Laying there on the bed in her dark apartment, Jennifer stared up into the darkness that encased around her. It was early morning hours, so early that the sun wasn’t up yet. Turning her head a bit and looking over at her alarm clock, she looked at the red digital numbers. It read to her that it was 4:33 am, and she had to be at work in an hour to get the store opened and get it ready for the day. An hour prior, she had gotten showered and slid on her black and red uniform except for her name tag, that was hanging around her bedroom’s door knob since it was on a cloth strap in a necklace like fashion. The black Advance autozone polo shirt was soft on her as she slowly sat up with a groan. Once fully sitting up, she rubbed her hand across her face and then moved some of the black bangs of her hair back by running her hand through her hair. “Damnit...wish I was off today....I need some coffee.” She said to herself outloud as Jen pushed herself up onto her feet.

Walking out of the bedroom and into the living room, she cut right to the kitchen as she turned the light dial so the lightbulb came to life but was dim for the time being, enough light so that she can see everything around her. Getting to the coffee pot, her thumb hit the on button as it’s little green lights came to life and began heating up the water inside where it would dispense into her thermal traveling mug that already had her French vanilla creamer in it. Reaching into her black denim jeans pocket, she pulled out her cellphone and turned on Spotify. Sliding through her list of songs, she decided on listening first to was a song by a band called HELLYEAH, Love Falls. With the music playing, she turned around and leaned her rear against the counter as she was checking the news feed on her Facebook page, most of it was the typical nonsense of hating some sort of law enforcement or government branch, people ranting about relationships, work, countless internet threats with their internet muscles yada yada yada. Thrilling times we live in for sure.

Have you cried yourself to sleep
Have you felt this incomplete
Have you ever cut yourself so deep to see if you still bleed
Do you ever feel wanted
Do you ever feel needed
Do you ever feel happy
Or are you just like me

Turning off her Facebook app as it felt like a waste of time for her since not many people talked to her. Only time someone messaged her was asking for help with a mechanical question or what parts they should order. Things like that. Never ‘Hey Jen, want to hang out some time?’ Or, ‘Yo, want to catch a film or watch a street race?’ It made her feel lonely deep down inside of herself as she stood there listening to the coffee pour into the mug behind her. Sighing to herself, she went into her emails and checked her work schedule which was emailed to each employee by the managers. Looking at it, she saw that she had the next three days off, but she had to do a double shift that day. 5:30 am-7:30 pm, which was the the time the store closed. Seeing that she had to open the store and even close up, she thought to herself that she should be a damn manager for doing this shit.

I'm hanging by a thread, a rope, the noose around my neck
I choke, 'cause every time I'm fallin' love falls out of me
I'm hardened like a rock, a stone, the brick inside my chest
Alone 'cause every time I'm fallin' love falls out of me
Love falls out of me

Shaking her head as she set her phone down onto the counter behind her, she heard the beeping sound that her coffee was done. Turning around, she picked it up from the coffee maker and sipped it. The sweet taste of the vanilla flavored coffee hit her tongue and made her forget about her annoyances at her current job. “Mmmm, that hits the spot...if only I had some Irish cream and I was 21, would make this coffee taste so much better.” Walking over to her small dinning table that had three chairs since one side was up against the one window, she set her mug down and pick up her wallet tucking it into her back pocket. Taking hold of it’s chain, she hooked it to her one belt loop in the front. Drinking the rest of her coffee, she then took out one of the four gallons of milk she had in the fridge. Breaking the seal and taking the cap off, Jen lifted it up and began chugging it. With breaks here and there, she made short work of the milk and tossed the empty plastic gallon into the trash can. Life was a basic routine and not much of social life, some thanks to her mutation.

