Treadmill

IX.I

I've always been a hard worker.

I'm not saying this to brag. I'm not saying this because I want you to look at me and believe my story and think 'wow, she must have really been through the ringer.' If anyone even uses that phrase anymore. My mom uses that phrase, which probably means that absolutely no one else does.

Forget I used that phrase. I could backspace it all and start over, but I'm already typing and the backspace key makes such a terrible noise in my head.

Anyways. I've always been a hard worker.

I worked all through high school. I took a year in between graduating high school and attending college to do just that: work. I worked to save for my college tuition, for my housing, for books. I worked 38 hours a week at the time I'm writing about. That's almost a full time job while also being a full time student taking 16 credit hours and maintaining a 4.0 GPA to keep my half-tuition scholarship that I have to compete against other students to continue to receive every semester. With a major and a minor.

A good work ethic is necessary for me to survive. Survive my academic situation and my financial situation. Especially my financial situation.

I say all of this because I want to show how much of an effect Kennedy Abrams had on me. I was skipping work. I was shirking on my academic responsibilities and skipping classes for the first time in my college career. I was focusing on something that wouldn't advance my future at all. And it was because Kennedy Abrams looked at me with her shimmering green eyes and asked me to.

Shimmering green eyes. It sounds like I'm writing a romance novel.

Anyways.

><><

"Why is it $3.99?"

Rebecca looked at the woman standing in front of her and resisted the overwhelming urge to roll her eyes. $3.99 was remarkably cheap for feta cheese. It usually was in the $4 range at the least. Which technically wasn't that much more than $3.99. But it was still more.

"I'm sorry?"

"The cheese." The woman jabbed a long fingernail with terribly chipped red polish at the screen above their heads, where the price for the feta cheese blinked obnoxiously. "Why is the cheese $3.99?"

Rebecca took a second to think of an answer that didn't contain a hint of sarcasm.

"I'm not sure, ma'am. It's the price it's marked at."

"That's a lie." The woman said immediately, "It was marked at $2.19. Saw it myself."

Rebecca picked up the phone hanging from the pole in front of her register and dialed 214 as she heard a soft ding on the loudspeaker.

"Customer service to register 5." Rebecca's voice echoed to the store, "Customer service to register 5, please." She put the phone back and stared at the woman, crossing her arms unconsciously. "Customer service will be able to get the price for us."

Janie came rushing over a few seconds later, smiling brightly at the woman before turning to Rebecca.

"Can I help with something?"

"This cheese is supposed to be $2.19. I saw it myself." The woman said before Rebecca could speak, "But it's comin' up $3.99."

Janie looked at the brand of cheese and shook her head.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but $3.99 is the sale price. It's originally listed at $4.19, not $2.19."

The woman's eyes widened as Janie smiled apologetically and walked away. Rebecca started to scan the rest of her groceries as the woman huffed angrily.

"Well, this is the last time I'll ever buy feta cheese from your store." She threatened aggressively as Rebecca handed her the receipt.

"We'll miss your business." Rebecca replied immediately, not waiting to see the woman's reaction before turning to her next customer.

"Tough crowd tonight."

Rebecca almost jumped as Kennedy popped up in front of her, holding a single apple to check out.

"Why are you at a grocery store for something I know you have at least twelve of in your apartment?"

"You weren't answering your phone." Kennedy shrugged, taking a bit of the apple after giving Rebecca a crumpled $1 bill. "It's not my fault that I need you when I call."

Rebecca rolled her eyes, checking to ensure there were no more customers in her line before giving Kennedy her full attention.

"So what's up?"

"We have 6,000 followers. At least. Probably more by now." Kennedy replied immediately, her excitement clearly impossible to hide. "I didn't buy any of the new ones. Not a single one. That means we have over 1,000 real—sorry, organic—followers."

"I don't love the word 'organic,' you know." Rebecca replied.

"That's what you're taking from what I just said?" Kennedy laughed, "Rebecca, we have real followers! With real thumbs to give real likes and comment real comments!"

Rebecca felt her heart start to race a little bit. That was exciting, no matter how annoyed she was at Kennedy always demanding her time right when the other girl needed it. Real followers. Over 1,000 of them. Real people who wanted to follow Drew's life.

"That is pretty crazy." Rebecca replied quietly, feeling her heart pull a bit at the excitement on Kennedy's face at Rebecca showing some sort of reaction to everything, "I mean, it's only been up for what...two days?"

"Something like that." Kennedy shrugged casually, "Anyways, this means we need more pictures. At less obvious locations, apparently." She rolled her eyes, "Did you see that one girl's comment?"

Rebecca nodded, remembering her own panic at seeing someone recognize exactly where they were taking fake pictures for their fake account.

"Sure, but it'll have to be tomorrow. My shift doesn't end until 10 tonight."

Kennedy rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, be a hard worker." She laughed, "I'm gonna go work on some homework. Or maybe find a guy to hook up with. Who knows, the night is young."

Rebecca checked her Fitbit.

"It's 7:12 on a Wednesday."

"My point exactly." Kennedy flipped her hair over her shoulder and tossed the apple core into the trash can by Rebecca's register. "Crazy that this is all happening over the course of a few days. Can you believe that a week ago we didn't even know each other?"

Rebecca shook her head, watching as Kennedy turned on her heel and walked out of the automated front doors before muttering to herself.

"Crazy."

A/N: Happy Monday! FYI--I've decided to start posting sneak peeks for the next update of Treadmill over on my blog! I will try to remember to make it the external link for all of the chapters, but if you want to see a sneak peek of IX.II, head over to kpmblog.wixsite.com/shelfawareness!

-Katherine