Right On Target

1

It seemed like a normal day to Alex. Algebra, history, English.... After school, he had to head to Target--not because he needed to go shopping but because he had to work 4 to 9. It certainly wasn't a glamorous job, and it didn't pay much more than minimum wage, but he enjoyed being able to get out of the house for a few hours now and then. More than that, he loved getting a paycheck at the end of the week. But little did Alex know, his life was about to change.

He sat in his car in the side parking lot and pulled his red t-shirt over his head. A catchy pop song played on the radio, but he paid it no mind. Instead, he focused on his phone. He was in the middle of a rousing game of Words with Friends. He played "quarter" for 65 points and noticed that the clock was ticking nearer and nearer to 4:00. He headed toward the store.

Working at Target is not like working at any other store, Alex reasoned. Here, the people are too boojie for Walmart but still appropriately upper middle class such that the clientele were pleasant. As he would bagg groceries, he'd hear about Mrs. Miller's son who won first place in the regional cello competition and Mr. Wilson's new house, on and on. He enjoyed listening to the small talk his customers made as he bagged their goodies.

On this particular day, however, he was intercepted by Tonya, the assistant manager when he walked through the doors.

"Alex," she said, very somberly, "meeting in the back office. I need you there."

He didn't know what to expect, but he had a feeling it wasn't good.