NOTE: It may say Person# sometimes because those were made as placeholders for names, but I'm not sure if I got them all. Anyways, Person1 is Laufna(employee), Person2 is Susan(customer), Person3 is Ethan(child of customer), and Person is Dausha(other employee).
Laufna was humming to themselves, cleaning the counter with music playing in their ears. They couldn't hear the sound of the bell ringing as someone entered the small pet shop. That someone's name was Susan. She started walking around the shop for someone to assist her when she spotted Laufna at the front counter. She walked up to Laufna and said, "Ma'am? Ma'am?? MA'AM?" Laufna looks up at Susan and frantically takes off her headphones. "Oh, sorry ma'am and/or sir," they said embarrassed, "Couldn't hear you over my music. Hehe."
Susan rolled her eyes and said, hands on her hips, "I'm obviously a ma'am." Susan started to get worried, but not trying to assume things about her said, "Oh, my apologies. Anything I can help you with?" Susan humphed and said quietly, "Now that's more like it." She put her hands on her bag strap and said, "I need help looking for a good pet for my wonderful stepdaughter." Laufna nodded and said, "Right this way, ma'am!" She pointed towards the part of the store with the pets. She first walked over to the döshes and phlonkers.
"A döshe would be a good choice if they-" "She." Susan cut off, looking slightly mad. "Alright..." Laufna resumed, "A döshe would be a good choice if she's energetic and needs a friend. We even have calmer döshes. We don't have many big döshes but we have plenty of small döshes." Susan sneered and said, "Hm... I'm not so sure. I don't think we could have a dirty... döshe running around our house." Laufna replied, "Alright... Then follow me." They walked to a kahla section. Laufna was about to talk about the kahlas when a small child ran up to Susan and said, "I know what pet I want! I want THAT bird!"
They said, pointing to the blue and white phenaha, resembling a parakeet. "Excuse me, sweetie, I'm choosing for you. Now go sit down in the car like a good little girl, Emily." The kid looked down at the ground as they said quietly and said, "My name's Ethan." Susan looked sternly at them and said, "What did you just say?" The kid said scared, "N-nothing." And walked back to the car. Laufna, worried, pretended that the kid dropped something and they went to return it to her.
Susan just poked her face up and scoffed. Laufna said they'd be back very quickly but that their coworker would help them and went on her way. They knocked on the window of the car and said, "Hey, can I ask you something?" The kid, confused, rolled down their window and said, rubbing their eyes, "What... Did my mom ask you to talk to me?" Laufna shook their head and said, "I just wanted to know your name." The kid put her head down and said, "My name..."
To be continued in the next chapter...
(488 words, not including the notes)
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That's Not My Name
Short StoryAn Earthan mother goes to a Herhausetan pet store to get their child a pet, but she hates the way the employee refers to her child, leading to the child finding a safe place to be themselves. Protect trans youth.
