My Boy Bo

Boring Job

I work at an instrument store. Mostly selling starter musician equipment. That's how I got such a good deal on my instruments and audio equipment. It's not a good paying job and I can barely afford my apartment.
The container on the counter is full of apples in lemon juice as I zone out while eating, I hear a man speaking to me.
"Um hello??" I waved his hand in front of my eyes.
"Sorry hello what can I help you with?" Snapping back into reality.
"I had a question about a couple microphones."
"Yes follow me." Making my way around the counter to guide him to the microphones.
"I don't know much about this stuff. It's for my daughter, she wants to start a career in music and her birthdays coming up." He rubs the back of his neck.
"Oh yes! Well I have this one here. It's really good for street performing and amazing sound quality..we also have a cheaper option but this one isn't as good for street performing but still very good quality. This one might be your best guess for a starter." I give a warm smile.
"You really know your stuff." He looks me dead in the eyes.
"Well that's why I work here." I joke.
"Ok you sold me. Does it come in any other colours?"
"The stand is black but you can customize the microphone. Did you have any colours in mind?"
"What do you guys have?" He looked puzzled.
"Well you said you had a daughter so I do recommend the pink one! I love the colour myself."
"Ok sounds good! Um do I pay you here?"
"Just follow me to the front." I turn around breathing heavy as my anxiety took over my body.
...

"Alright have a beautiful day and I know she will love it!" I staple the receipt and hand it to him.
"You've been such a good help thank you so much." He turns around and walks out the door.

I sit down in the break room, breathing heavy.
"You ok Juno?" My coworker Alice asks.
"Im fine." Still breathing heavy.
"You should see someone for that." She fills up a coffee cup.
"Don't you have something better to do than bother me?" I continue to look straight ahead of me at a blank wall.
"Well, Sam says your break is over." She scoffs.
"When did he tell you that?" I turn around.
"He told me to tell you after I asked him about a raise."
"YOU GOT A FUCKEN RAISE? I've been working here since I was 16! I've never gotten a raise." I quickly stand up and cross my arms.
"Most of the sales are under my name, sooo do what you want with that information." Alice whips her hair before she leaves the break room.
"You gotta be fucken kidding me?!" I whisper to myself.

I finish my break and walk into Sam's office.
*knock knock*
"Um come in." Sam quickly covers something on his desk.
"What are you working on?" I sit down.
"Nothing, what's so important?" He folds his hands on top of his desk.
"I just wanted to ask about a raise?" I keep my head down, knowing the answer already.
"Juno, I know you do a good job but your sales aren't really matching up with some of the people here."
"But I think I'm the only one who knows what they're talking about! Jesse doesn't have a clue what guitar strings are, Kane sits behind the register playing on his phone, Alice just has big jugs and old men buy whatever she points at in hopes of getting her number." While speaking I list things off on my fingers.
"And then that leaves you..you can't help more than two customers in a row because you have 'anxiety'" Sam air quotes.
"You know that's something I can't fucking control." Feeling my eyes go black with rage.
"That's why you need help." He grabs my hands trying to comfort me.
"Fuck you Sam. I can't go to therapy because you don't pay me enough, I can hardly eat because I don't get paid enough, I live paycheque to paycheque hoping and praying that I don't have to live on the streets." Tears filling the bottom of my eyelids.
"If you don't like the pay, then the only thing to do is leave." He shrugs his shoulders as if he accomplished something.
"You're such an ass. Fuck you. I quit." I head to the door.
"Oh yeah and we all know that you're sleeping with Alice..it's only a matter of time till your wife and kids find out. I hope the rush was fun because we got it all from a bird's eye view." I point to the office camera in the corner.

I walk down the hall to clean out my locker.
"Hey what's going on?" Jesse asks.
"I quit." Keeping it short and sweet.
"Well I'm probably gonna quit too. Hey you know what? You should come over tonight and we could record a song. My brother's in town and works for a record label, you have such talent June. I wouldn't want that to go to waste." He looks serious.
"I'll think about it Jess. Thanks so much! And I wish you the best of luck after quitting this shit hole." He laughs at my joke as I collect the rest of my things.
"Be at my apartment at 7:45!" He yells as I walk away.

'Is this my break? I've always believed beautiful things come out of tragic events, but is this labelled tragic?' I thought to myself.