Hot Sauce and Cigarettes
Demeter
"Oi. Bitch lady comin'." Sid warned, stepping up to my register to bag the questionable items.
I don't think Sid liked Demeter much, whenever he mentioned her his face scrunched like he was eating a lemon. Then again that meant he didn't like anyone much, because he usually made that face when he talked to you.
The Crazy Guy didn't even look up, kept arranging his pennies on my belt, and smiled.
Demeter's eyebrows were shoved together in annoyance. I would have found it funny, seeing her march past the other registers like she was a spanish bull, horns pointed toward a (seemingly) harmless fellow. But in that moment I was too annoyed myself to find the situation humorous. Looking back on it now, I guess I have to laugh.
She pushed a costumer out of the way.
"Out of my way. Please." She added the last word reluctantly, sped along the windowed walls, finally reaching me. The skinny nook of the register could fit the two of us, and she took advantage of that--standing right next to me.
I coughed slightly. I soon found that Demeter had a habit of spraying tons of perfume upon herself after smoking a cigarette or three.
But she was here with me, defending me, and that's all that mattered.
Her voice spat at the Crazy Guy's bent head, "Cut the crap, and give her a twenty."
He didn't look up, "What? Sorry? I can't hear you, you smell too loud."
Her face looked insulted. But Demeter recovered quickly, grabbing for the purple strap of his purse. He jumped back immeadiately, running a shaky hand through his dirty blonde hair.
"Now, now. That's my personal... uh, property. No touchy."
"Then give her a twenty, or else."
"Else?" He blinked like a child learning a new word.
"Or else... I'll. I'll have security search you." She crossed her arms.
The Crazy Guy seemed to be considering something. His eyes shifted around in his skull in several different points. Then he asked,
"Are you security?"
Sid started to guffaw at this innocent question. I couldn't help but snort. She shot us both looks swift as gunshots, and as you would expect, we shut our faces. A tall black guy had joined the scene, dressed in an apron. He was smiling patiently.
I wish I had that patience.
"Enough of your games." Demeter commanded, picking up the pennies with a swift and trained flair. She'd probably done it many times, "I am so done with yo--"
"YOINK!" He shouted, grabbing her wrist and taking back the dreaded, monsterous amount of pennies. She tried to pull away, but failed, and I considered throwing my phone at him but didn't because what he did shocked Sid, the black guy, and myself into a frozen state.
He pulled a twenty from his pocket.
And licked it. Like slow motion.
I held my fingers to my mouth. I could feel my eyes buldge with shock. Demeter was looking at him with an expression of pure disgust. I think she didn't realize what he was going to do next, otherwise I'm sure she would've made a move to scratch his eyeballs out with her free hand.
He slapped the dirty money into her empty palm, grinning like the devil.
Demeter turned a variety of colors. She also looked like she was going to murder the man standing before her, who just smiled sweetly. My own head kept dodging back and forth. This would not end well.
"Sir. Your bags." Sid said loudly, as if to distract.
"Ah. Ah my bags." He let go and turned, taking the screaming cart with him and grabbing his odd collection of items.
The last thing I heard him shout was, "Change goes to Sid Vicious, George."
The cart screeched away. He didn't even bother putting the thing back with all the others, just veered it off to the side and left the store.
I stared in horror and Demeter still stood, now looking like a very angry cat who's been doused in pool water. She said nothing. Just moved her hand in front of me. I took the cue, grabbing the very tiniest tip of dry edge with my fingers.
"Ey, can't handle some spit Demi?" Sid made a mocking noise with his throat: hhhhhhhhaaaaacccck.
Demeter raised her eyebrows, leaving my side. She didn't even look back as she patted Sid's cheek with her soiled hand.
"Oh, what a nice boy you are, Sue."
I started to laugh as I gave "Sid" his tip.
Sue
Forget that she told her my name...
I just made seven bucks bagging a potato and watched Demeter flip her lid.
That guy.
Is my hero.
Georgie
The black guy was fairly young. He also had a slight lisp and an attitude-y flair to his voice.
"Survived your first meeting with The Crazy Guy, huh?"
