[4] Breakeven

7 - The Reason

7 - The Reason

I made my way to the back to restock once again. That seemed to be my main task. I had been doing it for almost two months already. I was okay with that, though. It was better than having to deal with the clients. Some of the women that came into the store were quite stuck up, the age did not alter that. I think they were actually worse than the young, mean girls.  

I had learned to respect Edna, as hard as she made it. It was amazing how she dealt with them. She was not rude or mean like she was with me, even though that was just for fun. She made them understand they had to respect her as well. It was good. They should know that money was nothing they could base themselves on to think they were better than us. And having a conversation with them, I was sure Edna and I would look like smartasses. Money does not change who you are, it only changes how you look.

I sighed tiredly as I carried my almost numb limbs through the store. I liked it though, the exhaustion I got from working here. It was pretty much like the exhaustion one has after an intense workout session. The satisfaction you get when you’re done is the same one.

My break for lunch would soon come along, much to my pleasure. “I’m hungry,” I mumbled under my breath.

“Stop complaining,” Edna grunted at me, scaring me because she had caught me by surprise.

I rolled my eyes at her. Surprisingly, I had learned how to deal with her. I would never push it though; I did not want her to hurt me physically. I had more than enough with the emotional harm. “I am not complaining!” I wailed.

“Yes, you are. And it’s annoying, just like you.” I raised my eyebrows surprised and growled at her.

“You are annoying,” I pointed out with a scowl.

“Oh, no, I think I’ll cry,” she wailed out sarcastically.

I rolled my eyes and walked past her without much patience, the dresses were heavy on my arms. I forced myself not to say anything about it, though. She would never leave me alone if I did. 

Things were looking up for me. I had managed to find somewhere to live. It was a really small apartment. When I say really small, I mean really small. But it covered my needs and that was enough for me.

“You know what you need?” Edna asked as she walked next to me after having showed some clients their way to the cash register.

“Please Edna, tell me what I need,” I inquired tiredly. I turned to face her with tired eyes and a bored expression so she could see I really did not care about what she thought.

“I think you either need to go out or get laid,” she pointed out with a serious expression and I scoffed.

“Shut up, Edna.” I felt my cheeks redden because I could not believe she had said that out loud. Someone could be around and hear her! I frantically looked around, happy to see no one was around us. I would be beyond mortified if someone were to hear her. Edna had no idea what she was talking about. I was just fine the way I was, on my own.

“Make me,” she demanded with a sly smirk. Ugh, she just loved to push my buttons, did she not?!

“Okay, seriously, what is wrong with you? Just leave me alone already,” I grunted, not being able to take anymore shit from her. I had done nothing to her and her little snarky comebacks or comments were getting a bit too rude and obnoxious. I tried to take them lightly, laugh them off. But she was taking it way too far. It was not as if because of my arrival she had been demoted or been fired or anything like that.

Nothing had happened to her, I had done nothing. So why did she keep on pushing me around? Did she like the power she got from it? Well, if that was it, then what a shame because it was ending today, right now.

“Why? I ain’t treating you any different because your sister is dead. Grieve it, get over it and move on,” she grunted and then turned around.

I gaped at her, feeling anger take over me. Lassie could be around and she could fire me if she saw me fighting with Edna, but she had hit a soft spot and it was enough. She had no right to speak like that about my sister. She had no idea about what I had gone through and how much my sister meant to me. I was over her death, anyways. Edna was no one to judge me. I was sure if she had any trouble she would not let me meddle in, so why did she meddle into mine?

“Do not even mention my sister,” I growled under my breath. Lydia’s warm smile came into my mind immediately, with her caring voice, telling me to drop it.

“Or what?” Edna inquired provokingly.

“I will kick your fucking black ass,” I deadpanned, choosing to ignore my sister’s advice for once.

I saw her smirk at my response and I took a menacing step forward so she could see I meant it. “Finally, fairy,” she complimented with an approving nod. I frowned and cocked an eyebrow. The anger that had boiled inside of me began to fade away as confusion took over me.

“What?” I questioned as I stuck out my hip to the left.

She laughed out loud and took a step towards me. I eyed her suspiciously as she took another and soon enough she had her arm around my shoulder. “I did all of it to get a reaction from you,” she simply explained as she shrugged carelessly. It was as if I should have known it all along.

“What?” I questioned once again, even more confused by the confession she had just made. What was that even supposed to mean?

“Learn a different word,” she grunted. And there was the Edna I knew.

It took me a couple of minutes to speak up, as I just cleared my throat a couple of times and then chose to remain silent, for I had not a thing to say. “Edna…”

“I was trying to make you tough. It worked. No one will walk on you. You’re ready to attend the stuck up clients,” she explained and then smiled giddily at me. She looked around, just making sure no client had heard what she said. Then, she turned back to look at me. “You’re welcome,” she chirped and then turned around and walked away.

“Why would you do all of that?” I questioned as I approached her once the client walked away, into the dressing rooms to try on a skirt.

“All of what?” she questioned with furrowed eyebrows.

“The messing around with me? Calling me things and always making fun of me?” I asked as I crossed my arms over my chest defensively.

“Oh, that was because I love to mess with you. That is not stopping, it’s just too much fun,” she chirped with a victorious grin.

I stared at her as she walked up to the client and attended her once again. Apparently, the skirt was a size too big for her. I saw it was the right size for her, but if she wanted a shorter skirt, that was what she would get. She was paying for it anyway, so it was none of our business how short it was on her.  

I shook my head and finally placed the dresses where they belonged, replaying that weird scene again and again in my mind, trying to make sense of it.

My arms were already buzzing due to how numb they were. They did not fog my mind, though. I was busy with another thought.

I surely worked with a weird crowd.