All Things Considered [🗸]

4. fool shit

COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS are complete shit.

It's only further worsened by the fact that I get an hour working at the grocery store. I've been assigned to it alongside Dion Reyes and Cayden McCarthy who still fucking hate each other's guts, making our entire shift infinitely as awkward.

I place change in the cash register, an exhale leaving my lips. 

Community hours have always been a Douglass High tradition and are meant to count toward an extracurricular. Most people volunteer at a library, the school office, or a grocery store. Hence, the reason why I'm at Whole Foods, slightly pissed the fuck off.

Reyes and his boyfriend aren't saying much to each other. Despite both of them being responsible for bagging the groceries, their eyes are flicking away from each other and they maintain about a six foot space between them at all times.

I loathe working in retail with a burning passion, primarily due to many of the rude-ass customers that show up. Plus, due to the fact that it's volunteer work, none of us are getting paid. Deadass, the companies are likely eager to supply us with community service hours due to the fact that they can now exploit us legally.

My eyes flick toward the front as a customer arrives in front of the conveyer belt.

After placing her food on the belt, she swipes her card down the payment terminal, and after calculating her subtotal, I hand her the receipt as Reyes and his boyfriend bag her groceries on opposite sides of the conveyer belt.

Ideally, the entire situation shouldn't be as uncomfortable as it is, but given that the boyfriends are having issues again and I'm not particularly close to either of them—this entire two hour shift seems to drag on minute by painstaking minute.

My eyes flicker back to the highly uncomfortable boys at the end of the conveyer belt. They're sufficient in ignoring each other for the first couple of minutes but eventually, while both reaching for the same bag, their fingers brush.

They both flinch, pulling away from each other, and Reyes shifts even further away from Cayden if possible.

Exhaling, I run a hand through my hair before my gaze flicks over to them, "can you both fucking stop?"

Their gazes both flick to mine in seconds, as though only now realizing that I've been experiencing the shitfest of their relationship this entire time. Cayden's lips are slightly parted and Reyes' shoulders slouch in a gesture radiating exhaustion.

With their gazes on me, I plow on, "you're making me hella uncomfortable."

The two of them return their attention to the conveyer belt and Cayden exhales, saying, "I'll do this side, you do that one." In response, Dion Reyes shrugs in what seems to be acquiescence and they return to their task without making any of us further uncomfortable.