𝕋ℍ𝔼 ℂ𝕆𝕃𝕃𝔼ℂ𝕋𝕀𝕆ℕ

Streamer 2/4

A/N: This chapter is prewritten! Happy (late when it's posted) 4th of July to all my American readers! To everyone else, happy Thursday!

You'd started listening to different streamers more and more as time wore on. You were almost always stocking or in the back where it was easier to get away with having your earbuds in. Chad had even begun to recommend you different streamers after one friendly conversation in the break room.

Of course, Karen was still as much of a monster as always. It was getting worse now that midterms were right around the corner. Listening to streams was your only escape from Karen's tyranny.

You began to listen more to the streamer you'd discovered over the last few months, 'LadyInRed'. She had a medium sized following and mostly played games. She had a soothing voice and the way she talked to her chat was almost motherly. Her streams were a nice way to calm down after being yelled at by both customers and Karen all day. Especially now that Chad was taking some time off to study for his college midterms.

Unfortunately for you, one of your co-workers had the flu so you were on the cash register today. LadyInRed wasn't streaming so you'd opted for your playlist instead of the pop songs blasting through the store. Of course, your earbuds were covered by your hat but you had to be even more careful than normal.

However, your last straw came in the form of a customer you recognized. It was the Pea Man from a couple of shifts ago. Despite the fact that you weren't even on stocking today he locking in on you and stormed over to your register.

Luckily before he could get there a woman pushed her full cart into your lane and began loading her groceries onto the belt. She gave you a friendly smile as you began to ring her up. Behind her the man was getting increasingly agitated to the point that one of your co-workers was sending you sympathetic looks.

The woman wasn't even out of the lane, just beginning to bag up her things into reusable bags she'd brought, when the man began to go off on you. He was yelling about anything and everything.

The store was still out of his peas, bummer but you weren't the one who decided what to order for the store. He claimed that you looked unprofessional, you were wearing your uniform just like everyone else. The store was too cold, you didn't control the thermostat. You were at your breaking point and were about to do something that would lose you your job when the lady in your lane stepped up.

"Sir, you are berating a child for things that are way out of their control. Does it make you feel powerful to yell at a teenager who's just trying to do their job? Are you proud of yourself for making someone's day worse to make yourself feel better because you probably hate your life?" The man's mouth fell open and Karen, who was probably on her way over to do damage control and glare at you stopped in her tracks.

"Honestly, how low do you have to go to bully a child?!" The woman huffed, before turning back to you. "I am so sorry sweetheart, are you okay?"

"Oh, um, yes? Thank you, miss." You stuttered out. You were a bit surprised that someone would stand up for you seeing how no one besides Chad had ever done that before. The woman smiled at you apologetically before taking her bags. She sent the man, who was now quiet, one last dirty look before leaving with her shopping.

The Pea Man slipped out of the store after her, pointedly ignoring you and Karen went back to supervising and yelling at people. But as you continued to ring up customers something about that one lady just felt familiar to you...

But you brushed it off, instead staring at the clock and counting down the hours until the end of your shift.