In Real Life by Chris Killen

Author:Chris Killen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Canongate Books

LAUREN

2014

After Jamaal left, I expected a sudden rush of customers, but it stayed dead quiet all morning, just a student couple who didn’t buy anything and, a little before midday, The Man Who Always Buys One CD, whose choice for today was Permission To Land by The Darkness (a steal at £1.25). I was standing behind the till with Nancy, trying – again! – to show her how the receipt roll worked, when Peter, the new boy, came in.

I’d forgotten about him starting.

He’d dropped his form in towards the end of last week and I’d told him to come in for a half shift today, just a few hours over lunchtime, to see how he got on. I’d had a good feeling about him straight away. He seemed nice. He said he was taking a year out, before he went off to uni the following September, and he reminded me of someone but I couldn’t think who.

‘Hey,’ he said from the doorway, waving awkwardly, the sleeve of his hoodie pulled down over his knuckles so just the tips of his fingers poked out.

‘Hi, Peter,’ I said. ‘Come in. This is Nancy. Nancy, Peter.’

He had one of those haircuts where the fringe is all long and swoopy across his forehead, and there were a few bright red patches of acne on his cheeks and chin.

‘Hi, Pe-ter,’ Nancy said, rubbing the spot by the till again. ‘I might . . .’ she said to me, quietly, gesturing behind her.

‘Sure,’ I said, and she almost ran out from behind the till and off into the back room.

‘Is she alright?’ Peter asked.

‘She’s just a bit shy,’ I explained. ‘She probably thinks you look like Justin Bieber,’ I whispered (immediately feeling bad afterwards for making a joke at Nancy’s expense).

‘Right,’ Peter said, a little embarrassed. ‘So, shall I, um . . .’ He motioned towards the till.

‘Yep, come round,’ I said.

Just then the speakers crackled and the music started up.

Sure enough, it was ‘Baby’ by Justin Bieber.

‘See?’ I said, and Peter grinned.

Isn’t it weird how some people can immediately put you at ease like that? It was as if there was this warmth coming from him and I felt like I could just say whatever I wanted, that I didn’t have to hold back or tone myself down or whatever.

I wondered again; who was it he reminded me of?

And then I realised: it was you.

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