You are my sunshine, my only sunshine

I'm in love with a ghost

Liz's pov

When I get out onto the floor, I see three guys Idling around the anime figures. It's three guys. Normal guys. As per company policy, I am...duty bound to greet them.

Liz:welcome to where all your dreams and fantasies come true in anime heaven!

It's so lame. I pray to every, and, and all gods that they're so preoccupied looking at anime merchandise that they've preemptively tuned me out. I can't talk to jack when there are people around, lest I look insane, so our conversation is set aside for the moment. Good. Because I need a moment to think. Firstly, the audacity of Ian, to call like that. I know he didn't mean it. But I feel...tricked. But. Secondly...after all this time...is this. Love? Does jack really make me feel whole, all on his own? Or...is this just a hallucination too. Is this even real? Do I want to love...a hallucination? Would it be so bad? It's not hurting anyone...and he has to be real, right? He made me pancakes. And then we...I feel warm and molten to my core, thinking about...what it could be like...nobody seems interested in me right now and I know I'm not interested in anybody else. He already...sleeps with me. It's all been harmless up unless now. But how deep does this go? How deep could it go? Am I considering loving a ghost-thing? Oh my god I'm considering it enough to ask if I am. This is...so far from where I thought I'd be right now.

Nick:hey can we get these? Please, I mean. Haha...

One of the guys, the real guys, set down the three boxes of figures of naruto, demon slayer, and death note on the counter.

Liz:oh-Yeah! Sure! Uh...

I get fussing with the register. I check them out. I get a plastic bag. I put them in. I give it back. And that's the end of that.

Liz:thank you.

I wave as the customer's friend prepare to leave. But the one guy lingers.

Nick:..you...uh...you work here. Right?

I plucked at my name tag jokingly.

Liz:well I did just ring you up.

Nick:...cool. Cool.

He hums and haws a bit, before grabbing his bag and leaving. Weird. But over, at least. Hopefully, they'll be the first and the last for the day. I sigh. The rain continues to waterfall outside the windows. Some might even say it's raining cats and dogs. The drum of the downpour is almost soothing, in the stock stillness of the empty store. But I'm still on the clock. And that means there's no time to sit in an emotionally cryptic trance. Now when there's boxes to restock, and problems to ignore.