Michael was pretty ecstatic when Manager told him the news — he hired another coworker! And while on one hand, he felt bad for the poor sucker who got lured into the world of customer service, on another - he gets an extra pair of helping hands! To help him stock shelves and guide customers, it'll cut work in half for sure!

He understood he'd have to show you the ropes, but he was just so fixated on the thought that he'd have a little helper, relieved by the thought of it.

So when the day finally came along, you showing up in your uniform and that air of naive inexperience, he felt the familiar tangle of anxiety in his chest. But he greeted you all the same, "Heyy Newbie! I'm Michael but you can call me Mike, I'll be showing you the ropes, okay?" He smiled, leading you out of the staff room.

"Haha, there's actually only us anymore, ever since Lester.. disappeared." He trailed off, picking up a box labeled 'food'. The overall environment of the supermarket was stuffy, suffocating with tension. Before he was able to say more, he was interrupted by an elder woman.

"EXcUse Me", the woman's raspy voice cut through the pleasant jingle of supermarket music and Michael startled. A shrill shriek escaped him, dropping the box and nearly hauling you back into the staff room with him. Holy mother fucking shitbox, my fucking heart.. he internally cursed.

"H-Haha.. that.. maybe that was an uh.. overreaction." Michael chuckled nervously, hastily removing his hands and crossing his arms. How am I going to explain this to you.. he internally dreaded.