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The email came through while I was halfway through a bowl of cereal. My phone buzzed, and I almost spilled milk all over myself when I saw the subject line:
Welcome to the Target Team!
I blinked at it, rereading just to be sure I wasn't hallucinating.
Thank you for coming in to interview with us, Angel. We'd love to bring you on board. Can you start Monday at 4PM?
Monday.
Like, in next week.
I wiped my mouth, dropped the spoon back into the bowl, and immediately grabbed my phone.
Angel: Got the job. I start Monday.
Trayvon replied fast, like he'd been waiting to hear
Trayvon: Ayye congrats!! Proud of you. First check better go toward something unnecessarily anime related.
Angel: You already know.
I grinned, sliding my phone to the side and just sitting there for a second. I'd done it. First interview, first job. I didn't even bomb it, which was a miracle in itself considering how sweaty my palms were the whole time. The manager, some chill woman named Denise, seemed to like me though. She said I had a welcoming energy which I decided to take as a compliment and not just code for you smile a lot.
By the time Monday rolled around, I'd stress picked out an outfit after school, ironed it twice, then changed it anyway. I showed up ten minutes early and still felt like I was late.
The break room smelled like burnt popcorn and those cinnamon brooms that show up every fall. I was just trying to figure out which locker wasn't claimed when I heard a voice behind me.
"You look like you're either really nervous or plotting a heist."
I turned to see a guy about my age, tall, brown skin, curly hair, sipping on an energy drink like it was water. His name tag read Sean.
"First day," I said.
"Ah," he nodded knowingly. "I'm Sean. Don't worry, you'll only screw up like three or four things max."
"That's comforting."
He grinned. "You'll be fine. They're probably gonna stick you in seasonal or front end, maybe carts if someone called out. If you get carts though my condolences."
"Noted."
Orientation was short and sweet. My new manager Denise walked me through the basics, had me watch a few outdated training videos, then handed me a walkie and told me to shadow Sean for the rest of the shift.
We clicked pretty quick. Sean was easygoing, funny without trying, and knew all the dumb little tricks that made the shift bearable.
"Rule number one," he said as we walked past the home goods section, "never let the toddlers trick you into thinking they're cute. They will scream like demons five minutes later."
