Doing All Right

Admit It

Brian
Oh, he's gay! Does that mean I have a chance, or should I keep my bisexuality a secret? "Awesome! I support you," I exclaimed. To this, Roger smiled. "Well, are you gay?" Oh shit. I could practically hear the gears turning in my mind. To Hell with it. "Technically, I'm bisexual." The boy beamed. I'm really starting to like him. Should I tell him? No, it would scare him off. I need to to make a distraction, and quick.

"You want some biscuits or something? I'd imagine that you're hungry by now." It's 6:45 now, and this is usually when I make a snack or something. "No, but thanks," Roger replied. "I have a small appetite anyway." Explains a lot. I wanted to believe him, but he wouldn't look me in the eye. "Okay, I was asking because it's around 6:45 and-" Roger shot up. "6:45?! I'm sorry to cut this short, I've got to head off." He said all of this while packing his things. "My shift starts in 15 minutes, and I need to get the pharmacy near the pub." Oh, that's not terribly far away. He'll never make it. "Need a lift? I've got a car on me," I offered. The boy stopped scrambling and smiled at me. "That would be a great help, thanks."

I grabbed my keys and locked the door. I got into the driver's side and made sure Roger had the belt across him before driving off. "This is super of you, Bri. I would've been late." "It's not a big deal, and I'm just doing what anyone else would do," I shrugged. "Well, thank you anyway." The rest of the ride was in silence, and soon enough we arrived at the pharmacy. It's a small, dingy business but I'm not one to judge. "Well, I'll se you tomorrow, yeah? Maybe we can study at your house." "Sounds perfect, bye Bri," The boy waved and ran into the building. I checked my watch. 6:58, cut it close. As I drove off, I couldn't help but think that Roger and I would be great friends.

Roger
"Roger! Do you know what time it is?" I was panting as I reached the clock-in counter. "Yes, sir. I was doing homework with a friend across town, and I only realized what time it was at a quarter to 7, it won't happen again." I marked my card and grabbed my vest. "It better not, or you know what'll happen.." My boss, Mr. Paul Prenter, walked away. He's kind of a prick, but not much I can do about it. I'll get demoted if I'm late again, it's happened twice before. "Hey, Roger!" I knew that bubbly voice all too well. I turned around to see the familiar face of my coworker and good friend, Mary. "

"Hey Mary, what's up?" "Not much.." She turned to walk out boss chew out one of the cashiers for something or other. "Prenter being a prick again?" I chuckled; she agreed with me on many things, this being one of them. "When is he not?" "True.. Hey, a little kid knocked over a display a minute before you arrived, can you handle it? I'd do it myself, but I promised the pharm tech that I'd help him sort out new orders." Sigh. "Was it the cereals display again?" That one is knocked over constantly. I asked Prenter if we could move it or take it down, but I'd gotten yelled at for "trying to run this pharmacy". Whatever. Mary shook her head. "No, for once. It was the toy soldier one, you know, the one with the tins of the things stacked like a pyramid?" Oh, that one. Shouldn't take too long.
"Oh! Yeah, I'll get on it." As we went our separate ways, I couldn't help but think that Mary does too much for her pay grade. She cleans the floors with me, helps the cashiers check things out when one of them hasn't the mind to do it, sorts out the pharm-techs orders, all while doing her own job, which is stocking the coolers and making sure that the back room is clean and organized.

When I got to aisle 4, which is the aisle where toys and trinkets are kept, I saw the mess. True to what Mary said, the tins of toy soldiers were everywhere. And that display is as tall as I am. I set to work stacking them again into a pyramid. As I set the last one on top, pleased with how it looked, I heard the familiar voice of the boss screaming at someone. I shrugged it off as not my problem when I heard something that made my blood run cold. "YOU STUPID F*G, YOU CAN'T EVEN HAND OUT THE CHANGE WITHOUT DROPPING IT!" Deacon.
That. Was. It.

I turned on my heel and strode up to the cashier counter, where I saw Prenter holding one of the cashier's wrist and shaking him, while the boy was crying. The kid was around 16, and still in secondary school! I think his name is, John? Yeah, it's John.
"I'm- I'm... sorry!" He could barely speak he was so upset. "SPEAK YOU IDIOT!" By then, Mary and the pharmaceutical technician has gathered to watch. I saw what was going to happen, and I raced forward, blood boiling.
Prenter had reared his hand back, and was just about to connect it with John's cheek when I caught it. I put myself between him and John. My boss was easily a good inch or so taller than me, but that didn't matter. As soon as I caught his wrist and held it back, I heard a gasp from the other employees. "DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE!" He immediately dropped the cashier's wrist and within a second, the right side of my face burned. He had slapped me. I let go of Paul's arm and pushed him back, away from John. "Get out of here, I'll handle it," I whispered to him. He nodded, and ran to Mary. She was like our mother, in a way.

"Don't you dare hit him," I hissed. "Oh, so you're defending him! Are you a homosexual too? Are you two in love?" I wanted to cut out his tongue at that moment. "It doesn't fucking MATTER IF HE'S GAY OR NOT! You can't be a prick just because you're on your period!" As soon as I said it, I knew I was in trouble. I watched as Prenter's face went from tan to red to purple.

"You're FIRED!"