Have you ever wished for death
And prayed all night for your last breath
Have you ever wanted to forget the feeling of your dreams
Because I never feel wanted
And I never feel needed
And I'll never be happy
But I guess that's just me

Grabbing her Bluetooth, turning it on and hooking it over her right ear, she was listening to the music through that now as she went around the apartment getting her things. Slipping on her riding gloves and her black riding boots that had steel toes, then grabbed her helmet. With everything she needed Jen took the keys off the hook near the apartment door and was out the door she went. Going down the stairs until she was in the parking garage, she made her way over to her bike. Slipping over the seat, her hand slid in the key into the ignition and turned it on. The Orange lights and engine came to life. Putting on her helmet and clicking the chin strap, she lifted the kickstand and backed out of her space. Once she was out, she shifted gears with her right foot and pulled back lightly on the accelerator causing the bike to lightly ride out until she was on the asphalt where she then pulled back on it causing the bike to speed up rapidly and her foot was changing gears pretty quickly.

Even though she was a female, a lot of people at first thought she was a guy due how she dressed and looked, especially when they saw her backside or from the sides. It was when she spoke and mentioned about how she didn’t have a dick or balls but thanked them for the compliment she guessed that they realized their error in judgement. Zigzagging through the streets and around cars, she made it to her job with ten minutes to spare. Turning the bike and it’s lights off, she locked the steering column and gotten off. Hurrying across the parking lot, she took her keys and went through them all until she found the key for the front door. Unlocking it, she stepped inside and turned on the lights. On the long counter that had the row of computers and registers, she saw a big shipping box sitting there with a note attached to it by tape. Going over to it, she yanked the paper off and read it out loud.

“Jen, the fuel injection system order for Ms. Sarah Stevenson came in. Please call her when you get a chance and let her know. Sincerely, The Hunk of the....are you serious? Did you seriously call yourself the hunk of the store? Jesus...you would have thought me saying no the first dozen times would have gotten through his head by now.” Taking off her helmet and shaking her hair a bit, she turned on all of the monitors since the towers or registers were never turned off. Taking her helmet and gloves into the back, she stuffed them into her locker and took out her mechanics gloves and stuffed them into the other back pocket. Once the store was ready for customers, she flipped the sign saying it’s open and went behind the counter. Even though she had to be in at 5:30, the store didn’t actually open until 7 am. The first few customers within two hours only came in for quarts of oil, windshield whipper fluid and even a fix a flat.

Once 9 am came, she went onto the computer and typed in the name for Ms. Stevenson. Seeing her name and number come up, she picked up the stores wireless phone and dialed it. She listened to it ring a few times before an older sounding man answered it. “Hello?” He asked, “Hi, is this Mr. Stevenson? This is Jennifer from Advance Autozone. The Fuel injection system that your daughter needs for her Mustang came in and is ready.” , “Oh...well...I’m sorry to say this but we actually picked one up yesterday. Didn’t want my little girl waiting a day for the part to come in.” Jennifer stood there dumb struck at what she heard. “I-I’m sorry sir, but you ordered the part at 1:48 pm yesterday. We had this part shipped to be in early and spent extra for it.” That’s when the guy hung up on her. Taking in a slow deep breath and holding it, she hung up the phone and slammed it in it’s cradle. Letting all that air out at once from her yelling. Jennifer picked up the box and carried it to the rows of metal storages shelves. Placing the fuel injection system down in the spot it would be at, Jen shook her head as she went to the front.

Now they had a fuel injection system sitting in the back and most likely just gather dust. She needed to find someone who needed one. But for now, she began to look up the other orders that were made and to see when the parts would come in. Looking at the screen, she saw there was a carbirator, exhaust pipe, wiring harness for a Dodge Ram pickup that is enroute to the store and is estimated to be there are around 1 pm. A gas float for a 2009 Camero gas tank was also on its way and was to be there at the same time. Groaning to herself, she leaned forward and placed her forehead onto the heavy counter top. Closing her eyes for a moment, she rolled her head back and forth before standing upright again. “Ok..the next person to come on shift will be in about twenty min-“ as she was about to finish her statement, the phone rang. Looking at it, she hit the answer button and answered it. “Good morning, Advance Autozone, this is Jennifer speaking. How can I help you?” , “Jen, it’s John. Listen, I can’t make it in today. Came down with a stomach bu-“ Jennifer hung up the phone and then threw it across the store. “God damnit!” She yelled. He was the only other person that was supposed to be in today with her.