Chapter Text
September. It was getting cold. Leaves dusting the street. Halloween decorations in the windows.
Same cashier, same order of items. Three protein bars, placed diagonally side by side. Six pack of bottled water beside them, horizontal. Six pack of eggs, large, beside the water.
Monday. Wednesday. Friday.
Not weekends, too busy.
October. Getting colder. More leaves on the sidewalk today. Pumpkins being sold.
Same cashier, same order of items. Three protein bars, placed diagonally side by side. Six pack of bottled water beside them, horizontal. Six pack of eggs, large, beside the water.
Monday. Wednesday. Friday.
Not weekends, too busy.
November.
No. No. No. No. No.
Dex stood still abruptly when he saw you, the new cashier being trained by the older one. His cashier. The reliable one. The one who knew his order. The one who didn't talk. Or smile. Or breathe out of order.
You didn't notice him at first, watching intently on how to use the till, eyes following the older cashier, darting from side to side with the occasional nod.
Meanwhile Dex just stared, jaw clenching and unclenching because this wasn't planned. Everything had a plan. Everything was perfect. And then you came along.
The obvious slam of each protein bar, slammed diagonally next to each other, got your attention and you looked up, startled, to see a very tall but scarred man glowering at you, the irritation seeping through his skin to the point where even you felt uncomfortable.
"Oh, a customer, you can try your hand at it now." Your new co-worker said, seemingly oblivious to the fact that this customer was staring you down like you just insulted him to his face.
With an intimidated swallow, you placed that sweet customer service smile on your face and looked down at his items that he had all but flung down, noticing their perfect symmetry. Any other cashier would've just scanned and tossed them away but you didn't.
And Dex noticed that.
Every item you scanned was placed down perfectly but in the opposite order. Six pack of eggs, large. Six pack of bottled water, horizontal. And then each protein bar, all three… diagonal.
The older cashier packed the items while he paid, a distant yet suspicious look in his eyes when he accepted the plastic bag, leaving the convenience store with a frown.
He would be watching you closely these coming weeks. Very, very closely.