I nodded plainly.
"Well don't get too comfortable. He's done way worse."
I cringed.
"George...." He read my nametag, "Nice to meet you. I'm Marvin. I work over in the deli with Maria," He pointed behind him to a little alcove with a stereotypical deli/bakery. My stomach growled thinking about all the stuff that was making the lovely smells. Marvin grinned, "You should get a sandwich for lunch. It's cool, as long as you don't pay with pennies."
He winked, paid. When he walked away he kind of swung his hips.
"Girlie."
"Yeah Sue, er, Sid?"
"So you've really got a boy's name, eh?"
"Ugh. No. They got my nametag wrong. Why do you guys put up with that guy?"
"Who. The gay guy? Marvin?"
I chuckled.
"Someone's got to say it."
"Well, no, I mean the "crazy guy"."
"We don't deny a costumer. That's what Reeves says. And he pays. One time he gave me a fifty for telling him his lights were on. Besides he's not evil or anything. Just... mental. Oh, and he likes to make Dee mad. Which is heap loads of fun."
Reeves
I held out a small container we used to clean our little sponges for the registers out with.
"Oh hey Dee, could you clean the sponges--"
"Excuse me." She held up a finger, took it from me, and turned.
She stuck her face in the thing and there was a long, muffled scream.
She put the thing down on the counter, rubbing her hands with sanitizer and running her hands through her frizzed hair.
"You were saying?" She then smiled warmly at me.
I sighed. Sara was like a daughter to me, I hated to see her like this.
"...Demeter, if you let him get to you like that--"
"We need to get rid of him! I have been putting up with this for too long. Is there a rule against licking someone's hand?"
"...He licked your hand."
"Well ...not exactly. He licked the bill, Reeves."
"It's our job to take the moolah." I shrugged.
"Still! I have rights!" She stamped her foot.
I shook my head. Her and that guy had been battling forever and a day. Sometimes she got so worked up I thought maybe...
Nah.
"Dee, you catch more flies with honey."
"That's not true." Demeter insisted, "There's a better way to catch flies."
"What's that?"
"Bullshit."
And she slammed the door of the Cash Cage shut.
I don't think Sid liked Demeter much, whenever he mentioned her his face scrunched like he was eating a lemon. Then again that meant he didn't like anyone much, because he usually made that face when he talked to you.
The Crazy Guy didn't even look up, kept arranging his pennies on my belt, and smiled.
Demeter's eyebrows were shoved together in annoyance. I would have found it funny, seeing her march past the other registers like she was a spanish bull, horns pointed toward a (seemingly) harmless fellow. But in that moment I was too annoyed myself to find the situation humorous. Looking back on it now, I guess I have to laugh.
She pushed a costumer out of the way.
"Out of my way. Please." She added the last word reluctantly, sped along the windowed walls, finally reaching me. The skinny nook of the register could fit the two of us, and she took advantage of that--standing right next to me.
I coughed slightly. I soon found that Demeter had a habit of spraying tons of perfume upon herself after smoking a cigarette or three.
But she was here with me, defending me, and that's all that mattered.
Her voice spat at the Crazy Guy's bent head, "Cut the crap, and give her a twenty."
He didn't look up, "What? Sorry? I can't hear you, you smell too loud."
Her face looked insulted. But Demeter recovered quickly, grabbing for the purple strap of his purse. He jumped back immeadiately, running a shaky hand through his dirty blonde hair.
"Now, now. That's my personal... uh, property. No touchy."
"Then give her a twenty, or else."
"Else?" He blinked like a child learning a new word.
"Or else... I'll. I'll have security search you." She crossed her arms.
The Crazy Guy seemed to be considering something. His eyes shifted around in his skull in several different points. Then he asked,
"Are you security?"
Sid started to guffaw at this innocent question. I couldn't help but snort. She shot us both looks swift as gunshots, and as you would expect, we shut our faces. A tall black guy had joined the scene, dressed in an apron. He was smiling patiently.
I wish I had that patience.
