Getting to Know You

Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

I looked at my reflection in the mirror, studying myself. With shaking hands I lifted my arms. I moved side to side, touched my toes; I moved every which way to make sure that you couldn't see anything you weren't supposed to. "So far, so good." I muttered to myself, pulling the hem of my shirt down over my hips as I straightened back up. I stretched my neck to examine my chest and sighed. There it was; a blotch of inflamed skin that shouldn't be there. I ran my fingers over my chest, cringing slightly as they skimmed over a growing bump just below my collarbone. I took the elastic from my hair and shook out my brown curls, letting my hair fall over my shoulders to cover the bump.

I grabbed my purse from my bed and slung it around my shoulder, carefully sticking my head out my bedroom door. Maybe it was a trick of the light, or maybe it was him, but a flash of movement in my dad's bedroom at the end of the hall caught my eye. I jumped back into my room and held my breath, clenching my hands into fists to stop the shaking. His door slammed closed after a moment and I exhaled, relief coursing through my body. I probably wouldn't see him until tomorrow. At least, I hoped I didn't. Maybe tomorrow would be better. I burst through the doorway and ran down the stairs as fast as I could, in such a hurry to get away that I almost forgot to close the front door.

Given my dad's current mood, I decided that taking the car probably wasn't a good idea and opted to ride my bike to work. I was closing the store, so it would be dark by the time I was coming home, but it was only a few blocks away. I liked to be outside, anyway. I got my bike out of the garage and dusted off the seat, jumping when the front door opened. My hands started to shake again as I hopped on my bike and started down the side walk, my body tense. "Natalie, stop." I didn't. "I'm going to work, Marcus." I said flatly, pedaling past him. "I'm sorry." He said as I passed, making my chest ache. He was always sorry. "I'll be back around ten thirty." I called over my shoulder, rounding the corner as fast as I could without tipping over. As soon as the store came into view, my body relaxed, relief washing through me. The liberation I felt from being here was like a drug, tingling all the way to my fingertips, making me giddy. This was a place where I had control. Here, I knew what to expect and how to react. Here, I didn't have to hide.

I've been working at Kat's Groceries since I was sixteen. After two years, Kat surprised me on my eighteenth birthday with a new name tag that had the title of 'manager' instead of 'checker.' Coming up on nineteen, I was still here. I walked through the automatic doors and straight to the back to find Kat sitting at her desk. Her nose was buried in the schedule binder, a small grimace on her face. "Hey, Kat." I said, putting my purse in my locker. "Hey, hon." She said, smiling briefly before her frown returned as she looked back at the schedule. Kathryn Morrison was a tall, thin woman with wildly curly hair who never went a day without wearing lipstick. She had sharply defined features that made her look tough, but she was the kindest woman I had ever come to know. Kat had become somewhat of a second mother, especially after my mom left almost two years ago, and I don't know where I would be without her.

"Ben just called in sick." She sighed, dropping the binder and rubbing her forehead. "Then who do I get to boss around?" I joked, looking at the schedule. "Whitney, Nick, and Scott." She laughed, standing up. "We might be alright, but could you call Abby?" She asked. "If she can come in that's great. If she can't, we'll survive."

"Yes, of course." I smiled. I got my phone out of my pocket, already knowing that Abby would come. Whenever we were together, she was always asking if I could get her more hours. "Thanks hot stuff." Kat said, winking as she left the office. I sent Abby a text explaining about Ben and put on my red apron, pinning my name tag to the front.

Abby arrived just in time. The lines were insanely long given the size of our homey little store, and people were getting impatient. Abby immediately jumped on the last register, a few people hopping over to her lane. After the rush, I jumped off the register and went over to bag for Abby's last customer. "You are a saint." She said, placing a carton of eggs next to me. She smiled weakly and eyed the cartload of food that still needed to be rung up.

