𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗟𝗘𝗥 𝗚𝗜𝗥𝗟𝗦: 𝗟𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗪𝗔𝗩𝗘𝗦

chapter six

One of Sawyer's favorite tasks to do was sort through clothes in the back. The second shipment would come in, she'd be the first person to volunteer to go through it, mainly because it was the only thing she could do at work that allowed for her to be alone most of the time. So when shipment came in the day after her conversation with Nick, Sawyer didn't hesitate to head to the back. 

She sat on the ground as she unpacked the boxes, using the boards to help her fold shirts while she was able to fold shorts, jeans, and pants with the precise method all Light Waves employees were expected to know. 

The new shipment contained mostly jeans; mom, skinny, and boyfriend to be specific. Flannels, t-shirts and sweaters were also coming in, which was something Sawyer believed was quite... unnecessary. 

It wasn't even the middle of July and fall clothes were already beginning to be shipped, the same way back to school supplies were being placed in every store. Despite no longer being in high school, Sawyer was still responsible for attending college in the upcoming fall, and the rushed experience of summer only made her more anxious for the moment. 

It wasn't that she was scared to be away from home, in fact, that was possibly the only not scary part about college to her. She was used to being in different settings, from nights spent at her grandmas when things were bad at home to the various night trips her mom would have to take her on to visit her dad while he was in prison. Overall, she wasn't scared to be going across the country alone, but rather she was comforted by it.

Instead, she was scared over the little moments, the stupid stuff. She was scared to have to learn where her classrooms were. She was scared to dress in appropriate attire.  She was scared of college parties. She was scared for new friendships and relationships. She was scared to end up eating alone. She was scared that she wouldn't be able to say no to her roommate if she pushed her too hard. 

Sawyer was scared of everything. 

She wasn't really sure how to get through it, how to overcome her fears. After all, she had a long list of what she was scared of. Normally, whenever she was scared she'd ask for help from one of her best friends, but in college, she'd be alone. Sure she could call up her friends, but they wouldn't be able to help her with most issues. For the first time, she'd have to figure things out for herself. 

In some aspects, she was used to this, having to fend for herself. On nights when her mother would go visit her father, she'd be left home alone with her younger siblings, her three younger siblings. From the age of eight, she was left alone with a six-year-old, a one-year-old, and a newborn. 

As a child, Sawyer had to take care of three children. It was fine, she always told herself that. She didn't mind, they were her siblings. She didn't mind having to throw away her childhood for her younger siblings and her mother. She didn't mind having to become an adult at the ripe age of eight. 

But yet, she did mind. She hated the fact that she didn't get normal childhood experiences like going to the park with her friends or playing sports. She didn't get to go on family vacations every year. She didn't get to have sleepovers, because her mom needed help taking care of her siblings. 

Maybe that was why Sawyer was so content with leaving home; she'd finally be free from everyone that had been forcing her to stay in that house. But at the same time, she was scared to leave her siblings. Scared that without her to stand up for them, they'd end up letting their parents walk all over them. 

All in all, Sawyer was scared. 

So, in order to calm her fears, she folded clothes. She folded all ten boxes that came in through shipment, and then she organized them and put them out onto the floor as go-backs. And finally, when she was done with that, she folded every single jean shelf that was in the store, until she overheard a conversation between Andy and Justin. 

"Next week we're going to have the police come in," Andy sighed, his words grasping Sawyer's attention. 

"Why?" Justin practically jumped. "What's happening?"

"Someone's been taking at least $300 from the register every day," Andy attempted to whisper. 

"Oh, wow," Justin nodded with a sigh. "Do you think you know who it is?"

"I mean, I don't think any of our employees would do that," Andy shrugged. "I trust all of them."

"Maybe you trust them all too much," Justin raised his eyebrows, ending their conversation. 

"Did you hear that?" Sawyer whispered to Alyssa as she walked over to the girl folding the jeans. 

"No, what?" Alyssa tilted her head.

"Someones been stealing like $300 from the register every day," Sawyer responded. "Police are coming in next week."

"Oh, wow," Alyssa raised her eyebrows in shock. "Who do you think it is? Do--do you think it's Riely or something? Oh, what if it's Nick? Or Neha--"

"I highly doubt any of them would be ambitious enough to steal from the place they work at," Sawyer quickly interjected. "Maybe someones been breaking in at night, or, like, when no ones at the registers."

"Still, that's worrying," Alyssa sighed. "What if I get fired because they think it's me?"

"Well, is it you?"

"No."

"Then you won't get fired!" Sawyer shrugged. "It's fine, I'm sure it's nothing that serious."

Sawyer was incredibly wrong.