In The End

Author\'s Note: Thanks for the review. I hope for more. Of course, I\'ll continue with the story. It\'s so fun, like writting a diary.


The next morning at precisely 7 am, Destiny’s alarm clocked buzzed loudly. Her heavy hand shot up from under the covers and fell with a smack on the off button. The covers moved about wildly for a few seconds and then two feet touched the red carpet. Destiny stood and swayed for a minute, gaining composure, and then made her way to the bathroom.
Inside, she stood at the mirror looking at her reflection. Her hair was a mess of red and gold and she had a design of a zipper, from her pillow, on her left cheek. Laughing, she turned on the sink and splashed her face with some water. Then, she brushed out her hair and brushed her teeth. Satisfied with how she looked, she put on her make-up and then walked back to her room to find some clothes.
Later, when she had dressed in her black, mid-thigh length, leather skirt and black belly shirt that said ‘Are you stalking me? Because that would be super’, she grabbed her cell phone, ran to her car and drove to work.
She arrived at work 20 minutes before she needed to, unlocked the door and walked to the bathroom to put on her shirt and name tag. John, the manager, would be arriving in a half hour so she wanted to get as much done as possible. She rushed around, emptying the drop box and checking in the DVDs. Then, security stripping them and putting them away. At 9:30, she signed onto a cash register and decided to put in ’Finding Nemo’ before they opened at 10.
Five minutes passed and John didn’t show, instead he called. “Destiny, I’ve broke down in German Village and I’m trying to get a ride. I called Jamie, who is in Reynoldsburg right now on a camping trip, so, we called James and Lora to come in, they were the only ones we can get a hold of.”
“Okay.” She replied, dreading the name Lora.
“I’ll be there before your shift is up and you can take off early, okay?” He said apologetically.
“Yeah, It’s fine, John. It’s okay.” She said, hoping he didn’t hear the hint of annoyance in her voice. He knew her and Lora didn’t get along and he usually tried his hardest to keep her away from Lora. But, what could he do, they were short on workers as it is.
He hung up and she unlocked the doors for good. Destiny was so glad it was a Thursday and a warm day, not many people come in on such nice days.
A few customers came and went for the next half hour, Destiny was beginning to think she’d have to do this all alone. Finally, the door opened and in walked Lora, who sleepily clocked in and took her place at a register.
Lora was a bit taller and a bit heavier then Destiny. Her hair was naturally bright red and short. Her face was round and full of freckles. She was very pale and sluggish. She nodded at Destiny and then walked over to check in some movies.
Ten, maybe fifteen minutes passed and the door opened again. James walked in, just as Destiny was checking out a young, blonde woman.
Patiently, James waited for the exchange to be done, leaning over the cash register and watching her. The woman handed her the quarters in her hand and said “A dollar, twenty.” To be sure, Destiny counted it, feeling the blush creep up her face as the heat from James body warmed her.
“Uh, h-how much is this again?” she said to herself.
“A dollar, twenty.” The woman said again, laughing and looking towards James. “Lord, boy, what did you do to her? She got twitterpated as soon as you walked in.”
James smiled and shrugged “I guess I just got it like that.”
Destiny gave the woman what she was sure was the correct change and the woman left, leaving James to stare into eyeseyes with a look on his face like he was undressing her.
“H-h-hello.” She stuttered at him with a deer-caught-in-the-headlights look.
“Hey.” James’ voice dripped with class as he spoke the simple word. “I’m here.”
“Y-y-yes, I’ve g-gathered that.” Destiny said, gaining a bit of composure, “Um, well, Lora will watch the front as I take you to the office to do paperwork and watch the Intro tapes.”
Lora nodded at them and they walked to the back stopping in front of 3 doors. Destiny took her key and unlocked the one on the left. The two, walked inside of a white, brick room. The room was small and cramped with 2 computer chairs, a desk, a television and stacks of DVDs.
Shrugging towards a farther away chair, Destiny said “There. Sit.” Then, she took her own seat in front of the desk, opening a drawer and taking out a small stack of papers. She then, crossed her legs and turned the chair around to face him. With a nod toward the television she said “The first tape should be in there and the other two are here.” She paused and pointed at a boxed set of tapes with one missing. “Doesn’t matter what order you watch them in either.”
The whole time her mouth was moving, but, she was trying with all her might to avoid looking into his eyes. “Um, and, here’s the paperwork you have to read and fill out afterwards.” She gave in, and looked towards his eyes. Oh shit, she thought, Holy Mother of Goddess. His eyes. Where did that bastard get off looking at her like that with eyes such an otherworldly color?
“Thanks.” He replied slyly, slowly grabbing for the paperwork and pulling it from her hand.
She nodded slowly, not knowing whether to be annoyed by his arrogance or enthralled by his over-all self. She got up and walked to the door. Her back turned, she said “Out here when you’re done. I’ll come and check on you in a few. Or maybe someone else, depending on when the manager gets here.”
“Thanks, Destiny.” James said, causing Destiny to turn on the sound of her name be spoken.
She smiled at him, nodded again and turned to leave. She closed the door behind her and hurried back to the front.
Damn, she thought, this is not good. No good can come of this. This is, in fact, really bad. I bet he’s good as hell in the bedroom. Note to self: Have inconsequential sex with lower employee.
“Miss.” A voice interrupted her thoughts, a voice belonging to a short, muscular, bearded man in his early forties. He had crystal blue eyes and a bright smile. He wore a black muscle shirt and blue jean shorts with black sneakers. “Does my daughter work here? You might know her, her name is… you!” The man finished his sentence with a big, bellowing laugh that shook his belly.
“Daddy!” Destiny whooped loudly and grabbed the man around the neck firmly.
“Hey, honey!” The man cried, “I came to take you to dinner tonight, if that’s alright with you. Your manager said you can take off. You’ve been working really hard this week.”
Destiny sighed at her father and gave a glance up toward the front desk, John, her manager was helping a customer. He was tall, bald, and certainly not as old-looking as he really was. His quirky way of talking had always made her laugh. He was gay, a thing she always liked in her male friends, almost everyone of her male friends were gay. Even he brother swung both ways.
“Sure,” she said happily to her father, “Let me go get my things and clock out. I have to pick up Justin at 5, though. I have the whole weekend off and we were going to spend it together.”
Her father nodded and said “Sure, sweetheart. No problems there, I’ll go wait out in the car. You can leave yours here for a while and we’ll go eat at Cracker Barrel. Then, I’ll drop you back off here to get your car.”
She agreed and watched him walk away toward the exit and then she herself turned to go back into the office.
James turned in his chair to face her, “Hello again.” He said.
“Hi.” She said, and then explained, “Um, well, John, the manager is here now and I’m taking off to go have dinner with my dad. He can help you now.”
“Okay,” James said, “Um, what are you doing later on tonight?”
Destiny’s eyebrow shot up, “Well, I’m going to spend time with my brother, why?”
James’ usual smile drooped into a frown, making his face look peculiar, “Oh, I was just wondering if you wanted to hang out tonight.”
Destiny shrugged and said “Sure, why not? My number’s on the computer’s under my name, I’ll tell them I gave you permission to look it up, call me and we’ll talk.”
James nodded, smiling again, and watched her walk away.
Destiny waltzed to the bathroom and did her daily leaving ritual, went to the counter, clocked out and told John “I told James he could look up my number, he said he wanted to ask me something about one of my friends. We knew each other in High School.”
John nodded, looking rather confused, as Destiny walked out the door and to her dad’s black Jeep Wrangler. She got in and they drove off.