No Good Hoodlum

mean mr. mushnik

(Pre Movie)

Summary : Penny doesn't like her boss, Mr. Mushnik

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He's always screaming at me.

"Pepkirk! I told you to clean these damn floors!"

"I-i did sir!"

"Do it again!"

Always calling me things.

"Slob!"

"No-good hoodlum!"

Never giving me any respect.

"If it wasn't for me you'd be out on the streets!"

I'm never good enough for him. He treats me like dirt. To him I'm just a pitiful, bratty, snot-nosed high school dropout with no future and will end up working at The Gutter. I'm just a dumb, stupid failure. I'm a mistake. I wish I was never born sometimes.

I trudged into work, dreading a day of pricked fingers, endless sweeping, and being screamed at. The only thing keeping me from quitting was the money and my amazing coworkers, Audrey and Seymour. Both were ny good friends and the only people who've ever tried to help me.

"Pepkirk! You're late!" Mushnik yelled.

"It's right at 8 am, when we open!" I argued. 

"You're supposed to be here half an hour early! Now get to work! You're not doing anything just standing there blubbering like an idiot."

I choked down hot tears and marched downstairs, tripping over my feet and fell down.

"Ya alright, hun?" asked Audrey.

"I hate Mushnik." I muttered, laying on my stomach at the bottom of the stairs.

Audrey helped me up and gave me a warm hug, rubbing my back.

"Don't worry bout him, hun. He ain't nothing to ya," she whispered.

"Pepkirk!" cried Mushnik from upstairs.

I grimaced. But this time, I would fight back.

"You messed up this arrangement!" Again!" Mushnik screamed at me.

"I'll redo it," I said calmly. I wouldn't let him break me.

"It's no use. You're hopeless. Just quit now. You're nothing to the store."

"SHUT UP!" 

I finally yelled back.

"All my time here you've told me that! It's not true! So stop screaming at me! You're making me mess up! I hate you Mushnik!"

Then something I didn't expect happened.

It all happened so fast.

His palm made its connection with my face.

It stung. It stung worse than the words and yelling and the insults.

It knocked the wind out of me and I fell to the floor, woozy. Seymour and Audrey must've heard it, because next thing I knew Audrey was gently cradling me and Seymour was screaming at Mushnik.

Eventually Mushnik gave up and walked out of the store. Audrey was stroking my hair and Seymour was on my other side, rubbing the shoulder that hit the floor first.

"It's all okay, baby, you're all fine. You're safe now," she cooed.

I was crying. God, I was such a wuss. Audrey goes through this and worse every day and I'm over here blubbering like a damn child.

"I hate Mushnik," I murmered, wiping my nose.

And I did for the rest of his life.