrying some kind of fancy poles to the fishing section of the store and I am stopped by this girl. She has long blonde hair and looks only a couple years younger than me. She doesn't look like the type girl that you would normally see in this store. She looks to perfect. Like she was the cheer leader in high school, goes to college, and gets everything she wants from daddy.

The customer asks me, "Um, excuse me? Can you please tell me where to find the sleeping bags?" She smiles shyly and looking down holding her hands together. I think I might remember where they are because earlier this morning I saw them when looking for the other hiking boots.

I say, "Oh, um, yeah." I lay the poles down and say, "Um, follow me." She looks at me and I see a flash of confusion in her eyes before she nods. I think to myself the normal thing a worker would do, would be to point her in the direction of item and go about their work. I say, "Um, today is my first day so I didn't think I could give you correct directions to the without seeing where I was leading you," as I walked her to the sleeping bags.

She laughs and says, "Oh, ok." She stops and looks at the sleeping bags and then turns to look at me. She smiles and asks, "Well since you are new here, I don't assume you know which of these the best is, huh?"

I shake my head and say, "Naw, I ain't never used a sleeping bag before in my life. I never went 'camping' I just was survivin'." She looks at me confused and I just shake my head. I don't know why I'm telling this to a complete stranger, but it feels nice. I say, "I can go get someone to help you if you want, I'm not much help 'round here right now."

She shakes her head and smiles. "No, that is fine. I think I'll just get this pink one, it's cute, don't you think?"

I laugh and say, "That sure does look like you." I lift my hand and point my thumb behind me towards the fishing poles and say, "Well then, if you need anything that I can't help you with, I will be trying to put those fishing poles where they are supposed to go and not on the floor."

She laughs at my small joke and says, "Thank you for your help," she looks at my name tag and continues, "Daryl." I smile and walk off back to the fishing poles. I can't believe she is getting that pink sleeping bag. It sure does suit who I thought she was.

I look at my watch and see that it is 11:25 and see that it is almost my lunch hour and I couldn't be happier to leave here. I need a smoke. I go find Glenn and tell him that I'm leaving and I'll be back at twelve thirty. He smiles and says, "See you later then, Daryl." I nod and leave.

I get out to my truck and unlock it. This truck might be a piece of crap, but I love it. I got it off a bet that I won against Merle. It's an old orange 60s model Chevy. It's a tough truck, living with Merle it has to be. I should to know. I don't really have time to go home, eat, and be back in time for work, so I just go to one of the diners around here.

The waitress that took my order looked kind of familiar. I know for a fact that I have never seen her before, but I just recognize her features. Her name tag says Maggie. I don't know any Maggies. Why does she look so familiar? Her short brown hair falls just below her jaw line and her brown eyes look at me. She put down my food and asks if I need anything else and just I shake my head no as I stare at her trying to figure out who she is. I think I freak her out a little because she looks at me weird and walks away.

I see a car drive up next to the window I'm sitting at and park. I take a drag if my cigarette and watch to see who gets out of it. I couldn't believe who it was. It was that girl from work. I watch her as she locks her door and it hits me. That's who Maggie reminds me of! She must be her sister or something. Well this just got weird.

She walks in and I try not to look at her a whole lot. I see her hug Maggie when she gets in. Maggie smiles but I couldn't hear what they were saying. They move closer and sit at the bar that is only a couple of feet away from me. The blonde is facing the opposite direction from me, but Maggie is facing toward me. I heard the blonde say, "I just got back from there and I didn't see him." I heard Maggie make a noise like she was irritated. The blonde says, "I can go back if you want. What does he look like again?"

Maggie says, "He's Asian. He has to work there! He was wearing that hat, you know the purple one tha-" She looks at me and says, "like the one that guy has." Blondie turns to look at me, I turn my face to look out the window and smoke my cigarette. I hear her turn around and she whispers something that I can't hear. They have some kind of conversation that I can't hear because they just whisper the rest of it.

I look over because I am done and I need the check to I can pay for my lunch. She gets up and walks over to me and asks, "Do you need your check?" I nod in reply. She gives me my check and points me over to the register and asks, "I'll meet you over there ok?" I nod, get my hat off of the table, and get up.

I walk to the register and wait on Maggie. I pay for my food and turn to leave as I see her mouth something to Blondie. I go to walk out of the diner and I see the blonde follow me. I open the door and I move out of the way so she could go out in front of me.

She smiles and walks through the door. I walk through going to my truck when she calls, "He, um, Daryl right?" I turn around to face her and look at her. She says, "So, um, is there an Asian man that works in your store?"

I look her and ask, "Why?"

She replies, "Well, he came in here one time and my sister, Maggie, thought he was cute and now she has a sort of crush on him and she wants to see him again."

"Oh." I reply. "Well yeah. His name is Glenn; he's the manager of the store. Is that why you were in there today, looking for Glenn?" I ask.

She laughs, "Yeah, it is, she has been begging me to see if he works there still. Well now I know he does, but I don't know what she plans on doing now."

She's talking and I just keep staring at her. She is really pretty, the too pretty type, the type that will never go for a trainee in an outdoor store redneck. I'm not her type, which she's not one either, but she is so pretty. I say without thinking, "Well what about tomorrow?" She just looks at me confused. I explain, "Is Maggie gonna be working tomorrow? I might be able to get him to come have lunch with me here tomorrow."

She smiles and says, "Oh! Yes! That would be great! How about you text me and tell me if that plan will work?"

I stare at her. Okay, she is giving me her number; I mean it's not really for her, but still. She just looks at me because I haven't replied. "Oh, yeah, um, sure," I say.

She smiles and exclaims, "Awesome! Thank you so much! Maggie will be so happy!"

I look at her waiting for her to give me her number and she just looks at me. I say, "So, um, here is my phone, I'll need your number to text you." I gave her my phone and she smile and begins to type in her number into my phone. She gave it back and I look at it. She hadn't put her name in so I just put her name as Blondie.

I said, "Well, I'll talk to you tomorrow, I guess. I have to get back to work, now." I smile and wave bye as I get into my truck and leave.