Checkout || l.h.

checkout

CHAPTER ONE

--

Usually, Julie didn't even work on Tuesdays, but one of her co-workers was sick and somehow she was picked by Satan - her boss - to come in for their shift. So that's how she ended up at Cash Register 12 in that dumb red polo at nine thirty. She didn't even understand why she needed to come in because there were only a couple registers open since Target was closing in less than half an hour so how much harm could be done with one less register for the four customers in the store to go to.

"Julie, time?" Laura calls from a few registers down. Of course, since there were only three registers open, they had to be completely spread out because heaven forbid they're all just next to each other. It seemed pretty dumb to Julie.

"Almost nine forty," she reads off her phone before quickly slipping it back in her pocket when she notices someone walking in her line. "Hi," she gives the blond boy a tight, fake smile as she does with every customer.

"Hey, babe," he smirks, placing his items on the conveyer belt.

"Excuse me?" Her smile falls and he just chuckles. She glances down at his two item and rolls her eyes. "Condoms and alcohol at almost ten o' clock on a Tuesday? Sounds like a fun night," she scoffs, quickly scanning the items. "I need your I.D."

"You could always join me for this fun night." That smirk never leaves his face as he hands her the I.D. card and a twenty dollar bill. She rolls her eyes, handing him back the card and getting his change out of the register.

"Too bad I have to stay here," she sighs dramatically, "darn."

"Every girl dreams of me just talking to them, stop with the act." His tongue plays with his lip ring, "Juliette," he reads off her name tag, voice smooth. She lets out another scoff and hands him his receipt.

"Please, who in their right mind would even want to talk to you?" She raises her eyebrows challengingly, meeting his eyes for the first time since he walked up.

"Come on, I'm Luke Hemmings," he chuckles and sends her a wink, taking the plastic Target bag from her.

"Is that supposed to mean something to me?" She laughs sarcastically as an elderly woman walks in her lane with a few groceries. Luke's cocky smirk falls and he stares at her questioningly for a few moments before Julie speaks up again. "Sorry, babe, I've got a customer to assist and you're kinda holding her up," she grins happily and he narrows his eyes slightly, the side of his lips twitching up in an amused smile.

"I'll see you around, Juliette." And with that, he walks away towards the entrance of the grocery store and Julie rolls her eyes at the use of her full name before turning her attention to the old woman.

...

"Hey, cupcake," Julie's best friend, Mae, greets from the couch, not looking up from the book in her hands.

"You were reading that book in that exact same position when I left two hours ago, have you moved?" Julie laughs as she walks into the small kitchen of their flat.

"Of course I've moved," Mae scoffs, "I had to check to make sure Pretty Little Liars was recording -"

"You didn't need to get up for that, the remote's right there," Julie interrupts, pulling out her leftover food from going out to dinner the previous night.

"Shut up," she huffs in reply before continuing, "and then, I got hungry so I cooked something, and then -"

"You did not cook, Mae, what did you do?" Julie laughs as her food reheats in the microwave.

"Stop it," Mae whines, "I made Ramen," she mumbles quietly with a pout and Julie lets out another loud laugh.

"Professional chef, Mae Young, everybody," she cheers with her hands cupped around her mouth for dramatic effect.

"I don't even know why I talk to you." Mae keeps her pout and crosses her arms.

"Because you love me," Julie sings proudly as the microwave beeps.

"Questionable," Mae mutters jokingly under her breath, aware that Julie heard what she said.

"Alright, well, I was going to sit with you while I ate to give you some company, but never mind. I'll just go eat my room and never talk to you again," Julie decides dramatically.

"You promise?" Mae gasps and Julie gapes at her as she laughs.

"My brother called today," Julie tells her, sitting on the opposite side of the couch with her legs out and that instantly got Mae's attention. Julie's brother, Jacob, worked at a record label company and one of the secretaries had been fired and since Jacob was pretty high up in the company, he got Mae the job as their new secretary. "He says you can start on Monday if that's good."

"Of course that's good," Mae laughs. She and Julie knew about the singers and bands that were always there for meetings and recordings so Mae was pretty excited about working there. "So how was work my darling?"

"It was as good as it could be. Especially since I got called in on my day off," she pouts.

"You had to work for, like three hours, calm yourself," Mae teases her best friend, kicking her foot lightly.

"Still," Julie stretches, "and I met the cockiest bastard. Like, his greeting was 'hey babe'," she deepens her voice for effect and Mae giggles, "and the entire time he had this dumb cocky smirk on his face like he owned the place - though his lip ring made him look pretty hot, but that's not the point - and who the fuck buys condoms and alcohol on a Tuesday night? Like, what are your plans? It's Tuesday," she huffs.

"Hey, club's going up on a Tuesday, right?" Mae grins as Julie sends her a glare.

"I will kick you out of this house," she emptily threatens.

"Okay, okay, finish your story about the hot bastard."

"Okay, so then when I declined his offer to hang out with him, but I'm pretty sure that was a joke, he said every girl dreams of talking to him like he's fucking Harry Styles or some shit. And when I asked who would want to talk him, he said 'I'm Luke Hemmings' like that was supposed to change something. Like, no, I don't care what your full name is, you're still a dick, Luke Hemmings," she finishes with another loud huff and Mae lets out a quiet laugh.

"I'm sorry you had to deal with an asshole today, babe." Mae pats her foot sympathetically.

"Yeah, well, it's kinda part of the job."

--

i'm so sorry this chapter is so short i promise they'll get longer 

but other than that i hope it wasn't too bad for a first chapter xx