Status: Coming along :)
Childhood Summers and Ring Pops
Busy Day at the Supermarket
Janice is asked to Register #3, Janice.
The young woman sighed, still only halfway through stocking mushroom soup in Aisle 9 of her hometown supermarket, where she worked. Irritated, she pushed her too-long fringe out of her eyes, the strawberry-blond whipping at the side of her face, and made a face at her coworker who only smiled apologetically back at her.
"Go ahead Jan. I'll take care of the cans." Melissa, her best friend in this food-invaded hell, assured her.
Nodding, Janice Gagnon took her time making her way to the front end of the IGA where she was greeted by her stony-faced assistant-manager.
"Janice. I called for you over three minutes ago. Where in the world were you?" Clara, from her pointed black stilettos to the tight bun in her hair, was the epitome of seriousness. Jan tried to stay clear away from as often as she could afford it, which wasn't very often, unfortunately.
"Sorry Clara, I had to find someone to stock the shelves..." She mumbled to her shoes, saying the first excuse that passed through her mind.
Clara clucked her tongue disapprovingly. "Nevermind that now. Today is going to be a busy day, and I need someone extra at the registers. Go now."
A busy day for the IGA in Sainte-Marie-de-Beauce consisted of five customers in the whole supermarket at a time, apparently, so Jan was left alone with her thoughts for most of the day, only disturbed by the occasional customer and the snapping gum of the girl working at the register behind her.
Looking around the store, she had to admit that the boring dark-blue and white were a complete change from the week before, where vibrantly-red shirts with Indian faces were adorned by everyone, even the employees. During the Stanley Cup Finals, the whole town had decided to show their love for the homeboy-by-extension, Jonathan Toews, and even Jan, who had never watched a game of hockey in her entire life, had to admit that the ambiance around her was electrifying.
Now, the only red in sight were the peppers in the vegetable section and the tiny IGA logo on her vest.
"Janice! It's been too long. Look how beautiful you grew up to be."
Feeling the heat rise to her cheeks, Jan turned to see a middle-aged woman flanked by a young man in a old school baseball cap and dark sunglasses. He clearly looked uncomfortable, but the woman was smiling genuinely, and a flash of recognition hit Jan.
"Andrée! You're back! How have you been?" Excited, Jan leaned over the conveyor belt to hug the woman that had babysat her when she was still in diapers, and that came back every summer with a new little something for her. Unfortunately, it had been ten years since Andrée hadn't come home, too busy with her life back in Manitoba to drop by.
"I've been good, I've been good." She waved the comment off as if it were uninteresting. "But what about you dear? I hear you've been attending Laval University!"
Jan felt the blood creep up her cheeks once again. "You've been talking to my parents, right?"
"They're so proud of you. What are you majoring in?" Andrée inquired, ignoring the young man fidgeting beside her.
"Communications." Jan said simply, finally starting to check out the woman's items. Lettuce, tomatoes, mayonnaise... Boring, but better than five cans of whipped cream and eight baskets of strawberries. Having seen that too many times, Miracle Whip was perfectly fine by her.
"That's nice." Andrée smiled, making no move to take her groceries. Her companion continued fidgeting, glancing left and right before sighing. "Mom, can we go now?"
"Oh hush you." She slapped his arm lightly. "Don't you remember Janice? You two were glued by the hip every summer. Why, I remember you giving her a Ring Pop one time, claiming you two were married..."
Now Jan was a bright, glowing red as his mouth hung open, unsure what to say. Half a minute passed in silence before he took off his sunglasses slowly, revealing his deep chocolate eyes, which were now diving into her soft gray orbs.
"Janny..." He whispered, leaving her dumbstruck. No one had called her that since grade school.
Johnny Toews was back in town.
The young woman sighed, still only halfway through stocking mushroom soup in Aisle 9 of her hometown supermarket, where she worked. Irritated, she pushed her too-long fringe out of her eyes, the strawberry-blond whipping at the side of her face, and made a face at her coworker who only smiled apologetically back at her.
