After some time, Frizz arrived at the convenience store, parking his electric scooter in front, dislodging the baseball bat from the frame, and leaning it against a post before entering.
The bell above the entrance dinged as he entered, his body and face slick with sweat.
"Welcome to -" Mina, a coworker, said before stopping. "Didn't you take a leave?" Mina asked with a glare and furrowed brows.
"I am just going to buy something," Frizz said with a dismissive tone.
Mina scoffed upon hearing the answer, picked up a small cardboard box, and continued restocking the shelves and containers. Frizz passed by Mina, spotting her tight black pants; the outline of her undergarments was visible, while her plump bottom figure caught his eye.
(It must be nice being her boyfriend.)
Mina caught Frizz's glances and clicked her tongue, excessively annoyed by men who couldn't keep their eyes off her figure. "Kindly stop window shopping unless you want this can of good sardines flinging towards you," she threatened while slightly wiggling her bottom to taunt him.
Frizz scowled, looking. "You're not my type."
"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Mina shot back, bending down to pick up a fallen item. Frizz sighed and instead went straight to the breakroom.
⟐
The two disliked each other and were unable to be on warm terms. The words coming out of their mouths were laced with discontent and hate.
Mina saw Frizz as an unambitious, boring person with a lazy outlook on life, dependent on his parents. For her, the only saving grace was his physical appearance.
Frizz was tall and attractive, with rare white eyes that were always pleasing to stare into—a handsome but shallow character.
Mina turned to Frizz, who was scanning the beverages section, noticing his weird actions lately. (He looks... more alive?)
In the case of Frizz, Mina was your usual horrible woman who complained a lot. He saw her as a brown-noser and a highly competitive person. Mina would often compliment Mr. Sim and do more than what's required.
Frizz scoffed since they work in a convenience store. There was nothing worthwhile to compete with. It's still a slightly above-minimum-wage job. However, Mina was the eldest and if an opportunity arises to make more money. She would take it.
The entrance bell dinged again. Another customer arrived, and Frizz turned, momentarily glancing at the squatting Mina, spotting her bottom again. (Goddamn.)
The animosity between the two started several weeks ago. Mina was changing her clothes when she heard a shuffle behind a wall. Investigating the noise, she moved a cardboard box slightly and spotted a hole large enough to peep through, which made her furious.
Enraged, she hurriedly dressed herself and marched to the next room, spotting Frizz about to leave the room with an inscrutable expression. An argument ensued, with neither side taking a step back.
Frizz maintained his innocence, ignorant of the hole, almost bursting with rage at the accusation. He kept repeating that he was unaware of that hole. Frizz's fists were clenched, barely holding himself.
Whereas Mina never considered his words, branding him as a sexless pervert who most likely masturbated to her and calling him a shame to his mother. Mina kept shouting, brandishing a ladle.
Mr. Sim intervened, trying to calm both of them. He reminded Frizz that you shouldn't use violence against women and reminded Mina that an accusation must have substantial evidence.
However, Mr. Sim's words were never considered by either party, who remained unconvinced. The old owner of the convenience store, unwilling to reprimand two employees, offered a compromise.
Both of them would get a slight pay increase, provided they play nice. The two then begrudgingly accepted the offer, and ever since, they've tried to play nice. Try.
⟐
One hour later...
Frizz woke up from his nap, feeling sober. He left the break room, took out two root beers from the beverages section, and presented them at the counter.
Mina scoffed; the expression on her face was full of disdain and rage, barely masked by a false smile. "I have never seen someone so arrogant, conceited, and absurd."
"You filed for an emergency leave, then you came back all shitfaced, and then you took a nap in the break room. Is this a game for you? Do you own this fucking place?"
"Just put the cans in the bag," Frizz said, although realizing Mina's words. It was indeed absurd of him.
"I did Mr. Sim a great favor once; he can forgive me for acting like this. Just this once." Frizz said while Mina sneered, falsely smiling and tossing a paper bag to him.
"Thank you for shopping." Mina smiled.
