𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫

𝐱𝐱𝐱𝐯𝐢𝐢𝐢 - 𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐞

~ Eddie gets his cast signed ~

☾

You work Saturdays at the pharmacy and are used to seeing Eddie from behind the counter. Your dad used to work with Mr. Keene so you got to work there for free with his troll of a daughter, Gretta. Luckily she got a cold and couldn't work the restock shift so you are loaded with three jobs instead of just two.

The bell rings just as you are finished putting a bunch of medicines on the shelves. You glance up and see Eddie, who stands in the doorway and looks at you like he doesn't know what to do. You smile in a friendly way and wave over your shoulder.

"Come on in, I don't bite." He swallows and nods with a nervous smile, following you to the counter meekly. His eyes travel the shop and he watches from in front of the counter as you walk to the register.

"You're here for your refills, I'm guessing?" you say with a small smile. He nods and gives a weak smile. That's when you notice the thick white cast that cages a presumably broken arm. You've heard that his mom is overbearing and that the pills he has to take are actually place holders.

You grab the medication and hand it to him in a brown paper bag, watching him fish for cash. At the same time, you ring him up and snatch a red pen from the cup holder nearby. As you slot the dollar bills into the register, you uncap the marker with your teeth and say, "You know they're fakes, right?"

"What are?" Eddie asks, looking intrigued.

"Your meds," you answer, taking his arm from across the counter and scrawling your name and number on the side with a few hearts surrounding it. "They're placebos."

"What does . . ." He sucks in a sharp gasp and his eyes go wide, his cheeks red, his ears pink when he spots your name and number on his cast. "Wh-what are placebos?"

"They're bullshit," you answer plainly, smiling and then saying with a friendly grin similar to your early one, "Call me sometime. We should get ice cream."

"Yeah . . ." he breathes, smiling and stumbling out of the pharmacy breathlessly.