Rochdale | LGBTQ+

.Two.

The bell rang above the door, signaling the entrance of a customer. I had been shelving cans while there was a period of no customers, so I quickly stacked the last few cans of soup, wiped my hands off on my store apron, and hurried up to the counter.

I lifted the door and hurried behind the counter, grabbing the spreadsheets I'd been filling out off the counter and stuffing them into one of the shelves where no customer would see it and made my way behind the register.

"Hi, welcome to the Bargain Mart, how can I help you today... oh." I trailed off when I saw who'd come into the store. Fucking Lucas Sampson and his cousins. Of course they had to come ruin my day. Couldn't jack off at night knowing they hadn't made me miserable.

The cousins ignored me. I didn't even know their names. The two of them just started looking around, knocking shit over and not caring that I'd have to pick it up. They came every damn summer to hang out with Lucas- who was in my grade and one of my least favorite people in this whole city. 

"Yo Lucas, you want some chicken noodle soup?" one of the cronies snickered.

"The fuck? Why would I want that?" Lucas hollered back. Thank God there were no other people in this store, or I'd be getting in so much trouble for their vulgar language. The cousins had started tossing the cans of soup at each other. One of them hit the glass of the refridgerator section and I heard what sounded like a crack.

"Hey!" I exclaimed. "Stop fucking wrecking my store!"

Lucas turned to me. He was wearing a beanie and fingerless gloves despite the weather outside, and his messily cropped dark brown hair stuck out of it at awkward angles. His brown eyes narrowed at me, shooting daggers. "The fuck you just say to me you little faggot?" 

I winced at the word, but tried to maintain my steady posture. I hid my trembling hands underneath the counter. "I said, stop fucking wrecking my store! Seriously! You guys come in here every day-"

"Do we have a problem here, Barker?" He spat out my last name like it tasted bad on his tongue. "Yeah I come here everyday. You gonna come out from behind there and talk to me about it? Or are you gonna stay there? Hah?" 

I grimaced. I ran my fingers through my hair. "Can you guys just pay for the damn shit you take- it's not that expensive! We are called the fucking 'Bargain Mart' for a goddamn reason assholes! Are you that fucking broke?"

Lucas slammed his fist on the counter, making me jump. "Listen up fag," he said, jabbing his finger at my chest. "I don't like fucking giving money to people like you."

"Then why the hell do you shop here?"

"'Cause I don't have to give you money? Hello? Free shit?" Lucas tilted his head back and laughed. "You're such a dumbass Barker, you know that? Sister's pretty hot though." He reached his hand into his pocket and pulled out a pack.

"You can't smoke in here," I said instinctively.

Lucas glanced up at me. "What was that?"

The cousins had flanked Lucas, leaving a trail of dented cans in their wake. "Are you fucking for real? No one wants to buy dented cans!" I threw up my hands. "You might as well just file our bankruptcy for us Sampson, because that's where we'll end up! Then where will you get your free food? Huh?"

"Someone pays for the shit we take, right boys?" Lucas said, snickering.

The words burned on my tongue. My voice was venom as I spat out. "Yeah. Me."

Lucas looked confused for a moment. Then he snorted. Then he looked confused again. "Wait, are you saying you pay for the crap we take from here?"

"Not just what you take. All the shit you break and pop open. If the seal is broken or there's a hole in it, we can't sell it. So guess who pays for it? Me, fuckers. Because I was fucking on shift. Like I am every time you guys want to come in and trash the place."

Lucas arched his eyebrow. "Woah, someone's got an attitude today. Sorry princess, we didn't know," he said, blinking innocently. I didn't buy it. 

"Call me that one more time."

Lucas leaned over the counter so that I  had to press my back against the wall to keep my distance. "Purr. In. Cess." He sounded out each syllable. I was about to swing on him just then, when my boss walked through those doors. 

Shit! I don't have time to pick up this mess...

"What the hell!" she shrieked. "What are you delinquents doing in my store again? Out! Out!" she said in her heavy Chinese accent. She spoke perfect English but the accent made her words sound a bit off. 

Lucas pointed to me. "Not over Barker. Not. Over."

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest as the three of them made their way out of my store. Then I grabbed the broom from the wall and stepped out from behind the counter. Mrs. Wu was shaking her head. 

I looked at her guiltily. "I-I'm sorry-"

"I don't want your excuses!" she shrieked. "This is coming out of your paycheck! Again! You need to stand up to those bullies, or you'll have no money to feed those sisters of yours. Aya, you hear me boy? Take care of it. Or you're fired!"

The words rang in my ears as I swept up the mess they'd created. Fired. Fired. Fired. I couldn't afford to lose this job. It was one of the best paying ones available that was still downtown, close to where I lived. Penny had gotten one uptown, that she had to take the bus to get to. I was lucky. But my luck was going to run out if I didn't take care of Lucas Sampson, and fast, too.

I finished sweeping up the mess of spilled food, then made my way up and down aisles picking up the cans they'd been throwing around. If they were slightly dented, I put them back on the shelf, but if there was a leak or a large dent, then it was hopeless and I tossed them in the trash. I tried racking up the amount of food in my head, but soon I lost count. I was going to have so much less money on my paycheck this time- and it was all Lucas's fault. He should be the one paying me.

The idea wriggled its way into my head like a catchy song that you can't get rid of. Go to his house. Get your money. It kept singing to me. I can't, I tried to contradict it. If I go to his house... what if his cousins are there? I'll get the shit kicked out of me. 

Bring a weapon. Or a gun. Get your money back!

I clenched my fists around the trash bag and the broom. The voice was right. Even if I got my ass kicked, it was at least worth a try. I needed to get my money back, or else I would never have a big enough paycheck to get food on the table for my family. Because of fucking Lucas Sampson. No way. I started doing the math in my head. He owed me at least a hundred dollars. We could start with that. But at most, it two or three hundred for all of the shit they'd taken. I was just going to give him some time to get the rest of the money. His cousins owed me, too, they should be able to chip in.

Mrs. Wu was right- it was time to take care of it.