The Store ✔

Chapter 1

             Another mundane afternoon shift working at the well known grocery store in the town that I live in. The job itself isn't bad. I actually enjoy seeing the familiar faces and getting to talk to them. It's about as social as I can manage to be. It's almost as if this is the one place that I can pretend to be anyone but myself.
    I am a senior in high school, and I tell you, graduation can not come quick enough. I have spent most of my schooling hiding away in the music rooms to avoid the awful stares and criticism that comes from being from one of the poorest families in the area. My parents work hard but the house we live in is more than a 100 years old and needs more work than we could ever have the means to pay for. My father tries hard to fix this and that as he can but nonetheless, I can still feel the cool fall breeze flit through my bedroom even with the windows closed. To say the least, that house is shack and everyone knows it.
    I look at the clock on my register as I see the little old lady that graces my line more than 3 times every week. I only clocked in 45 minutes ago. Seems as though I have been here a full 8 hours waiting to see, 'him'.
    "Hello, Mrs. Wang," I try to keep the enthusiasm in my voice believable, "How is Muffy doing these days?" Muffy is her small scraggly looking long haired chihuahua. Mrs. Wang never had children of her own but if she ever did, I can only imagine the life they would have had just by how spoiled her dog was.
    "Oh darling! How kind of you to ask," she begins, "Muffy has an awful cold today. Poor dear can't seem to stop sneezing." I bring my gaze to meet hers while ringing her items up. I can see by the depth in her eyes that was most definitely a good looking woman back in her younger years. The half crescent brown orbs are shadowed by crows feet and years of worry. To say the least, time hasn't quite been kind to the kindred spirit.
    Mrs. Wang continues on about Muffy and a pending veterinarian visit as I continue to pass her groceries over the scanner, when I find myself awestruck.
    'Oh my. There he is. With all his beautiful God like features. I want so bad to run my fingers through his beautiful golden locks. Stare into his wide hazel eyes. Press those full lips against my own.' I never knew beauty like his could exist. That is until the day I came to this store for my interview with Kim TaeHyung.

            I was getting my books together in a hurry so that I wouldn't miss my bus out of this hell we tend to call school. It was Friday afternoon and the tears I have managed to keep at bay the last two periods couldn't wait to come crashing down. Once I am on the bus, I stuff myself low into a small seat near the front as I do every day in hopes that no one will notice that I am there. Keeping my head low I count each stop, listening to the barrage of chatter that vibrates through the long metal vehicle. '....Three.... Four.... Next stop is mine.' As soon as the doors open I give a small nod to the driver as a thanks and dart from my seat and onto the hard pavement, taking long strides in the direction of home. This is where I am actually quite fortunate. No one else lives in this direction and there are very few cars that travel this path so I have a full 20 minutes to myself to release the sobs that have been trapped in my throat for far to long. Lost in my own self pity, it seems like only moments before I can see the old farm house settled into its lot on Maple Hill Road. When I reach the front porch I can hear the phone that hangs on the wall adjacent to the living room calling out for someone to pick it up. My parents are both at work so I quickly take the key that hangs on a long silver chain around my neck and unlock the door, racing over quickly to grab the receiver before the caller has a chance to give up, realizing that we don't have an answering machine.

    "Hello?" I inquire breathlessly.
    "Hello, may I please speak to Jeon Jungkook?"
    "This is he. Can I ask who is calling?"
    "Oh hello, Jungkook. My name is Mr. Kim. I am calling about an application you handed in here at the store. I would like to set up an interview."
    I can't tell if I am excited at the prospect of a job or just nervous as hell as my heart begins to pound. I take down the information needed and say goodbye, making sure that I keep my manners in check all the while.
    If I manage to get this job maybe I can help out my parents with some of the repairs on this old house. I begin to imagine all the things I would be able to do with a little bit of income. Maybe up my wardrobe game. Perhaps look into getting a car. Worse comes to worse, I could save and get the hell out of here when I graduate. The endlessness of possibilities put a smile on my face and I bound up the stairs to my room with a new feeling of self worth.
    Its Monday afternoon. Classes have been let out for the day and I have nearly an hour before my interview. After I got the phone call from Mr. Kim, I made sure that I would be dressed in my best before catching the bus that morning. Immediately searching through my closet for a pair of black skinny jeans and a blue button down that once belonged to my father. I paired it with my nicest looking shoes which ended up being my worn black doc marten knockoffs. They were a bit tattered but they were my favorite, so they would have to do. My "best" really isn't much to look at but it doesn't have any holes in the fabric and it drapes in a more fitted manner than most of my clothes.
    Being that I had so much time to spare, I decided to work out my nerves on a brisk walk to the market. This would give me time to clear my head and think of anything that would make me sound less desperate so that I'd have a better chance of landing the position.
    Once I reach my destination, I rummage through my old backpack that was handed down to me from one of my cousins, searching for enough change to grab a water. I, all of a sudden, feel parched. Lucky for me I find a quarter that someone must have dropped laying on the sidewalk. That brings me up to a dollar.
    I saunter into the store grabbing a water and head to the courtesy desk to check out and let them know that I was there to see Mr. Kim. The woman behind the desk makes a quick call to someone then turns to me telling me to take the stairs to the top and around to the left to the office on the right. Repeating those directions over and over in my head. I give her a quick thank you and head up the stairs that were only a few feet from where I stand. Up, Left, Right. Up, Left, Right. Up, left, right. I repeat to myself with every step.
    Once I follow all the directions, I am faced with a door that has absolutely nothing on it to indicate that I am in the right place. I knock softly in hopes that I am not bothering the wrong person. Waiting patiently for what seemed like an eternity but in reality was only about thirty seconds, I started to feel my pulse rate quicken and sweat begin to bead at the base of my hairline. Thankfully, my bangs should easily hide that from whoever may answer the door. Inside, I hear a deep voice almost sing out for me to enter. I reach out a sweaty palm and turn the knob.
    Inside, I make direct eye contact with a man not much older than me but one that could easily be mistaken for a model. I noticed he was a bit taller than me, maybe about 5 foot 10, when he stood to shake my hand and ask me to have a seat. A simple 6 steps from the door was like walking a mile as my knees felt weak in his presence. Golden waves tousled atop his head vaguely hiding the clearest hazel eyes I had ever seen. His crescent shaped orbs wide, accompanying a small box shaped smile made with his full pink lips.
    It takes me a few minutes to realize that the man is staring at me with his head slightly cocked to one side. It was then that I realized that my mouth was agape taking in all his natural beauty. I clear my throat, feeling the heat pinkening my cheeks in mild embarrassment. Taking this time to introduce myself in hopes that he won't realize exactly what had just happened. 'Smooth move, Jungkook! Real smooth!'