The Peregrines

Chapter 12.

{ Edited - 14th July, 2020 }
{ Edited - 11th April, 2024 }

I approached Jake cautiously, hoping to avoid drawing attention from the manager and being questioned about our actions. I gently tapped Jake's shoulder, and as he turned to look at me, our eyes met. In an instant, he swiftly turned around. "You good? Something wrong?" he asked quickly.

I shook my head, no. I crouched down and picked up the NeverLeak Adult Diaper brand, gesturing towards it and shaking my head. Afterwards, I let go of the adult diaper and silently mouthed. "Stay-Tite" I motioned downwards, and then tightly closed my hand into a fist. "Yeah, I know," Jake whispered. After that, he spins around and carries on with doing the wrong assignment.

Welp, it's his loss, not mine.

Turning around, I walked back into the aisle I had just left, the store manager's voice ringing in my ears. I should have warned Jake more, now he's in for a scolding from Shelley. "You used Neverleak!?" said Shelley. Her thin, orange hair makes me think of a bird's nest, her dull brown eyes are as cold as ice, she has the wrinkles of an elderly lady, and her cheeks resemble those of a bulldog.

In the beginning, she sounds peaceful, but eventually, we all know her true intentions in the end . . . She's about to lose her temper with Jake over his errors. It's turning into a familiar scenario. Jake slips up, and Shelley is quick to reprimand him. Doesn't that sound like my old life.

 "The sale's on Stay-Tite!" : It seemed like her voice was gradually getting louder, giving the impression that she was exhausted from Jake's constant nonsense, just like every other member of the staff.

"I thought you said Neverleak?" Jake replied.

I gave a small shake of my head. I did mention it to him and even gave him a warning, but it feels like he's intentionally ignoring it. What a moron. My watch began beeping, indicating the end of my shift. However, I decided to act like I was going to make a purchase to see what would unfold next. Will he be fired this time, or will Shelley overlook it as usual?

"Stay-tite," She clenched her yellow teeth before speaking, but after she said those words, there was a long five-minute awkward silence of the two staring at each other.

"Oooooooh, you mean you want me to do it over?" Jake asked.

"It's just that . . . you used Neverleak," said Shelley in one of her disappointed tones.

I headed over to the fruit and veg section to get a better view of the situation and see what was about to go down, just in case Jake needed my help again. "No problem. I'll get started right away!" said Jake.  I watched as his foot moved slightly, causing the tower to collapse and scatter in various directions, hitting my feet in the process.

I noticed Shelley's face transforming into a deep shade of red, almost resembling that of the devil, yet she did leave me thinking... why won't she just fire him on the spot already? After all, he did try to get fired from this job more than a week ago, but as if Shelley doesn't want to let him go, she wouldn't fire him either way, it was kind of a mystery to me.

She jabbed her finger into Jake's chest in the most menacing way, but just as she was about to unleash her anger on him, the PA system cut her off. "Jake, you have a call on line two. Jake, Line two",

As Shelley turns her back on Jake, possibly battling the temptation to kill him, she catches sight of me. At first, she appeared confused, but then her gaze quickly shifted to a nearby clock. She raised an eyebrow, glanced at her watch, and then looked back at me. Her anger seemed to dissipate in an instant as if the previous outburst had never happened.

She smiled, "Anita, dear child, your shift ended 7 minutes ago, you can go," She spoke in her soothing tone that she reserved just for me. I grinned and gave her a thumbs-up.