Thrift Town
The day I worked up the courage to ask Janice for her number she was working the night shift at the corner thrift store. A close friend of mine convinced me to start shopping thrift after flaunting his cool vintage knick knacks. One Sunday morning while browsing the toy section I had stumbled upon an old Luke Skywalker action figure from Episode IV: A New Hope still in its original boxing. Blown out of my mind, speechless, staring down at Luke, Janice creeps up behind me looking as cute as can be asking, “big Star Wars fan eh?”. There are no words to describe, even until this day, how lucky I felt to be talking to such a gorgeous human being. Anxiety taking over I could only manage to mutter back, “yes”. We stared at one another for what seemed like a lifetime until Janice smiled curiously and at walked away. Days to come I wanted to shoot myself in the foot for not saying more than YES. For fuck sakes I could have responded a hundred different ways and I chose one out of two basic words to reply with. Weeks later I became a regular customer at Thrift Town. Although, I had not seen Janice around after a few visits I had it in my mind that I wouldn’t give up. By chance, It was a friday night, my shift had just ended and I decided to drop by the thrift store on my way home, Janice was working. Pulling up to the store I could see her walking around the store through the front windows. I didn’t want to come off as a creep so when I stepped inside the store I walked towards the opposite end of Janice. Surprisingly, she noticed me walking in and smiles at me but in a WELCOME TO THRIFT TOWN sort of way. At first I was confused as to whether or not she was smiling at me because she remembered me or it was her job to be overly polite to customers. Either way she was headed in my direction so naturally I panic and stop walking where I stood. Janice taps me on the shoulder asking, “are you shopping for a girlfriend?”. Instantly blood rushes to my head turning my face an apple red. I hadn’t realized I was standing in the women’s clothing area. Hesitantly, awkwardly smiling, I say, “oh no, I didn’t realize what section I was in.” Janice chuckles sweetly easing my anxiety. After Janice breaking the ice we continue to walk around the store talking until worked up the courage to ask Janice for her number. It was great, everything happened like I pictured it in my head. Soon enough we were texting daily which lead to going out for coffee which then turned into dates to the movies, restaurants, bookstores. After weeks of hanging out we decided out of the blue that we liked one another’s company so we started we made it official and started dating. Janice had turned my life around and everyday my feelings for her were growing beginning the first day she walked up to me in the toy aisle of Thrift Town.
The first time I met John I was working the floor shift at Thrift Town. He was wandering the store aimlessly, which is not abnormal for a thrift store, but something about Tom made me curious to meet him. Honestly, my first impression of him was sad and depressing, I sort of felt bad for him. When I walked up to Tom in the toy section he was holding a Luke Skywalker action figure so I had asked him if he was a Star Wars fan. I may have surprised him or something because it took what seemed like forever for him to respond. He was just staring at me with a blank look on his face that was creeping me out. When Tom finally replied I think he said that he was a Star Wars fan. He said it too low I could barely make out exactly what he said. Trying to think of what he just said without asking we both stared at each other awkwardly for way too long it was a little concerning. To break the awkwardness I walked in the opposite direction slowly until I saw a pile of clothes on the floor needing to be sorted. Three weeks later I had just made it back to work from using up all my vacation time mostly sleeping in and watching t.v. It was a typical Friday night, nobody coming into the store since there are better things to do on a Friday night than going to the thrift store. Well that goes for the average person at lease and not to my surprise Tom walks in while I was making my aisle runs. My first instinct was to avoid him after the turnout of our first meeting. Then I thought what the heck lets see what fun I stir up from the boredom lingering around the place. as soon as he looks over at me I smiled at him and walked over to him. Tom was acting like he didn’t notice me and turns his back facing me. While I was walking over to Tom he gave me this look of confusion and looked behind both of hiss shoulders as though confused I was looking at him. Tom was a total goofball back then. As I reached closer to him I noticed he was in the women's wear section so I automatically assume he had a girlfriend. Then I noticed he didn’t look like he knew what he was looking for, or anything at all for that matter. Turns out he was just using his peripherals to see if I was walking over to him. Arriving at his back I tap him on the shoulder and as he turns to face me he was my favorite color, cherry red. Tom was very nervous and I am pretty sure I made matters worse by asking him if he was shopping for his girlfriend. Tom was not the kind of guy I would go for normally but something about him was attractive this time around. After walking around aimlessly talking about Star Wars and other nerdy topics Tom asked for my number. At first I didn’t want to give him my number but I felt like he was harmless enough so i gave it to him anyways. Plus, unlike other guys Tom got to know me a little before asking which was a nice change of pace. He texts me about a week later and it doesn’t take long for it to become routine. Guys always do that, they text you for so long and forget about asking you out on a date. If Tom hadn’t asked me out for coffee at the time he did we wouldn’t be talking now cause I lost interest way before he asked. We went out for coffee and sure enough I sink right back into whatever it was that attracted me to Tom. We start hanging out more and more until Tom started acting weird. He started smiling at me uncontrollably and texted me randomly about how lucky he was to have a person like me in his life. It was nice having company all the time but I think Tom was getting the wrong idea, I even think he assumed we were dating. Not that I didn’t like Tom but he was making it way too easy. There was no flare with us, no spontaneity. He must have been crushed the days that followed me no longer returning his texts or his phone calls.
Tom and Janice started out building something nice. Although, their ideas of what a relationship consist of clashed in the end the both of them could not neglect the connection that had formed between them. Janice may have been the one reluctant to get fully involved with Tom but in her defense Tom was starting to get clingy. It is general knowledge that clingy people are the worst. Shortly after they parted ways Tom went through the biggest depression in his life. Janice on the other hand met someone else the day after she decided to ghost Tom. Anthony was his name. Janice will forever regret that she let Tom get away. Just like with Tom and Janice’s relationship Anthony walked into Thrift Town and swooped Janice right off her feet. Anthony was the typical guy Janice went for. He was toned and was up to date with hairstyles and the latest fashion. Ant, as Janice would later learn to call him, was an abusive alcoholic. Janice learned to love Anthony with flaws and all never able to get Tom out of mind. Tom became a saint she would turn to on the nights Anthony would be at his worse. Years later Tom and Janice would meet again at the local grocery store. Janice will be holding a pack of beer and Tom the hand of a beautiful woman. It was at this point in Janice’s life when she accepted her fate. Janice had always hoped she would run into Tom again, maybe share a conversation about Star Wars or Thrift Town. Maybe all Janice wanted was to spend some quality time with anyone else and have a quite conversation. Janice was not bothered by her situation and what could have. To Janice, life was a bunch of choices you have to make and one slip you are in shit. It was the last time Tom and Janice would ever see each other never to find out what became of one another. Eventually, Tom did go to back to the Thrift Town and asked a cashier about Janice. The cashier had no clue who he was talking about and Tom was fine knowing he tried and left Thrift Town for the last time.
