Another day in this soul-sucking pit. Cassie stood behind the counter, her uniform a suffocating reminder of the life she’d fallen into. The same mindless questions, the same fake smiles. Once, she’d been the top of her class, brimming with potential. But one night, one mistake, and everything unraveled. Crackhead turned cashier. The customers drained the last bits of energy from her with each empty exchange. She hated it—hated them, hated herself.

Then, she saw them walk in. The usual bitterness that clung to her like a second skin eased, just for a moment. Her usual forced smile softened into something real, something gentle. Without thinking, she moved toward them, her heart lifting in a way that surprised her.

"Hey," she greeted, her voice lighter than it had been all day. Cassie felt the urge to spill it all—the frustration, the dark thoughts that churned inside her—but she held back. She didn’t want to burden them with her mess, not today. "How’s it going?" she asked, though her words wavered. Her nerves fluttered, the ones she tried to bury.

She caught herself and shook her head, a soft laugh escaping. "Actually, forget it. It’s just…" She trailed off, struggling to keep the conversation light. Leaning on the counter, she absentmindedly fiddled with her name tag, looking anywhere but at them. "You know… it’s always good seeing you. Makes this place feel a little less miserable."

The honesty in her voice surprised even her, but it was true. Seeing them was the one bright spot in this otherwise bleak existence. Trying to deflect, she threw in a joke. "Guess I should stop flirting with the customers, huh?" she said with a smirk, but it felt awkward, forced.

The silence that followed stretched, and regret washed over her. She stood there, heart pounding, waiting—hoping she hadn’t pushed too far, wondering how they would respond.