Not a Barbie Doll

I breathed a loud gust of air out of my mouth slowly, having nothing more important to do. I sat on the counter of my register and chewed the chalky blue cotton candy flavored bubble gum in my mouth. I took a sip of the bottle of water resting between my legs and looked around the music store. Completely vacant. Ridiculous. I absentmindedly picked at my nails. I suddenly heard the door swing open and loud footsteps entering the store. I hopped off the counter, fearing it was my boss, Bob, who'd give me another annoying lecture on how it's "disrespectful" to sit on the register during business hours.

I turned to see who entered the store and chuckled lightly under my breath. A short boy with greasy bleach-blond hair and a pimple-covered face stood there dumbly. He was wearing a white muscle shirt, baggy jean shorts, and heavy Gothic-style boots. He couldn't be any older than 14, if that. He wandered into the aisle with the large 'N' over it. I preoccupied myself with thinking of bands that started with the letter 'N'. I'd thought of Nirvana when he came running out of the aisle, a few Cd's falling out of his baggy jeans pockets. I hopped over the counter and grabbed him by the ear before he could leave the store.

"Let me go!" He shouted, wriggling and twisting in my hold.

"Not a chance you moron. Empty your pockets." I demanded. He grumbled and started pulling things out. He dropped a wallet, four Cd's, and a pack of cigarettes. I rolled my eyes and stuck the pack into my back pocket. "First of all, you're not even intelligent enough to know by now that not many people get away with stealing in a basically empty store, dip shit, so I highly doubt you're old enough to smoke." I said, quite amused. "If I let go of you will you book it?" I asked. He shook his head and I let go, figuring I'd catch him anyway. I picked up the wallet and opened it. I pulled out two dollar bills, a picture of a pre-pubescent girl wearing too much makeup and had dyed black hair, and an obviously fake ID. I rolled my eyes and quickly went to grab a pair of scissors out of the pencil can on my register and snipped the card in half.

His mouth dropped open and he began to sputter. "Y-you, bitch!" He exclaimed. "That took me two months allowance to pay for! And it was my only one!" He yelled.

"You shouldn't have one!" I shot back, fighting back a laugh. I stuck the wallet back into his pocket and picked the Cd's off the floor.

"What's your problem, lady?!" He demanded. That time, I did laugh. Hard.

"Lady?" I asked, walking back over to my register.

"Do you prefer hag?" He asked. I chuckled, taking another sip of my water. "What is funny?" He demanded.

"You make me laugh." I shrugged. "And not in the most pleasant of ways." I added, crossing my arms over my chest.

"You're lucky you're kinda hot or I'd totally mess you up!" He threatened. I snorted.

"Oh? So it's the 21st century. Boys can hit girls now, when did that rule change?" I laughed, leaning over the counter.

"And you're stupid. Typical blond." He said, gesturing to my lower back length blond hair. I glared.

"What the fuck is thats supposed to mean?" I asked.

"Well, look at you. You look like a damn pop star. Your hair, your makeup, your skin. Everything." He said. He'd struck a nerve.

"If you don't get out of the store in about ten seconds I'm calling the police." I threatened. He ran out the door about five later. I ran a hand through my hair and returned the Cd's to the aisle. I heard the door open again.

"I thought I told you to get the fu-" I began before I realized it wasn't him. A tall, black haired man with hazel eyes and chalky pale skin. He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. His hair was messy and tangled and he had a small red dot under his right eye. He glanced at me then back at the floor, before making his way into the "I" aisle. I walked back to my register and blocked the strange man from my thoughts.

"Forty-five minutes and Bob will be here." I kept thinking to myself. The strange man walked over to my register, carrying two Cd's; an Special Edition Iron Maiden Cd, and a Kill switch Engage Cd. I hadn't even heard him walk to the "K" aisle. I scanned the Cd's. "Your total is $36.13" I said to him. He handed me two twenty dollar bills. I bagged his items and handed him the correct change. "Have a nice day." I mumbled. He nodded and walked toward the door. I tucked a lock of hair behind my ear as I heard the door swing shut.

The rest of the day went on without excitement. Bob came at 7 o'clock as promised and dismissed me, after informing me that I'd be training a new employee tomorrow, which I wasn't exactly thrilled about. I drove to my apartment building in my old, dirty, brown beat up Chevy Silverado. I parked and walked towards the front building.

"Hey Mikey." I greeted the manager as I walked through the door.

"Hey Kira." He said with a smile. Mikey had mousy brown hair and glasses. He was extremely skinny and really nice and adorably shy. I returned the smile and took the elevator up to the third floor. I opened the door the apartment I shared with my best friend Elegra.

"Hey Elly." I called. I smelled eggs and bacon. I hung up my keys and jacket and walked into the kitchen.

"Hey Kira." She called back. She handed me a plate with eggs, bacon, and toast and a glass of water. I smiled and thanked her, sitting down at the counter. "How was work?" She asked me. I shrugged and forked a piece of egg.

"Boring mostly." I told her. I filled her in on what had happened at work that day, taking special care to give detail in some places, knowing she'd ask for them anyway. I told her I'd have to train a new employee, which she sympathized with me about. I finished eating and went up to my room. I took of my shirt and looked in the mirror. I hid my expression from myself as my eyes ran over the past stretch marks that graced the bottom of my stomach. I'd lost allot of weight since childhood, but It wasn't as though I felt good about my body.

Back in grade school and junior high I was known as 'The Fat Girl'. It still hurt to think of the cruel nicknames my classmates had given me. I thought of my high school years and shut my eyes. Why did all of this still bother me? I wondered. It was such a long time ago. My eyes flew open again as I glanced in the mirror one more time before throwing a comfortable washed out orange t-shirt over my head. I slid my jeans down my legs and pulled a pair of red plaid pajama bottoms up them. I slid the hair tie out of my hair and let my long blond hair spill.

I laid down on my bed and covered up with the cool green sheets. I smiled as the comfort over took me and my eyes drifted shut. I wrapped my arms around my torso and let sleep begin to over-take me.

"Things were better now." I reminded myself. I dozed off, thinking only of the good things, and pushing the bad things far from my mind.