A Mirror Floating in Water

Isle one. Isle two. Isle three. Two percent milk. Canned tomato sauce. Kraft Mac and Cheese. Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate. Isle four. Isle five. Isle six. Reese's Fast Break. Two for a dollar.

Two checkout lanes open. Cart. Pushed. Between. Isles. She appeared as the cashier behind the counter. Her dark shiny hair which radically contrasted with the banal perfection of the store. She was taller than him and always was. As she stood up straight he slouched to the point that he would gain a few inches upon putting out his chest.

At once he avoided her eyes immediately and stared down pretending to be interested in the shiny edge of the checkout counter. Instead he just appeared as a little boy ashamed of something he'd done. Though he could not see for sure, he felt her eyes preying down on him, almost laughing in their own silent way. They were dark-brown eyes and were always imposing on the outer-world, even teasing, as if testing it in her apathetic cleverness. She too may have slouched sometimes but only in matters of disagreement or disgust towards others, never out of self-deprecation or indulgence.

He imagined her stare as scornful and spiteful, but as he lifted his head slightly he realized that it was not aggression in her eyes but something much worse. It was that disdainful mockery which signified somewhat of an insignificance to the onlooker. He was small and insignificant, a joke to be chuckled at and casually smiled upon. The timing was at its most painful when she handed him the change and her eyes fully met his. There the condensation was at its peak and it flowed fully in that moment from her eyes to his. He could see her lips cleverly pressing against each other, as if unable to help it. At that moment she may have entered his mind and drained it of all its reticence, she disdainfully smiled as if having learnt an amusing secret.

She handed him his repciet and he could've left the store immediately without his bags and not come back, but he successfully made his way out, certain that she was not looking any more.

He stepped out into the cold and decided that it was best to not come there anymore.