"Go ahead Jan. I'll take care of the cans." Melissa, her best friend in this food-invaded hell, assured her.
Nodding, Janice Gagnon took her time making her way to the front end of the IGA where she was greeted by her stony-faced assistant-manager.
"Janice. I called for you over three minutes ago. Where in the world were you?" Clara, from her pointed black stilettos to the tight bun in her hair, was the epitome of seriousness. Jan tried to stay clear away from as often as she could afford it, which wasn't very often, unfortunately.
"Sorry Clara, I had to find someone to stock the shelves..." She mumbled to her shoes, saying the first excuse that passed through her mind.
Clara clucked her tongue disapprovingly. "Nevermind that now. Today is going to be a busy day, and I need someone extra at the registers. Go now."
A busy day for the IGA in Sainte-Marie-de-Beauce consisted of five customers in the whole supermarket at a time, apparently, so Jan was left alone with her thoughts for most of the day, only disturbed by the occasional customer and the snapping gum of the girl working at the register behind her.
Looking around the store, she had to admit that the boring dark-blue and white were a complete change from the week before, where vibrantly-red shirts with Indian faces were adorned by everyone, even the employees. During the Stanley Cup Finals, the whole town had decided to show their love for the homeboy-by-extension, Jonathan Toews, and even Jan, who had never watched a game of hockey in her entire life, had to admit that the ambiance around her was electrifying.
Now, the only red in sight were the peppers in the vegetable section and the tiny IGA logo on her vest.
"Janice! It's been too long. Look how beautiful you grew up to be."
Feeling the heat rise to her cheeks, Jan turned to see a middle-aged woman flanked by a young man in a old school baseball cap and dark sunglasses. He clearly looked uncomfortable, but the woman was smiling genuinely, and a flash of recognition hit Jan.
"Andrée! You're back! How have you been?" Excited, Jan leaned over the conveyor belt to hug the woman that had babysat her when she was still in diapers, and that came back every summer with a new little something for her. Unfortunately, it had been ten years since Andrée hadn't come home, too busy with her life back in Manitoba to drop by.
"I've been good, I've been good." She waved the comment off as if it were uninteresting. "But what about you dear? I hear you've been attending Laval University!"
Jan felt the blood creep up her cheeks once again. "You've been talking to my parents, right?"
"They're so proud of you. What are you majoring in?" Andrée inquired, ignoring the young man fidgeting beside her.
"Communications." Jan said simply, finally starting to check out the woman's items. Lettuce, tomatoes, mayonnaise... Boring, but better than five cans of whipped cream and eight baskets of strawberries. Having seen that too many times, Miracle Whip was perfectly fine by her.
"That's nice." Andrée smiled, making no move to take her groceries. Her companion continued fidgeting, glancing left and right before sighing. "Mom, can we go now?"
"Oh hush you." She slapped his arm lightly. "Don't you remember Janice? You two were glued by the hip every summer. Why, I remember you giving her a Ring Pop one time, claiming you two were married..."
Now Jan was a bright, glowing red as his mouth hung open, unsure what to say. Half a minute passed in silence before he took off his sunglasses slowly, revealing his deep chocolate eyes, which were now diving into her soft gray orbs.
"Janny..." He whispered, leaving her dumbstruck. No one had called her that since grade school.
Johnny Toews was back in town.
♠ ♠ ♠
Short, I know. Chapter 2's already all typed up, might post it tonight :DIf not tonight, then tomorrow, fo sho
If you're asking yourselves, did the employees REALLY wear Hawks shirts? Well the answer is yes, they did. It was freakin' awesome, #19s everywhere.
Although it was at the Supermarché Veilleux, but it's too homey, and I wanted a bigger and less personal space. I'm not even sure if there is an IGA in Sainte-Marie. There must be. Yeah.
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