The Things That Connect US

Chapter 1- Marissa

"Someone shit in the children's section," The reek of the accident wafted from the bags Ava held in her hand, with a pure look of horror written all over her face. She began to stuff the trash into the garbage, her perfect strawberry hair haphazardly falling down her neck out of the hair tie that was in its final days.

"Fuck me, we have a public bathroom. It's not like we have a literal neon sign pointing in its' direction," I waved towards the literal neon sign that we have hung on the back wall.

Jane had bought the sign after the number of times during the holidays we had spent directing people to the back wall where before a bright white sign with Restrooms rested. In fitting with the neon theme, she had decided to buy a bright pink restroom sign with an arrow. The investment was well placed in that sign, instead of 20 times a day we were down to solid three-ish times we would be asked.

"I could hear the parents talking while I was shelving cart 1, I didn't realize they were talking about their kid literally taking a shit on the floor till I stepped in it. Of course, on the day I wear my work clothes here. I swear Mari," Ava pinches her fingers in front of her face, "I'm this fucking close to quitting. I love it here, but god fucking damn customers test me every shift." 

Ava ranting was one of the few things that kept me going during our closing shifts. Whenever we worked together it always seemed that the time would fly by and that we would be able to run a solid machine. Her ranting, with her colorful words, to me while we would work to shelve, clean, and help customers.

We didn't hang out much after work, we were both extremely busy with our lives. Ava was an assistant, and I was a grad student, both of us working at Neon Books to gain a little extra money, mostly to spend back in the shop to buy for our own personal libraries.

As I watched her  place the trash into the bin outside for pickup, I thought back to when I first met her. The radiant energy and bubbly personality latching on to me. From then on out, we would be the best friend? Co-workers? I didn't really know what we would call each other because, yes, we did text, but we never hung out in person besides being in the store.

"You know what we should go out!"

"What?' Raising my eyebrow. "You want to go out to dinner after this? Everywhere will be closed at 9 pm."

The corner of her lip tilted up, "Closed on a Friday night? Here in Dallas? Never. I wasn't saying dinner. I was thinking of dancing! You know, like a club. God, I haven't been out in days! Plus, we barely hang out together!" Her voice becoming more animated as she talked while my brain barely caught up with her words.

"It will be perfect! We can go to my place, you can borrow some of my clothes, and we can rideshare into the city! Oh, it will be perfect!" She hustled around fixing lopsided stacks of books and misplaced merchandise. She looked up to the clock, "Oops, we have thirty minutes till closing. I'll start mopping you can start closing registers!" She bounded away leaving me still confused and still wondering.

Should I go out? I must work on my thesis paper, and I really need to write at least 2,000 words tonight. I needed to have my draft done by the end of the month. Going out tonight wasn't particularly a good option. Deadlines are starting to pile up and yet. Getting a drink sounded wonderful. Losing myself in the wave of heat that would soar through my body. I could forget about this week and just.

Relax.

Did I even deserve it?

I watched Ava dance away, swaying her hips to the music. Laughing to myself as she belted at the top of her lungs, causing the lingering customers to give her some questionable looks.