Skipping Stones - Karlnap

•4|Friend|4•

"Yup. Everyone knew."

The back door opens again and the nice lady comes out. Either she is significantly short, or Wilbur is significantly tall, and seeing them together made Sapnap realize how average his height really is.

"There's the boss lady. Gotta get to stocking now. It was nice seeing you again." He takes a look at what's in Niki's hands. "Getting into art, huh? You've always been the artistic type. Good to see you finally channeling it from within yourself."

He disappears into one of the aisles and Niki laughs as she begins to scan a new brand of markers. One Sapnap has never seen before. "I see you and Wilbur know each other."

"We went to high school together."

"Was he a good kid?"

Sapnap shakes his head, "He picked on me and my friends."

Niki laughs softly, "This'll be eight dollars."

"Including tax?"

"Including tax."

Sapnap hands over the last of his money just as Wilbur shouts from across the mini-store, "Eight dollars!? Even with my employee discount, those markers are still fifteen!"

"Ignore him," Niki quickly says, pushing the pack of markers across the counter. Sapnap turns the pack over and checks above the barcode for the price. His eyes widen.

"I can't take this." He pushes it back.

"No, I insist. Everyone deserves to explore their artistic capabilities no matter their financial situation."

She pushes the markers back across the counter, and Sapnap catches it right before it falls over the edge. Her lips fall into a slight frown, and he shakes his head.

"I can't. You'll just be losing money."

"It's okay. Really. It's just one pack of markers."

"Every cent matters. It's a kind offer, it really is. But I can't ask you to do this for me." He hands back the markers and turns to leave, already considering making his way to the thrift store across the street.

"Sapnap, wait," Wilbur from across the store calls out, pushing through the many shelves and easels and knocking many of them down in the process. He pulls out a couple of green slips. Without giving Sapnap the chance to protest, he hands the money across the counter to Niki.

Sapnap's eyes alternate between his high school frenemy and the nice young lady scanning the marker set. When she hands Wilbur the markers and extra change, Wilbur turns to Sapnap and hands both to him.

"Why are you giving this to me?" Asks Sapnap.

"Because I want you to know we're friends. I know I teased you and picked on you, and it was always in good fun. But I've been working here for a few days now and if there's anything Niki has taught me, it's that while friendly banter goes a long way, genuine acts of kindness can last a lifetime."

Sapnap can't quite hold back the smile that pulls at the corners of his lips as he gazes down at the pack of markers. It's a twenty-four-pack full of different colors and shades. Each marker has two sides; one is felt-tip, and the other has a brush. Wilbur grins and claps him on the back.

"There we go. Now you have thirteen dollars to treat yourself with. Might I suggest, perhaps, some candy from the candy store down the street? You should try those new Cotton Candy Capsules if you haven't already. It explodes in your mouth when you bite down on it."

"Thank you so much," Sapnap says, "How can I repay you?"

Wilbur shakes his head, "Don't. It's all on me."

Sapnap fishes through his pockets anyway, searching for anything to repay the kind gesture. The only valuable thing he can find beneath all the random paper clips and pens he stole from work is a keychain of a blue sheep he found one day in the library. Sapnap didn't even know he still had it until he hands it over to Wilbur, who takes it with a smile.

"Aw, this is so cute," Wilbur coos, raising it up to his eyes. "I'm naming him Friend." He pockets the keychain. "I should get back to work now, but it was nice seeing you again. And tell Clay and Gogy I said hey. Bye, Sapnap."

"Bye." Sapnap watches him clamber through the aisles and disappear behind the organized clutter of the store.

"Please come again. We'll make sure you leave content," Niki says with a wave.

He leans back, letting the door fall open behind him. The sun has begun to set, and Sapnap smiles as he imagines the look on Karl's face when he shows up just before dusk with a whole new set of markers and a couple of bags of Cotton Candy Capsules for him.