I'm not exactly proud to say it but for a brief stint after college, I got a job at a gas station. I was applying to grad schools and just needed a solid paycheck to hold me over for a few months, and my buddy Jeff was the night time manager, so it was an easy, simple fit.
As you can imagine, it wasn't all that glamorous, but I got to work with Jeff most nights and we had a decent time getting high in the back, eating junk food, and enjoying the occasional beer, so it really wasn't terrible.
The station was a little ways from downtown, closer to neighborhoods than anything else, so it really slowed down on weeknights. Most of the time we just listened to music, I'd read and Jeff would take care of all the little jobs. I'd offered to help but he sort of enjoyed it, said it helped the time go by and he didn't care.
One Thursday night I was sitting at the register while Jeff was doing inventory in the back when a car pulled up. This little emo Asian chick came in and I recognized her. She'd been in a few times, always wearing tight, torn up jeans and a black panda bear hoodie, too much eyeshadow and a pink hello kitty backpack. I'm sure you know the type, pretty cliche suburban mall rat teen.
I tried not to stare at her too much and turned to the car she came in. Sure enough, there was some douchey little punk kid in the front seat of a minivan, I'd bet anything it was his mom's and she let him borrow it when she wasn't using it, and he was sitting there just glaring at me, eyes wide like I was a ghost or something.
That's when I knew something was up. I looked up to find the girl but from the counter, I couldn't see her anywhere. I got up quietly, started tip toeing down the edge of the store, and I turned to her boyfriend who was now frantically pressing buttons into his cell phone.
I turned the corner and found her bent over on her knees, stuffing a twelve pack of beer into her backpack. She turned to me and jumped, falling on her ass and staring up at me.
I couldn't really believe what I was seeing. The sheer audacity of stealing a twelve pack of beer right from under my nose had me dumbfounded. Her jaw dropped and her eyes started welling with tears, and right then her phone started ringing.
"You should probably get that," I shrugged, nodding towards her boyfriend. "I'm pretty sure it's your man trying to warn you."
She took a big gulp and picked up her phone, but the ringing cut off and the sound of tires screeching reached us both. We turned to the large windows to see the kid driving off, just leaving her there.
She covered her mouth and stared up at me. I looked down at her cowering on the ground, my arms crossed, and she burst into tears.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Oh god, please don't call the cops!"
Now, I'm not heartless, but at that moment, staring down at her begging for mercy, I felt like a spider when a fly falls into it's web. My blood started pumping faster, my heart racing. My eyes narrowed and I shook my head.
"Come on, get up," I said, holding out my hand.
She took it and stood up slowly. I grabbed the twelve packed and put it back in the cooler, then picked up her backpack then grabbed her upper arm with my other hand and pulled her towards the door marked "Employees Only."
"What are you gonna do?" She squealed, and I shook my head.
"What the fuck do you think I'm gonna do? You just got caught stealing, I'm going to call the cops and you're going to wait in the office until they get here."
I opened the door and Jeff peeked up from a stack of cardboard boxes. The look on his eyes when he saw me holding this crying little teenager, he was kind of an airhead sometimes, and his face got all scrunched up and he stared at us.
"Sit down," I said, pointing to the table that we used as a makeshift break area. "Jeff, come here, I need to have a word with you."
He shrugged and walked out, shooting her one last glance before walking through the doorway. I stuffed the backpack inside and closed the door and he turned to me.
"So, uh-?" He started and I shook my head.
"I caught her stealing beer," I whispered, and he shrugged, smiling a little.
"So? You shoulda let her have it, who gives a fuck? What, don't tell me you're actually thinking of calling the cops." He laughed, his eyes still red from the joint we'd shared an hour or two before.
"Shut up, not so loud," I shushed, leading him away from the door. "Nah, of course I'm not gonna call the cops, I just want her to think I will. Did you see her? She's fucking cute, man, we could have her eating out of the palms of our hands if we wanted.
Jeff laughed a little, shaking his head.
"I don't know, man, seems a little sketch."
I rolled my eyes, exasperated, and rubbed the bridge of my nose.
"Ok, ok, well I'm about to go in there and get her to do whatever the fuck I want, you want a turn when I'm done with her or are you gonna sit out here being a big fuckin' pussy all night?" I laughed and he stood there for a second, weighing his options.
"This shit could get us fired you know." He shrugged.
"Bull shit, man, the cameras have been out for a few weeks, nobody's gonna find out. And anyways, this job sucks."
"Yeah, this job is shit," He laughed, then smiled. "Alright, I'll think about it. Go at it, I'll hold down the fort."
I laughed and walked back towards the door, straightened up my face and walked in.
She was sitting at the table, her head down in her hands when I walked in. She shot up and I could tell from her running makeup and red, puffy cheeks that she'd been crying the entire time.
"Did you call them?" She sobbed, and I make an angry face and grabbed her backpack.
"Not yet, what's your name?" I asked, sitting down.
"Mika," She sniffled, and I picked up her backpack and pulled it up on the table, in between the two of us.
"How old are you?" I huffed, trying my best to keep up this stern outward appearance.
"E-e-eighteen," She stuttered, and I shook my head.
"Not even a minor, huh? Too bad, they wouldn't have been so hard on a minor, but you're a grown ass adult. Is that why you were stealing it? Couldn't wait till you're twenty one?"
"Y-yes," She stuttered.
"Yes sir!" I corrected, crossing my arms.
"Yes sir, I'm sorry! I'll never do it again, I swear!" She sobbed, but I shook my head.
"Save it!" I snapped, grabbing her backpack and opening it up. Her eyes grew wide with fear as I pulled out her wallet and checked her ID. Sure enough, she wasn't lying about her age. I set it aside and reached in again, feeling something familiar.
"Seriously?" I prodded, pulling out the ziploc bag of weed and tossing it on the table. "Fuck, you gotta be kidding me. You brought weed with you to steal beer from a gas station?"
She groaned and buried her face again.
"I'm sorry! God! Fuck, I'm so stupid!" She sobbed, and I sat back, letting her cry it out for a little bit.
Finally, the sobbing subsided and she stared up at me, her eyes bloodshot, her makeup smeared, but just as cute as ever.
"That was your boyfriend, wasn't it?" I asked, and she nodded.
"It was his idea that you steal the beer, wasn't it?" I prodded and she nodded again.
"He said you would go easier on me if I got caught," She squealed, and I shook my head.
"And when the shit hit the fan, he ditched you and ran, huh?"
