Cashier

Bonus 3: Brett and Landon (Part 1)

Landon was scared.

A quiet boy like him trying to talk to anyone was scary enough.

But admitting your crush on the captain of the hockey team was on a completely different level of nerve wracking.

Brett Hardwrick and Landon Corbett had been friends for a long time. Even when Brett got onto the Varsity hockey team, he found time to talk to him. They knew everything about one another.

Everything except for the romantic feelings that both of them harbored for one another.

 They figured this out at a party. Brett kissed Landon, and things...escalated. Then after that, there had been nothing but awkward stares and stilted onversations between the two for four months. Landon had waited long enough, though. He decided to make the first move and tell Brett.

--

It was a rainy day when Brett's relationship with Landon fell apart.

He had been hanging out with his friends in the cafeteria. It was getting harder and harder to lie to them about his sexuality. He was growing tired. 

Things had been going well. They were talking as always. Brett was off to the side, scrolling through his phone and tuning them out as always. Everything was fine.

And then Landon came along. 

"So...There's something I want to tell you," he started out. He readjusted his glasses and wiped his clammy hands on his pants. "See...I've liked you for a while now, and I was wondering...do you want to, I don't know--hang out sometime? Maybe?"

Brett shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so," he said.

Landon's eyes lit up. Brett felt bad for what he was about to do next. "Really," the boy said.

"Sure," he said, reaching into his pocket. He slipped on his shock ring with one hand. He did this often, so he was able to slip it on quickly without looking unnatural. "Here's my number." His friends looked at him confused, but Brett gave them a reassuring look. 

"Gee, thanks!" The boy said, reaching for the slip of paper. "I didn't think you'd-" the boy yelped as he was shocked by the ring. Brett and the other players started laughing. Brett had to force himself to laugh. Every breath of air felt like it took him all of his energy to let out. Landon walked off crying, and although Brett was laughing, internally he was worse off than his friend was.

---

Brett walked up with 10 bottles of itching powder and balloons. He would go through great lengths to make sure his little secret was safe. For a second, he stopped walking and considered leaving the store without buying anything, but he forced himself to walk up to the checkout aisle. "I'm doing the right thing," he murmured. "I'm doing the right thing. I'm doing the right thing..."

Brett eyed the clerk with a smirk on his face. She was pretty, but that's about as far as his attraction for girls went. They were pretty. That's all. The girl on the other hand, was quickly flustered and looked down at the cart.  

"So...what's the occasion," she asked.

Brett fought to keep the smirk on his face. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

The girl raised an eyebrow. "Uh yeah, that's why I asked."

"Oh..." For a second, he considered dropping the act, but he had to be believable so he slapped the smirk back on and leaned against the counter. "There's this nerd in my class that tried to make me look bad. I'm gonna teach him a lesson..." The words rolled out more forced than a rich kid's play date.

The girl chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Have fun with that...that'll be $52.43. Cash or card?"

Brett swiped his card and entered his pin code. He then put his bags in his little buggy. He pulled a small piece of paper out of his pocket. "And here's my number." 

She grabbed the paper, amused by his blatant flirting. Suddenly, she jumped back in pain as Brett shocked her hand. She quickly reeled back her hand and shook it frantically. Brett forced out a laugh as he walked away. "Jerk..." The girl muttered. Brett's smile disappeared at that. He looked down at his cart. 

He sighed. "I am a jerk..."

---

I'm not dead don't worry

-Fred