The entrance's bell dinged, a person that Frizz didn't expect.
It was Baron.
Frizz froze in fear, blocking Baron's path. "Excuse me?" Baron said, visibly annoyed, with a bruise on his face. Frizz stepped away, confused.
(Oh, right. I was wearing a mask, and I ditched my long-sleeved shirt.) He thought, glancing outside, and spotted several rough-looking men on high alert.
(Those guys… are they Baron's men?) He mused, eyeing his parked electric scooter and the baseball bat propped against the post. (It's only a matter of time until they see that and assume that whoever took that bat also owned that scooter!)
Frizz calmed himself and exited the convenience store, sitting at one of the store's benches and away from the small crowd.
(I could jump on my scooter but...) He thought, spotting a guard at a distance with a fearful expression. (That's the guard that I knocked out at the gate and blasted away with my telekinesis.) Frizz thought, anxiety rising.
(He interacted with me the most. Even with the mask, he might recognize me.)
⟐
Near the street, two men were muttering to each other. "How long we gotta wait? He's not here. We should check the other way—this feels like Lim's crew's handiwork." A henchman complained.
"One guy from Lim's group took out three people and can send objects flying at you?" The henchman reiterated, glaring at his complaining partner.
"You believe what Bryan said? He's full of shit," he declared, lighting a cigar.
"You saw the damage, though? No one can do that, even Lim's goons."
The smoking henchmen sneered. "You really believed that? That's when everything started flying around." He paused, letting the other man realize how absurd it was.
"Whatever the case, we'll find that guy and let the boss deal with him." The smoking henchman trained his eyes on the electric scooter and spotted a recognizable baseball bat.
"Isn't that Baron's bat?"
"My bat?" Baron said, exiting the convenience store with a plastic bag full of bandages and beer.
The smoking henchman grabbed the bat and held it up. "It has faded paint. This one is yours."
Baron ground his teeth together, eyes intensely glaring. "He's here, that fucking guy."
"Shit!" A henchman from afar bellowed, face full of fear.
Baron had heard his bellowing, pointing at him. "Don't go anywhere, Bryan. You were high and disoriented." He glared, full of rage. "What you saw wasn't real."
"Yeah..." Bryan muttered, unsure.
"Baron is the owner of this electric trash, the guy who robbed you?" His burly henchman asked.
Baron studied the vehicle, recognizing the model. "I think I know the guy who owns this."
"You do? Then let's talk to him." The burly henchman declared, eager for a brawl.
"The owner is a clerk in this convenience store. However, he's not our guy." Baron said, remembering a time when he smoked inside the convenience store, and all that the guy did was meekly ignore him.
"We're looking for an experienced fighter, not him," Baron added, rubbing his bruised face. "Still, if the owner comes, interrogate him. He might know something."
Baron picked up his baseball bat and confronted his men. "Call the others to circle the area. They might still be here," he ordered, staring at the ground while deep in thought.
(If it were from Lim's group, it wouldn't make sense to send just one; they would've sent multiple. They outnumber us six to one. Also, they're already hot, so acting like this would've just made the targets on their backs bigger, both by the police and us.)
(There's also the fact that the invader was unarmed; he took Bryan's pistol but didn't use it.) Baron thought, staring at the frightened Bryan, the guard at the gate. (There's also the fact that this guy can make things fly.)
Baron sighed. (I can't use that excuse.)
Baron rested the baseball bat on his shoulders. (I don't think it was Lim's group, but I need to blame someone. The bosses won't believe me despite what I saw. I need to come up with a viable solution as soon as possible.)
"I don't think it's from Lim's group, but they're the only suspects that we have," Baron said, muttering.
⟐
Frizz scanned Baron, observing his physical build—an above-average man with a slight gut and a perpetually frowning face. The hair on his head was short and dyed a dirty blonde color. There were no blemishes on his skin and no missing teeth.
"Despite dealing with drugs, he doesn't look like he uses them," Frizz observed, sitting on the bench.