It took 15 minutes for the euphoria to kick in. He didn't like to do Xanax often, as to avoid addiction, but on special occasions like today, Curly deemed it appropriate. After staring into space for a while, he had his trance interrupted by his coworkers once again.

"Thaddeus, what the hell are you doing? There's a line you idiot!" His boss yelled at him, again. Snapping out of his trip for a moment, he realize a decently-sized line had formed in front of the register. He looked towards the front of the line, only to see a young man glaring at him.

"Sorry sir, welcome to Café de Merde, how may I..." Curly trailed off, staring into the ceiling.

"Can I just have a damn coffee already?!" the man shouted out of agitation and impatience.

The rest of the encounters Curly had with customers went similarly, if not a little better. Curly felt serenity in the drug he took. The high was comparable to being in a soft, comfortable bed, awaiting a peaceful sleep. Though he was standing up with the intention of working hard, he was in a tranquil haze, with the outside world having little to no negative impact on his positive mental attitude. No matter how many disparaging comments were hurled at him from customers and coworkers, he felt warm and safe inside.

After 3 hours of taking orders and pouring hot beverages and cold drinks, Curly felt as if he was floating when he walked outside for his smoke break. He had a hard time focusing on anything up to that point, even something as minuscule as selecting a cigarette from the pack. He slipped his earbuds back into his ears. Instead of hearing his music, he was greeted with an obnoxious "Low Battery" warning. At that moment, his eyes shot open. He was back in reality. The high wore off, and he felt the pleasant effects abandon him. Once again, he felt coldness inside.

At that moment, his cell phone rang once again. He knew that he didn't even need to guess who was calling. Reluctantly, and out of bitterness, he answered the call.

"There, I picked up the goddamn phone, now what do you want?!" he shouted into the device.

"Hello to you too, Thaddeus. I was just calling to wish you a happy birthday." His ex-wife was more or less teasing him at this point. She was extremely condescending. "So, I hope you enjoy your day; I know my boyfriend and I will." That set Curly off.

"You know what, I'm sick of hearing from you. I don't know why you get off to this, but leave me alone you narcissistic cunt!" he responded, practically screaming at her.

"Hey, I was just trying to be a good friend." She responded with a laugh. Curly was officially done.

"Listen up you evil bitch, if you or your retarded boyfriend ever contact me again, I will fucking kill you!" he screeched. Suddenly, he heard another voice on the line.

"What's with all the ruckus, babe?" a male voice asked obliviously.4

"Harold, it's nothing" Curly's former lover said to her current significant other.

"Nothing?! FUCK YOU RHONDA!" he exploded, hurling his cell phone into the street. He watched as an 18-wheeler proceeded to completely destroy the phone beyond recognition. At first, he didn't realize it, but as he looked around, he began to notice the massive commotion he had caused.

"All of you, fuck off!" he shouted at the decently-sized crowd. With that, everyone returned to their business, except for one person. His boss.

"Thaddeus, what the hell was that all about? You're causing customers to leave, idiot! Are you mental?" His boss ranted. Curly gritted his teeth, and answered with a yes under his breath.

"As of right now, I am terminating your employment."