MICHAEL 

Andrew is watching everything I do today. Just because I was an hour late the boss put Andrew in charge. I tried to tell him it was an emergency, but he told me he expects me to be here on time and ready to work. He told me that getting coffee and standing around gossiping after already being late wasn’t helping my situation. He told me to get the sale endcap done fast. Like the blue hairs are clamoring to get fifty cent bleach at nine in the morning. I start settings the shelves, hoping Andrew will find someone else to micromanage. It seems like everytime I try to put a fucking bottle on the shelf, someone needs it. Can't they wait five minutes? I was getting frustrated with the constant interruptions, and started slamming bleach on the shelf. Maybe these people could go to aisle seven, and get one from the shelf that was already stocked. 

“Mike, you need to be careful with the merchandise, you break it, you buy it. Could you quit slamming it on the shelf, you’ll have customers thinking you don’t want their business when you slam it down like that.” I hate this fucker, doesn't he understand, I'm having a bad day. 

“You want it done or do we need to stand here with you lecturing me?” I pointedly ask him.

“Don’t blame me because the boss put me in charge today. Being responsible means being on time. It also means getting work done, not talking on the phone. I know that was your friend on the phone, not a customer.” He needs to stop thinking he's so important, wait till I get put in charge, then I'll lecture his ass all day. He acts like he doesn’t talk to his wife on the phone all day.

I made a point of snatching the bottle of bleach out of the box and turned to slam it on the shelf. Fuck, who doesn’t tighten the cap, I'm covered in bleach. Now I have to get a new set of clothes. 

“I have to go home and change, make sure you tell the boss my clothes were ruined because of a display you could have gotten up earlier, if you didn’t stand around all morning.” I tell him. 

“I'll let him know you were too busy being late and taking calls to get your job done correctly.” Andrew tells me. 

Like it's my fault someone didn’t check the caps before putting it in the box. He better have it done before I get back. I ran to catch the bus, the driver told me not to ruin his seats. What is it ‘treat Michael like crap day’. It’s all Brian’s fault, if he just did what he was suppose to do, I would have been on time, and most likely the person in charge. I got off at my stop and wanted to tell everyone covering their noses, it’s fucking bleach, stop acting like I smell like piss, but I needed to get back to work. 

I decided to shower, the smell was kind of overpowering. Since Brian made me late, I stopped and made a sandwich, they could wait for me to get back. I wanted to call Brian and tell him he owed me a ride back to work. None of this would have happened if he had showed up. I finally get back to work, and see Andrew didn't bother to set up the rest of the display, lazy asshole. Well they'll have to understand if it takes me all day.

“Mike, psst, Mike.” Marley whispers to me.

“What? I'm trying to get this done.” She could have fucking done it, instead of trying to gossip all day. 

“I just wanted to tell you, Tracy was asking about you.” Marley tells me. 

“Well, I need to get this done, before dick head gets on my case again.” I don't want to talk about Tracy. 

“Yeah, I was in the room by the office and Andrew was telling the boss, you're giving him a hard time.” She tells me. 

“He’s the one standing around, doing absolutely nothing. Maybe our boss should be writing him up.” I tell her.

“I'm going on break, wanna come?” She asks me. 

I put down the bottle and follow her outside. Marley wants to talk about Tracy. Instead, I ask about what she heard. 

“The boss said he would talk to you, but they saw me and stopped talking.” She tells me. 

“Great, now the boss is going to think I've been screwing around all day.” Can my day get any worse?

Andrew was waiting at the door for us, he told me I needed to finish in the next fifteen minutes, I get to run a register, because someone is running late. Can't he find someone else to do that job, I'm an assistant manager, not a cashier. I see the boss watching and decide I don't need to piss him off, since Andrew told on me already. I finished putting the bleach on the shelf, another one spilled. Well, Andrew can get someone to clean it, I have to run a register. He’s the boss today.

With each customer my mood just got worse, I wanted to yell “I quit.” I keep watching the time, who ever is late is going to hear it from me. I shouldn't have to make up for them not being here. 

“Hey Mikey, how about I give you a ride home?” Brian asked me. 

“Brian, what are you doing here?” I ask him. I knew he would make it up to me.

BRIAN 

I just happened to be driving by the school, okay I made a point to see if Justin was there. Daphne and Justin were driving out of the parking lot, might as well see where they were going.  I follow them to the Big Q, of all places. I guess I could act like I was seeing if Mikey needed a ride. I parked on the other side of the parking lot, I didn’t want them to think I was some crazy stalker. 

Instead of following them, I walk up to Mikey. Wonder why he got stuck on a register.

