Street 237

Chapter 3: Cold Looks

I walked to the nearest convenience store that carried more than just packets of sunflower seeds and condoms. I walked into the brightly lit store and the store clerk whipped his head around at me. His stubble covered face that was fixed into an angry expression. As I roamed around the store to the back for the lady products, He kept his eyes on me. As if I were some sort of criminal.
But that was to be expected when a store clerk sees a ratty, dirty teen like me. A lot of street kids don't have good reputations, I was just one of the ones whom kept their morals.
I skimmed the shelves and my eyes laid on a pinkish purple boxing. Always.
I stood on my tip toes to reach it but failed. I looked around and the store clerk still had those fixated eyes. I pursed my lips and looked back at the box that was out of my reach.
Should I ask for help?
I glanced back at him, his expression seemed to grow even more suspicious of my presents being there.
I hesitated and tried again, still couldn't reach it.
At that point I figured it would be useless for me to continue to look like an idiot.
I shrugged and walked to the front where the clerk didn't let up on his cold looks.
"Excuse me sir, can you—"
"Give you that product for free? No, I will can not and will not. Now scram kid." His voice was cold and harsh.
I furrowed my brows and slapped the $10 on the counter. I wasn't about to leave that store without those pads.
"I have money to pay for it so listen before you assume," with that I walked back to the back of the store and pointed at the box that I needed.
"Those," I stood on my tip toes.
He gave me a smug looked before going back there and retrieving the pinkish purplish box covered in flowers and such.
"Anything else," he mumbled.

The box costed $5, and I had 5 left. I looked around and my eyes fell on a $2 bottle of ibuprofen. My cramps had always made me very sick whenever they would come, so I decided to buy medicine ahead of time. I went to grab the bottle when the clerk grabbed my wrist, "No missy."
I spun my head around and looked him dead in the eyes, "What do you mean 'no'?"
"I know what kids like you do with that stuff."
"Use it for pain?"
"No, you pop 'em like its candy."
I was furious at that point and I let my hand fall to my side.

We stood there as I kept my eyes focused on the medicine. I knew I would need it and would be in mug pain without it.
Thoughts filled my head of ways to get it without the clerk knowing, but as I said before, I was the one street kid who had some morals to 'em.
I sighed and started toward the front with the clerk not far behind me.

I wasn't about to compromise my morals for a little pain medicine.
He set the box on the counter and began to ring it up when my eyes caught a glimpse of what seemed like heaven.
A small warmer of those huge, soft pretzels. I licked my lips and scanned for the price of them.
$4
It was rather expensive, but it would be getting cold soon. According to the weather in a thrown away newspaper, it was suppose to get into the 40's that coming night and I knew I would probably need something warm to keep my insides from freezing.
I pushed my hunger and thoughts aside and just settled with the pads.
There was no use in buying the pretzel then anyways, it would just get cold before nightfall.