The Woes of Working at Walmart

Chapter Three: Changing Room Tornado

After my little run-in with the boy-who-lived-when-I should've-killed-him, I headed for the alternative break room. I was running from my problems, but my problems were crashing down all around me.

As I walked and ignored customer's looks of desperation to find something, my thoughts were running a mile a minute. If I go to the break room, it will just be a worse nightmare repeat, I figured. It would be better to go hide out with Rafaela. The cashiers can clean up the hurricane mess, right? It's not like they need to scan products and ring up the tally. I mean "what are the self-checkouts for?"

"Looking at yourself in the mirror?" Rafaela feebly muttered from her seat by the dressing rooms.

"Rafaela making jokes? What else is new?"

"Well some new clothes came in today even though they were soo three years ago. ...wait you didn't want a literal answer did you? Sorry. Soo, how have you been since I asked you yesterday?" She put her drawing utensil down and looked at me expectantly.

I sighed. "Not great." I said in a tone saying I didn't want to elaborate, but as always Rafaela didn't pick up the tip.

"Oh no! What happened? Do you want to talk about it?"

The weird thing about Rafaela is, she's so selfless. Even though she's had a horrible day re-hanging up atrociously designed Walmart clothes, somehow she can turn around and almost literally speak emoji hearts. That's what I admire about her. I'm Anika and thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.

"Are you ok? You don't look so good." Rafaela's face looked genuinely concerned for me.

"I-im-" I faltered. Her tone of voice reminded me how my father's used to be. Always so caring like he would listen to everything you had to say and more. He was the one to encourage me to continue on with my crocheting, but I don't have time for things like that anymore.

"Earth to Anika."

"Well maybe I like to be in space. It's better than earth."

Rafaela seemed to agree because she stopped pestering me and went back to drawing.

I sighed. "Sorry, it's just been a very stress- oh no." I spotted Chatty Kathy and her minion Susan coming this way with an armful of clothes. "Bratty teenagers coming this way." Rafaela looked up.

"Hi, so are the changing rooms open, or what?"

Rafaela looked petrified. Her death would most likely be death by too much human interaction. So being the decent human being I am, I spoke up."Look kids, there's a good fifteen minute wait and there's a limit of five items."

Almost immediately they both started pouting and protesting. "Fifteen minutes? I can get a tan in a tanning bed in that time!"

"Only five? But I need to take them all in. See, it's a whole outfit. I'll need to try these things on at the same time! Ugh, I'm complaining about this on my social media."

"Fine, whatever just go. They're open anyways."

Chatty Kathy smiled and gave me a wave in the most "sweet" but actually pure evil way. The smirks on both their faces practically burned through the back of their heads.

I stamped my foot. My face was hot from anger. I would've set the entire building on fire if it was possible. Rafaela put her head down and continued to draw as if to say "I'm not a part of this."

What angered me the most was they probably were just going to try everything on, take pictures, post them to their Instagram, and leave without buying anything. It happened way too often.

But what confused me was why would they come to Walmart? The clothes aren't that great anyways. Like Susan, what if your followers see the Walmart price tag then what you thought were true followers were actually fakes and they leave you because they judge you based on your clothes.

Like girl, Goodwill is a magical place, believe it or not.

The changing room door swung open pulling me out of my thoughts. "Come on Rachel. Let's go." The girl said to the other one still in the changing room. Then she came up to me. "Nothing fit right."

Same old, same old. Lame excuses. I turned to see the mess she left in the changing room.

How I hate the second law of thermodynamics.

»---- ★ ----«

A/N: Thank you so much for reading