Abby had been my friend for almost eleven years. When I was eight, my best friend Ashton moved to Australia, leaving the house behind my own empty. Not long after, the Irwin's house sold, and Abby and her family moved in. We have been friends ever since. Abby is the complete opposite of myself. She is short, with blonde hair as straight as a board and clear blue eyes. I am five foot ten with curly hair and dark brown eyes. Unlike me, she wears her heart on her sleeve and is always speaking her mind. She has no filter, but working at Kat's has helped her learn how to hold her tongue... at least, until her customer leaves.

"That woman had lipstick on her teeth." She blurted out, handing me the store's copy of Lipstick Woman's receipt. I chuckled and slipped the receipt in the drawer near my knees. "Ladies and gents!" Kat called, getting our attention. "It's eight; I'm off for the night. Natalie, take care of my babies." She said, pointing her finger at me with squinty eyes. "Will do." I replied, bringing my hand to my forehead and saluting her as she left the store.

"Okay, guys." I said, turning to face everyone. "Who wants what?" I asked, leaning back on the counter. "I want evens." Whitney said, signing off of her register before I could deny her. "Okay." I smiled. She was a little shorter than me with brown eyes, the under half of her brown hair dyed a deep blue. "Whitney has got evens. Make them look nice, please." I smiled, sending her off to straighten up. I looked over at Scott. "You've got odds, but stay logged on. If it gets busy, you and Abby are my checkers." He nodded, walking off. "Thank you!" I called as his tall frame disappeared around the corner. "Abbs, you're my main checker." I smiled. "And please clean the registers before you leave." I said. She nodded, throwing her hair up into a messy bun.

"I'm missing an employee... Where's Nick?" I asked. She shrugged her shoulders, turning to help the elderly man who was ready to be checked out. I reached around her and picked up the telephone, pressing the intercom button. "Nick, will you pick up line one please?" I asked, my voice ringing throughout the store. I pressed the one and waited for about thirty seconds before I heard Nick's high-pitched voice on the other end. "Yeah?" He asked, sniffling into the phone. I swear he had allergies year round. "Nicholas, you are in charge of the tables and refrigerators in the front. As soon as you are done, you can go." I said, hanging up the phone.

It was nine forty now, and the store was dead. All of the jobs were done, and Nick had left forty five minutes ago. We were all sitting in the front now, waiting for ten o'clock to roll around so we could close the store. I sighed, hopping up onto the counter. "Whitney and Scott, you guys can go." Whitney's eyes widened. "Really?" She asked, looking at the clock. "Really, really." I replied. She grinned, throwing her bag over her shoulder. "Thanks Natalie!" She called, sashaying out the automatic door.

"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry!" Whitney said, her voice muffled through the glass doors. "I was not watching where I was going." She explained, out of breath. "It's alright." Someone replied with a thick accent, chuckling lightly. The doors swung open and a tall boy came through the doors, a wide smile on his face. His shaggy hair was light brown, his wild curls held back with a grey bandana. He was wearing black skinny jeans and a T-shirt, his converse worn and full of character. He had prominent dimples on his face as he smiled, his expression joyful. Did I know him?

I watched as he walked down the dairy aisle, taking some chocolate milk out of the fridge. Closing time was in fifteen minutes, and he was the only customer in the store. "Abbs, you can go." I said, glancing down the diary aisle again only to see that he was gone. "Okay." She yawned, logging off of her register. "Bye, Natalie." She said, shuffling her feet as she left the store. I followed her, turning the doors from automatic to manual and putting up the 'Closed' sign so that nobody else would try to come in. When I turned around, he was walking up to the register.

"I guess I got here just in time, huh?" He smiled, placing his items on the counter in front of me. His Australian accent was thick. Just then something clicked. "I'm so sorry, but is your name Ashton?" I blurted out, scanning his chocolate milk. He looked a little surprised until he looked down and saw my name tag. "Your last name wouldn't happen to be Owens, would it?" He smirked, leaning his elbows on the counter.