The pharmacy dress code was a little ridiculous. Tight yet unflattering. I mean, why must the dress go below the knees? It’s a pharmacy, not church service.

But nobody judges anyone here—that’s the main thing. Whether it be a fisherman buying fish oil tablets, two very hairy men buying a 3 pack of Nair, or a woman buying unscented natural soap for some reason. Nobody judges, neither do you.

—

“I’m, um… out of vitamins again,” Bonnie says with a breathy laugh, almost apologetic. She slides forward a bottle of multivitamins, paired with her favourite lip gloss. She’s a regular—it’s almost become a joke. Always coming in for the Korean skincare range or to get her scripted pills for whatever she needs them for. Again, you’re not one to judge.

She’s often shy; you can tell by the way her eyes barely meet yours, fingers fiddling with the wallet in her hands. But it’s nice to have someone else as young as you come into the pharmacy every now and again, and it’s not like she doesn’t have a certain charm to her either. It’s a shame—she must go to another school, you never see her anywhere other than here.

She smiles bashfully at your remark of her coming in yet again, before returning back to her phone, listening to the muffled deep voice on the other end.

“You want— Seriously? Uhm… alright, alright. But you’re paying me back, idiot,” she mumbles. Affectionately, maybe? It’s unclear.

She turns and comes back a moment later with a small bottle of men’s cologne, ending the phone call with a small “Yep, bye”. It’s something not expensive yet not cheap either.

For a boyfriend? Makes sense, she’s very pretty.

“Lucky guy. Apparently this brand is great,” you say casually as you check out her items, eyes flicking up to hers.

She pauses, face heating with an awkward smile, uncertain on what you meant.

“Oh, um, yeah. He likes this brand. My brother, I mean. Not boyfriend. I don’t like boys much— or, well, I do, but— uh… not like that. Kind of. I don’t know,” she mutters quickly, face falling to fidget with her bag, growing embarrassed from her attempt to clarify herself.