Mote of Darkness

Chapter 10

Sarah, Penny, and I remain skittish for the next couple of days, but everything has been normal. Well normal except for nightmares and exhaustion. I even went back to working at my uncle's auto shop on Tuesday. I haven't been here in ages, but I just couldn't sit at home.

I'm glad for the normalcy of it. All I have to do is sit on a chair behind the cash register, check out the customers that want to buy things, and stare blankly anytime someone asks me a question about vehicles.

Yeah, I work in a store that sells vehicle parts. That doesn't mean I have any clue what any of them do. My uncle has tried to teach me, but it's hopeless. I've only picked up on a few vehicle parts like spark plugs. The only definition of spark plugs that I need is: they are not to be used as sparklers. Although we do sell sparklers too, isle seven. Spark plugs, isle two.

Sitting in a college class and getting near perfect grades was easy. Learning about car parts, not so much.

My uncle is just happy to have someone sit behind the counter and cash people out. There are plenty of other people around that can confidently answer customers' questions.

I spot Tyler, Sarah's boyfriend, approaching the checkout counter with a huge cart full of items. We have carts here? When did that happen? Most people just grab one or two things. There are baskets, but in the years I've been working here, I have never seen a cart. He definitely needed a cart though, that thing is almost overflowing.

"Oh Brix! I forgot you worked here! I'm so glad you're okay! Sarah and Penny have been a mess this past month." One by one he pulls the items out of the cart and places them on the counter. I scan them and put them in bags.

"You having difficulties with your car?" I ask.

"Oh, no. My uncle is restoring an old Punch Buggy and asked me to pick up some things. He gave me a list." He pulls out a piece of paper covered in smeared ink.

A black screen flashes across the computer. "Ugh, this stupid thing just restarted on me. Have to wait a minute for the thing to load back up."

"No worries." He says. His long arms lean against the counter and his shaggy cool brown hair falls in his face as he waits.

I eye the growing line of customers behind him, and wait impatiently for the thing to start up. I pull everything I already scanned out of the four bags and line the labels all facing me. Hate this computer.

Finally, I hear the beep indicating it's on, quickly unlock it, and start rescanning things. Almost done. The cart looks like it has about two bags worth of items left.

A cell phone rings twice, and Tyler fumbles with his pocket. "Hello?" He pauses waiting for the other person to speak.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'll be over tonight to drop everything off." Pause "What do you mean you got everything?" Irritation laces voice. Another pause.

"I'm at the checkout counter right now, you couldn't have told me before? You specifically sent me to... Ugh fine whatever, bye." He hangs up.

I pause before scanning the last item.

Tyler speaks, "Sorry, Brixlee. My jerk of an uncle went and got everything yesterday and neglected to tell me." He eyes the pile of bags and looks at the time on his phone.

"I have to get back to work. I'm already late. My lunch ended three minutes ago. Would you mind putting the stuff away?" He asks.

"Yeah, sure it's fine." I cringe internally. My coworker has been busy all day. I'll have to put everything away, and I know what none of this junk is.

"I'll make it up to you. How about I bring over dinner Thursday for you girls."

That brightens me up a bit. The one thing Penny, Sarah, and I agree on about Tyler is his cooking is far superior to what we usually eat. He grew up working in his family's restaurant. The food there sucks. Which doesn't make much sense because his cooking is amazing.