“Hey Mikey, how about I give you a ride home?” I ask him. I hope he has to work late.

“Brian, what are you doing here?” He asks me. He starts smiling, shit guess I really will have to give him a ride home.

I watch as Justin and Daphne are walking down in front of the registers. I’m hoping he'll look this way. Daphne sees me and hits Justin. He turns his head, sees me and smiles. I started in his direction, when I see him slip and fucking hit his head on a shelf of bleach. Anything but his head, this store better pray he isn’t hurt.

I run over to him and Daphne, Justin looks dazed.

“Brian, what's going on?” Justin asks me. I see the recognition in his eyes, just for a second. Then it's gone, fuck. Justin passes out.

JUSTIN 

Daphne told me the chances of running into the same hot guy at Big Q was extremely unlikely. I just wanted to see him again, he's probably the best looking man I've ever seen. I told her if nothing else, I kind of need the batteries now.

I see the guy from the yesterday, he looks pissed at the bag he’s shoving the woman's groceries in. I wanted to tell him it's not the bags fault. No wonder people hate Big Q, the employees are assholes. 

Daphne and I are walking past the registers, when she hits me. I turn to see the hot guy and smile. Then I feel myself slipping on something, that's all I remember then I woke back up surrounded by people.

“Justin, are you alright?” Asks my dream man.

“Yeah, did I hit my head on something, it hurts.” I'm so embarrassed.

“Someone spilled bleach, you slipped on it.” Daphne tells me. I see this big stain on my favorite cargos, damn it I should have kept my school uniform on.

“Sir, are you alright.” A guy, who name tag said Andrew, asks me.

“I think so.” I tell him. I start to stand and almost fall again, hot guy helps me up. “Be careful, I don’t want to get bleach on your suit.”

“Like I care about the suit, are you okay?” He asks me. He is really worried. I want to tell him he needs to give me mouth to mouth, but I doubt he'll fall for it.

The Andrew guy offers to get me new pants, but I can just wear these when I paint, so I tell him no. 

“How about you guys make sure to keep the fucking floor clean? He could have been hurt worse.” Wow, maybe we need to get hot guy a Prozac. It wasn’t that bad.

“It's fine, I should have been looking where I was going, something distracted me.” I grinned.

“Hope it was worth a knock on the head.” He grins back.

“Totally, worth it.” I'm flirting, but hello, hot guy.

“Justin, you ready to go?” Daphne asks me. No, but we need to.

“Yep, I promised to watch Molly for Mom. It was nice to see you again, um, sorry I never introduced myself, Justin Taylor.” I tell him. 

“Brian Kinney, I'm still looking to fill that position.” He smirks at me.

“I'll send you my resume.” I think I'm in love.

“Here take my card, call day or night. I'll be available.” Brian tells me. I see the other guy glaring at me, what's his problem. 

“Definitely, later.” I tell him. I ran the hand without bleach, down his arm as I start to walk off, he latches his pinky to mine. I stop and stare in his eyes, why does it feel like he is looking for something in my eyes. He finally let's go and damn it I have to go babysit. 

I walk by the pissed off guy. He grabs my arm and whispers to me. “He'll fuck you, but he won't keep you. Move on to someone younger, before I have to be the one telling you he doesn't want you.”

I look at him and make sure to rub the bleach on my hand all down the arm he grabbed me with and tell him, “Oops, I think I just ruined your shirt. Thanks for the warning, but maybe you should stop trying to keep him to yourself. He doesn’t seem interested in you.” I tell Mr Information. I turn back around and smile at my phone call for the night. 

BRIAN 

What is Mikey telling Justin? I was about to go over there, when I hear Marley tell Andrew she saw Mikey spill the bleach. Andrew wanted to know why he didn’t clean it up.

“He was pissed you made him run the register.” Marley is such a two faced bitch. Normally I would have called her on it, but fucking Mikey is the reason Justin almost got hurt. He can ride the fucking bus. I walk past him and he calls me.

“What MIKE?” I was angry.

“I thought you came to give me a lift home.” He tells me. 

“I would, but maybe you could clean the mess you left on the floor. Justin could have been hurt, or are you too busy being upset about having to work today.” I tell him. 

“The kid was fine, what bug crawled up you ass?” Michael asks me. 

“Maybe it's inconsiderate people, who only think of themselves. What does it matter that the kid slipped because Mikey didn’t want to do his job.” I have to get out of here before I kill him.

Is this some cosmic joke? Justin has to get hurt to remember me. I need to find Marilyn, because I'll be damned before I let fucking Hobbs try to kill him.  

Hope Michael enjoys the bus ride, he better not have warned Justin off.