My alarm clock didn't go off this morning. I found it odd. It also pissed me off. It wasn't until I cut my foot on the broken pieces left behind on the floor that I realized just how much.
Looking back, I think that was the first sign telling me that my day wasn't gonna go so well. At the time, I just reasoned it out as bad luck. The story of my life.
The second sign that should have raised a few red flags would have to be my… strange encounter on the bus.
Don't get wrong. I've had my run in with the darkness that is illegal drugs but it's been a while. So I reasoned that away as well. Fatigue. Exhaustion. Safe as any explanations as to why right across from me, I saw a man's face take the features of a snake right before he snatched a lady's purse, hopped off the bus and into the night. What? Don't judge me. S'not my business.
Mundane. Repetitive. Boredom in its prime. Words/phrases I use to describe my day job. I work as a cashier at a corner store. You can imagine I encounter quite a few interesting -to say the very least-characters from time to time. None more so than the boss man himself. Denny. He's okay as bosses go. I'd like say he's taken quite a liking to me actually, if yelling and cursing at me were signs of affection that is.
He practically built that place from the ground up. He started off with a 4 by 8 stall on the corner and worked hard to get where he's at now. Or so heard… about a million times. He named it All Mart because the name speaks for itself. If you want to buy it then we can sell it. From your typical cigarettes and beer all the way into weird territory such as voodoo dolls. I'm pretty sure I peeped a crate of guns in the storage room just last week. Business is always booming if you hadn't guessed.
It's here that the 3rd -would be- strike occurs. A regular, comes in all the time. Buys the same exact thing everyday: Cat nip, and lots of it. Your typical crazy old cat lady I deduce. Today she took an interest in me, or at least something of mine. She offered me10k for my cuffs. Not police issue or the SM kind either, just these old, medieval looking ones I wear.
My fost….. someone special gave them to me about a year ago. Said they belonged to my mother, a family heirloom of sorts. I can't…no, I won't ever part with them. Not for any reason. Not even when she raised the price another10k, although she did leave me fairly curious.
After the police carted away Crazy Cat Lady -she had a major freak out- the rest of my shift went pretty normal.
Now here I am back on the bus, under no circumstances am I casually watching faces for more snake people. Nope that's not what I'm doing at all. I'm just keeping track of the small dose of sanity I have left.
At my stop, I get off as well as a few others and make way down the side walk towards our respective destinations.
"Van"
"Hey Van.. Wait up!"
Jesus Christ! Either him or the big guy are really messing with me today. I don't have to turn around to know exactly who is closing in on me as I pick my pace up. Not that I remember his name or anything. I just refer to him as Pizza Guy. He's an annoying Asian guy who doesn't work at his family's Chinese restaurant. Nope… his family makes pizza. His words not mine. Alright, annoying was mine.
For the past 3 weeks he's picked up the habit of trying to… do what? I don't know exactly. Get to know me? Befriend me? Or God forbid… ask me out.
I slow down but don't stop so he can catch up.
"Hey Van. Didn't you hear me?" He's out of breath by the time he reaches my side. I pick the pace back up.
"I slowed down didn't I?" I watch him from the corner of my eye. He's not breathing hard anymore. Like he was making a show of being out of breath from the start. I roll my eyes.
"Oh. Right. Didn't see you yesterday." I can hear the question in his statement. As if.
"I was off" is all he gets. A huff of breath confirms his, disappointment? Annoyance. Potatoe. By the way he's fidgeting I can tell he wants to say or ask me something. I don't encourage him.
After a slightly awkward -for him-silence, I give him a side glance. Oh boy! He's got his thinking face on. (the fact that I even recognized his "thinking face" really bothers me)
This should be good. His face changes as he decides with himself whether or not to come right out with it. He's an open book…and someone who shouldn't play poker. EVER. As his face finally ends in a defeated expression I know he's decided against his real thought. Must have been something ridiculous. What he asks instead…
"So…you heading to work." An actual ridiculous question because DUH! The small shake of his head tells me he agrees.
"Yea Pizza Man. Brilliant deduction." Heavy on the sarcasm.
I pick up the pace when the club comes into view. I know he won't follow. He never does. Especially after what happened last time. What he does instead.
"It's Glen!" Never fails. "my name's Glen!"
I smile to myself. Sure not to let him see, lest it encourages him, and give him a two finger salute without turning around.
"No one gives a shit, PIZZA GUY!" I sure as hell don't.