"Enough of your games." Demeter commanded, picking up the pennies with a swift and trained flair. She'd probably done it many times, "I am so done with yo--"
"YOINK!" He shouted, grabbing her wrist and taking back the dreaded, monsterous amount of pennies. She tried to pull away, but failed, and I considered throwing my phone at him but didn't because what he did shocked Sid, the black guy, and myself into a frozen state.
He pulled a twenty from his pocket.
And licked it. Like slow motion.
I held my fingers to my mouth. I could feel my eyes buldge with shock. Demeter was looking at him with an expression of pure disgust. I think she didn't realize what he was going to do next, otherwise I'm sure she would've made a move to scratch his eyeballs out with her free hand.
He slapped the dirty money into her empty palm, grinning like the devil.
Demeter turned a variety of colors. She also looked like she was going to murder the man standing before her, who just smiled sweetly. My own head kept dodging back and forth. This would not end well.
"Sir. Your bags." Sid said loudly, as if to distract.
"Ah. Ah my bags." He let go and turned, taking the screaming cart with him and grabbing his odd collection of items.
The last thing I heard him shout was, "Change goes to Sid Vicious, George."
The cart screeched away. He didn't even bother putting the thing back with all the others, just veered it off to the side and left the store.
I stared in horror and Demeter still stood, now looking like a very angry cat who's been doused in pool water. She said nothing. Just moved her hand in front of me. I took the cue, grabbing the very tiniest tip of dry edge with my fingers.
"Ey, can't handle some spit Demi?" Sid made a mocking noise with his throat: hhhhhhhhaaaaacccck.
Demeter raised her eyebrows, leaving my side. She didn't even look back as she patted Sid's cheek with her soiled hand.
"Oh, what a nice boy you are, Sue."
I started to laugh as I gave "Sid" his tip.
Sue
Forget that she told her my name...
I just made seven bucks bagging a potato and watched Demeter flip her lid.
That guy.
Is my hero.
Georgie
The black guy was fairly young. He also had a slight lisp and an attitude-y flair to his voice.
"Survived your first meeting with The Crazy Guy, huh?"
I nodded plainly.
"Well don't get too comfortable. He's done way worse."
I cringed.
"George...." He read my nametag, "Nice to meet you. I'm Marvin. I work over in the deli with Maria," He pointed behind him to a little alcove with a stereotypical deli/bakery. My stomach growled thinking about all the stuff that was making the lovely smells. Marvin grinned, "You should get a sandwich for lunch. It's cool, as long as you don't pay with pennies."
He winked, paid. When he walked away he kind of swung his hips.
"Girlie."
"Yeah Sue, er, Sid?"
"So you've really got a boy's name, eh?"
"Ugh. No. They got my nametag wrong. Why do you guys put up with that guy?"
"Who. The gay guy? Marvin?"
I chuckled.
"Someone's got to say it."
"Well, no, I mean the "crazy guy"."
"We don't deny a costumer. That's what Reeves says. And he pays. One time he gave me a fifty for telling him his lights were on. Besides he's not evil or anything. Just... mental. Oh, and he likes to make Dee mad. Which is heap loads of fun."
Reeves
I held out a small container we used to clean our little sponges for the registers out with.
"Oh hey Dee, could you clean the sponges--"
"Excuse me." She held up a finger, took it from me, and turned.
She stuck her face in the thing and there was a long, muffled scream.
She put the thing down on the counter, rubbing her hands with sanitizer and running her hands through her frizzed hair.
"You were saying?" She then smiled warmly at me.
I sighed. Sara was like a daughter to me, I hated to see her like this.
"...Demeter, if you let him get to you like that--"
"We need to get rid of him! I have been putting up with this for too long. Is there a rule against licking someone's hand?"
"...He licked your hand."
"Well ...not exactly. He licked the bill, Reeves."
"It's our job to take the moolah." I shrugged.
"Still! I have rights!" She stamped her foot.
I shook my head. Her and that guy had been battling forever and a day. Sometimes she got so worked up I thought maybe...
Nah.
"Dee, you catch more flies with honey."
"That's not true." Demeter insisted, "There's a better way to catch flies."
"What's that?"
"Bullshit."
And she slammed the door of the Cash Cage shut.