Person of Interest

Chapter 10: I Don't Want to Speak to Your Manager

"Re-examine all you have been told in school or church or in any book, and dismiss whatever insults your own soul; and your very flesh shall be a great poem, and have the richest fluency..."

-Walt Whitman, "Leaves of Grass"

Your POV:

"Hello? Earth to freak? Are you freaking deaf?!"

My exhaustion was pushed back by alarm as the venomous shouts registered in my ears. I turned towards the commotion to find that a cashier just a couple registers away from the exit was snarling at a customer that I couldn't see behind the nearby shelves. Seeing that a small crowd had begun to form, I allowed my curiosity to overcome my fear and joined the spectators. The worker, a seething middle aged woman, continued to rant as I approached:

"Did you hear me!? I. Said. Leave! Your kind aren't welcome here!" She snarled. Sans simply stood and stared back at her darkly, clenching and releasing his bony hands over and over as if he were considering wrapping them around her neck. I was amazed that she wasn't cowering under his murderous glare; if I were her, I would have rushed to bag his items to let him leave as quickly as possible.

Why was I doing this again?

"Pardon me, miss, would you mind sparing me a moment?"

One skull and one head whipped towards me at the interruption, one in annoyance, the other in surprised confusion. I completely ignored Sans, keeping my focus on the red faced cashier. I almost winced as I felt the tangible weight of his shocked stare settle over me, but managed to give the woman- Cristal by her name tag- a polite smile instead.

"I don't mean to intrude, but I couldn't help over hearing," I told her apologetically. "Can I ask what has you so upset?"

"Just go to another register lady, I gotta deal with this creep first," The cashier sighed, the anger in her tone waning ever so slightly now that she was speaking to a human.

I cast a cursory sideward glance at a very dumb struck Sans before giving her a thoughtful nod. "...Ah. I see the issue."

"Glad you get it sweetie," she smiled, thinking she had found a like mind to back her up. "So if you could-"

"I assume he isn't allowed to use this register, then?" I reasoned before she could finish her dismissal. She seemed taken aback.

"Uh... yeah...? But I nee-"

"Are humans still allowed  to use it?"

Not wanting to provoke her further and destroy my progress, I was careful to maintain a pleasant expression and tone. My hope was that maybe, if I remained cordial, the issue could be solved quickly and peacefully... unfortunately, this was not the case. Despite my best efforts, the woman seemed to grow more peeved with each second I stalled her.

Time to end this before it escalated again.

Cristal's brows pulled together in a disgruntled frown. "I guess? What're you getting at?" She demanded suspiciously.

"Ah!" I clapped my hands together, donning my brightest smile. "I know what to do now!"

I began to dig through my purse, trying my best to quell my growing anxiety as Sans, Cristal, and pretty much everyone in the surrounding crowd watched me curiously; The scrutiny was nerve wracking. A confused murmer rippled through our audience as I pulled out a good portion of my tip money from that morning and placed the bills on the counter, smoothing out the crumpled wad of cash as best I could.