Buzz!

Buzzz...

A shiny white can with bursts of chartreuse and tangerine. A solid red can with flying horned cows and leafy green text. Another can is a blindingly lemon yellow with graffiti-style lettering embossed into the cool metal, with its bright colored blueberry splashes concealing the real prize, the energy gained from the sweet beverage within. Bryan stands there in the WinCo soda aisle, selecting his desired drinks, in pursuit of the uplift of spirit and boost of enthusiasm gained from consuming them. The dim lights flicker a bit. The aisle always felt like a sketchy deal. it was always the worst-lit section of the entire supermarket as if to hide the shame of those who purchase the fun-looking potions to make it through the day.

Bryan grabs the three pop cans as well as a few Five Hour Energy mini bottles. He makes his way toward the self-checkout, trying to escape the judgment of the cashiers watching him. Surely they were thinking, Look at this pathetic teenager, he's everything wrong with this messed-up generation. Scruffy brown hair, a black hoodie (an obvious sign of anarchy), and those stupid energy drinks that they think they need these days. He scanned each container one by one, rereading the labels as they went by, Peach-Mango Bang, Watermelon Red Bull, Ghost Energy flavored like the blue Sour Patch Kids. The boy sets them in a plastic bag on the scale, then he inserts a crumpled ten-dollar bill into the cash slot. The machine seems to think about it for a couple of seconds, then spits the tender out with a mechanical whir. Bryan groans and begins to pace in place softly while he attempts to straighten the bill back to its original crisp self. He decides it's good enough and tries again. The cautionary yellow and black slit swallows the dull orangey-green slip of precious paper and stalls for what feels like an eternity to the poor boy before reminding him to take his receipt and dropping his change clink-clinka-clink into the little bowl. Bryan grabs the coins and his receipt jams them into his bag and exits the crowded store into the early evening ahead of him. He gets home, eats supper with his family, and opens a book before bed.