"Where are your crop tops?"

"Over there," I answered sweetly, pointing to a rack near the front of the store. The girl nodded before heading in that direction. I knew her from school, and as I recalled my observations of her, I scribbled a peppy message onto a blue sticky note.

Generally, this job wasn't the most fun or the highest paying. My favorite part, however, had become handing out sticky notes to everyone that attended my high school. In all honesty, it warmed me up in side. That's what turned my job into the best one in the world.

"Hey, I'm ready to check out."

I started, glancing up to meet a pair of scrutinizing eyes. Dark, wavy hair cascaded into them as the girl tossed a pair of jeans and a tan crop top onto the counter. Slightly unnerved by the scowl on her face, I tilted my lips upward and scanned her items. As she glanced at her sleek iPhone, I slipped the sticky note into the bag with her purchase.

"Have a great day!" I exclaimed, thrusting the bag in her direction.

She eyed me carefully before snatching the bag from my grasp. Honestly, I felt sorry for her. The girl's friends had abandoned her for a more popular crowd and her boyfriend of a year threw her under the bus for a prank I knew he pulled. I soon noticed she perfectly made up her face each morning and usually curled her hair into perfect waves. It was as if she felt the need to impress society because she simply wasn't enough without added elaboration.

As the ink of night cascaded into the shop, I walked towards the door and flipped the 'open' sign to closed. In order to escape my pessimistic thoughts, I blasted music through the shop while I closed up. Everything had to be neat and tidy. Once I felt sure the shop was in impeccable shape, I allowed myself to exit,

Shadows reached out to me as I walked along the now familiar path. Vivi, Joel, and the rest of the gang decided to meet up at the beach for some late night Nutella. Of course, I refused to ditch my duties at the shop. So, I agreed to join them once I locked up.

Since these streets had become ingrained into my memory, they felt less scary and more like a familiar comfort. My flip-flops slapped against the pavement as a slight breeze rippled through the humid air. Everything about this small town screamed 'home' more than my old town ever did. Maybe it was the connections and bonds I'd created. Maybe my old home was just associated with too many negative thoughts. Either way, a feeling of tranquility washed over me.

Once I arrived at the beach, a bright orange blaze greeted my eyes. All my friends and Meatbag sat around it, a fat jar of hazelnut goodness passed between them. Joel licked his fingers as his sister yanked the jar from his lap. Chey giggled while plucking a marshmallow from an almost empty bag resting on the sand. Meatbag simply stared into the endless abyss of darkness that resembled the ocean in daylight. He seemed removed. It was like he wasn't even here with us, but rather lost in his hate-filled mind.

Slowly, I ambled towards the group. Something about Meatbag greatly unsettled me. Usually, his cold demeanor both angered and startled me. That night, his lost, trance-like state rattled something in my core. Maybe, just maybe, it was the fact that he seemed human. He looked like a lost little boy who just needed someone to hug him.

Shaking my head, I plopped down between Joel and Vivi. Finally, I could feel joy, and I couldn't let my thoughts drag me back down.

"Con, you made it!" Vivi shrieked with joy, tightly wrapping her arms around me.

A genuine smile lit up my visage as I embraced the girl who had probably become my best friend in the world. "Yep!" Then, I proceeded to snatch the Nutella jar from her lap.

"Hey!" She exclaimed, her lips tugged downward into a playful frown.

Grinning, I scooped some onto my finger and greedily consumed it.

"Finally, someone steals the Nutella from the Great Nutella Thief," Joel joked before yanking the jar from my own lap. Smirking while dipping a marshmallow into the creamy mixture, he exclaimed, "But I deserve the jar more than both of you!"

Pouting, Vivi sprawled herself onto the sand, resting her legs on her brother's lap. "Whatever, loser. Enjoy it while you can."

A chuckle escaped my lips. "Oh Vivi, you never fail to amuse me."

"It's my job, bestie," she grinned.

A warm feeling spread throughout my chest. A week after the group's reconciliation, and I'd never felt so loved. Yet, every angel is shadowed by a demon.

"Hey, Con, business has been so amazing since you began working at the clothing shop," Cheyenne finally spoke, her voice soft and almost fragile. Honestly, I felt concerned and upset. What had Meatbag done to her?

Remembering her words, my cheeks flushed. "Nah. I'm sure it's just a coincidence. I mean, I'm trying to be the best employee I can, but I'm nothing noteworthy."

Vivi scoffed. "Yes you are! Besides, I've noticed it too. More and more people at our school are wearing clothes from Chey's family's store."

I shrugged. Was it because of the notes? Were they making a considerable difference? My smile grew, but I attempted to conceal it by stuffing a fluffy marshmallow into my mouth. "Oh, really?" My words came out muffled and followed by chunks of marshmallow.

"Close your mouth, please," Meatbag cringed, whipping a bottle of hand sanitizer out of his pocket.

"Oh, grow up," Vivi scoffed, ripping her eyes from the plethora of stars to glare at him.

Meatbag innocently threw his hands in the air. "Chill, Vivi! You know I just really hate germs." Seemingly forced, he sighed," Sorry, Connie. No offense to you."

"None taken," I heartedly laughed while Vivi scoffed. I had to remember he was still a human. Something in my heart wouldn't let me act rude towards him, especially if that would mean upsetting Chey.

As I glanced up at the stars, I felt truly blessed. I would be okay. With a smile on my face and a grin in my heart, I sprawled across the soft sand and observed the sky until my eyes became heavy. As long as Vivi and Joel remained by my side, everything would turn out just fine. I hoped.

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Sorry for the overdue and crappy update. I've just been so busy and tired. Oh, yeah, and not very motivated. But here's the next update! Yay!

Feel free to help me edit and please leave honest (but not mean) comments!!

Also, how do you guys think the flow was?? Was it too choppy?

QOTD:Why do you think Meatbag seemed so reserved?

Ahh, we're over 500 reads!!!! Thank you guys soooo much! I love you all! I'm also at 180 followers and 20 away from 200!!!!! Oh my gosh thank you!!!

Peace,

Sarah❤️