True As Cheese

October 17: Don't Help Old Ladies

          The man punches one of the grandmas in the jaw as the other pulls her cane back to hit him. I jump up and grab the end of the cane before she could strike him.

          Wait, wait, wait. Let's start from the beginning.

          A yawn leaves my lips as I glance at my phone, the time showing 3:56 AM. What could I possibly be doing at 4 AM? Buying lady products and delicious snacks. The line ahead of me consists of an elderly couple holding a map and bottles of water, a man dressed in a construction uniform, and a man about my age quietly talking with someone on the phone. Groaning, I internally yell at my uterus for torturing me at such an ungodly hour. The line moves ever so slightly, the couple happily going outside. The construction worker sets his lunch on the counter as the couple gets to their car.

          "Ma'am?" I blink quickly as I look up, seeing the man my age looking at me.

          "Me?" He looks slightly annoyed as he nods, causing me to push my eyebrows together.

          "I'm not a ma'am," I joke trying to lighten the mood. He rolls his eyes, taking a step back and ushering me forward.

          "Do you want my spot? You look tired and I can tell it's... Not going to be a good day..." He glances at the items in my hand, consisting of various things, including tampons. I blush and nod, stepping in front of him. As I lift my foot off the sticky floor, the sound of my shoe peeling off the tile makes me cringe at the thought of the workers never cleaning this place. The lights flicker throughout the gas station, giving it a creepy vibe. The air is thick with the smell of stale pretzels, overcooked hot dogs, and the perfume of the ladies leaving the store. Lavender.

          I watch the couple go search their car, glancing back into the gas station every now and again. The construction worker stepped away from the counter and makes his way outside. I step forward, sliding my stuff onto the counter, tapping my foot to the music flowing from the speakers overhead. The sound of coins hitting the floor sound throughout the room as the man behind me pulls his wallet out, the fallen money rolling to my feet. I bend over and pick it up, blushing as I hand him his money. His eyes scan my face for a moment before I turn back to hand over my money. I grab my bag and receipt before heading outside. I glance back, making eye contact once more with the man. He breaks first, his eyes wandering behind me.

          "Miss?" A voice rings through the air. I turn and see the elderly standing there.

          "Yes?" One of the elderly women points to her partner struggling to get a suitcase back into the trunk.

          "Would you mind?" Her cheeks heat up with embarrassment as I walk over to help. Setting my groceries down, I grab and push the heavy suitcase into the nearly empty trunk of the minivan. I'm pushed hard, my body falling forward. I scream as I fall forward, reaching out to grab anything. My hand meets a rusty nail sticking out of a walker. I kick out in an attempt to fight off my attacker. I scream out, the hands pushing me disappearing. Another scream follows, but this one isn't mine.

          "What the hell?" I scramble out of the vehicle, the man my age pushing one of the elderly ladies to the ground. I gasp and run over, helping her back to her feet before she growls and pushes me away roughly. I fall back to the ground, pain pushing its way through my arm as I land on my newly injured hand. The cut on my hand burns, it appears not to be as deep as it feels. I quickly hug my hand to my chest, blood and dirt smearing across my skin. The man punches one of the grandmas in the jaw as the other pulls back her cane to hit him. I jump up and grab the end of the cane before she could strike him.

          The older woman turns angrily, her eyes staring into my soul and she twists her body and back kicks my side. I curse and fall to the ground, tiny rocks fighting my skin, leaving tiny battle wounds. I wipe them off quickly, the small stones falling to the ground as the old lady swings her cane at me. I scream out, grabbing the cane and pushing up as hard as I can. The end of the cane clocks the grandma in the mouth, momentarily distracting her. I scramble away, the man tackling the other elderly.