Tyler Joseph - Random Short Stories.

Shopping In a Bakini

This story is based off of A&P by John Updike. I had to rewrite the short story in a different point of view for an assignment in school, so I thought I'd share it. I just changed some names to make it somewhat twenty one pilots related.

It's honestly pretty boring I just thought I'd share it anyways.

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I push open the glass door. The bell rings, notifying my arrival. The store looks pretty barren. The only person I see, besides the employees here, is this older woman—mid fifties at least. She has her brown hair up in a ponytail, and it's laced with silver strands. She has her purse in her right hand, the other hand on her hip, waiting impatiently for the cashier.

I don't study her for too long, and continue through the store, going down each aisle. The two ladies with me, Joanna and Marlo, follow me like a lost puppy. I had practically forced my friends to come in with me.

We were at the beach tanning when my mother called me. She told me to pick up some herring snack on the way home. We stayed out in the sun with our eyes closed, our clothes laying beside us on our towels. Big mistake that was, the tide came in and got our clothes all wet. Luckily, we had extra towels in Joanna's truck, but no clothes.

That's when we agreed to rush in, grab the jar of herring snacks, and leave quickly without any problem. But of course, there's always a problem.

Surprisingly, I have never been further than the cash registers in this store before. My mother does all the shopping, and the most shopping I've done in here is to the vending machine on the right.

I walk through each aisle, keeping my head down and my eyes locked on the aisles. Joanna and Marlo are looking around themselves, probably trying to look like they belong.

When I come out of an aisle, the cash registers are to my right, a distance away from me. I feel eyes on me, which makes my stomach churn with nerves. I stop in my tracks, Joanna and Marlo huddling around me, and I look up towards the cash registers.

My eyes meet this brown eyed boy. There's no way he's older than 20. The old woman has left now, leaving the store completely empty, besides my friends, the employees, and I.

I slowly turn and walk into the next aisle. Different types of cookies line the shelves, as well as a bunch of other goodies. Joanna stops at the cookies and picks some up, examining the blue plastic bag. I continue down the aisle, glancing up and down. I need a jar of herring snacks

I don't like feeling rushed, and I sure don't like people knowing I feel rushed.

Once I make it to the aisle, I glance at the shelf up and down.

Herring snacks...

Herring snacks...

Suddenly Marlo is behind my shoulder, her hand on my wrist. "Maybe we should ask someone, it would make this all go by quicker."

I simply nod at her and twist around, heading out of the aisle the way I came, and I walk straight toward the first employee I see. Marlo is not wrong, we did plan to be in and out in under 5 minutes, and it feels like it has been longer.

When we reach the meat counter, I place my hands down on top of it and give the man, whose name tag read Josh, a soft smile. "Do you know where we can find Kingfish Fancy Herring Snacks?"

He points us into the very next aisle's direction, and I begin to regret listening to Marlo in the first place. I could have very well found it myself.

I nod at him with a soft smile, and turn around and head in that direction.

There are many to choose from, but I just grab the first one I see. I would rather get the wrong one and leave as soon as possible than sit here for twenty minutes deciding whether or not it's what my mother wanted. She should be happy I'm doing this for her anyways.

I approach the cash register and I try to act as casual as possible. Of course, it's the young man ringing me up. I don't look up at his face for too long, I just reach into my top and pull out the dollar I had shoved in there before coming inside.

The bell above the door rings. Someone new has arrived, and everyone glances over to see someone in a collared shirt and a name tag come inside. It doesn't take the man long to notice us three, and he walks over with lifted eyebrows.

"Girls, this isn't the beach." He says to us, but his eyes are on me and the herring snacks.

I feel the urge to speak up first, I just know Joanna and Marlo are exploding with nerves. "My mother asked me to pick up a jar of herring snacks." I say as kindly as possible, I then swallow a nervous lump and I begin to pray no one heard me gulp.

The man places his hands on his hips and shifts on his feet, "that's all right, but this isn't the beach." He repeats and I glance around the store, everyone has their eyes on us. My cheeks heat up in embarrassment. I wouldn't be surprised if they were glowing.

Joanna chimes in, "we weren't doing any shopping. We just came in for one thing." Her voice wavers anxiously.

The man shakes his head, "that makes no difference." He persists, and I have a feeling he wants us to leave as soon as possible. I begin to wonder if he will even let me buy the herring snacks. "We want you decently dressed when you come in here."

I begin to think up excuses, but the only thing I can manage to say is, "we are decent."

"Girls, I don't want to argue with you. After this come in here with your shoulders covered. It's our policy." The man turns towards the cashier, and I'm quick to twist towards him as well. "Tyler, have you rung up this purchase?" He points to the jar that has made my day a living hell, and Tyler shakes his head mumbling a no.

Tyler then slides it across the machine. A successful beep satisfies my ears, filling me with relief. This hell is almost over.

Thank god the manager allowed me to buy my item. I was starting to think he was going to kick us out immediately, that would have been even more embarrassing, if that's possible.

Joanna, Marlo, and I are quick to the exit.

As I push open the exit door, I hear Tyler mutter two words that I will never forget.

"You didn't have to embarrass them like that. I quit."

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