Charlie

Cassie is filling bags with fresh popcorn when she catches her eye.

Charlie

("What is she doing here? What does she want? Why doesn't she just go to the new big movie theater like everyone else?") Cassie thinks to herself.

But since she's working alone today, she can't ask anyone to take Charlie for her. Because charlie and her friends have been bullying her for years.

So cassie hands the gentleman in front of her his popcorn and then turns her attention to Charlie, who is already at the cash register.

"Hey Cassie," she says quite loudly and friendly, so the guy who was waiting for his popcorn until just now catches on.

He turns his head, smiles, seemingly happy that this poor girl behind the counter seemed to have a girlfriend after all, and walks into the movie theater.

Just as he is out of sight, Charlie changes her tone. She now becomes much less friendly and speaks more softly.

"So my friend was right about you working here loser," she says,

"What do you want?" Cassie asks as confidently as she can with her current anxiety.

Charlie starts laughing contemptuously and says. "I wanted to see for myself if you were really working here in this dump. Suits you!"

"Please, leave me alone. I'm working." Cassie tries to appeal to Charlie’s sense of reason.

"No! I've let you get away with this for far too long! What did you bring to eat today?" Charlie asks menacingly.

Cassie has known this question from Charlie since middle school and it always ended with cassie handing over her food, or cassie ending up lying in the dirt and Chelsea taking her food.

So Cassie decided years ago. It's the easiest and painless way to just give Charlie what she wanted. So Cassie wordlessly goes to her backpack behind the counter and pulls out a bag of bread she took for the day and hands it to Charlie.

Charlie is about to take the bag when another movie guest arrives. Charlie lets him go ahead at the box office and pretends that Cassie is her best friend.

Cassie serves this customer, too, until he disappears contentedly into the movie theater. Charlie starts talking again.

"There's not much going on in this crappy movie theater. What else you got in your bag?" At this, she simply reaches behind the counter and pulls out cassie’s backpack. Cassie still wants to hold it, but realizes pretty quickly, as usual, that she doesn't stand a chance against Charlie.

"Please, give it back to me," Cassie pleads.

"I think that's really good! Here, you can't just run away like you did at school. Here, you're all mine!" She then walks back a few feet with the backpack and sits down on a small bench in the value area, where she closely examines the backpack's contents.

Cassie is still standing behind the counter while she does this, just looking helplessly at Cassies keys, her cell phone, her wallet, books. EVERYTHING of Cassie is in this backpack.

At that moment, a customer comes in and blocks cassie’s view of Charlie.

But while Cassie is serving the lady, Charlie comes up to the counter and says in an angelic voice.

"Hey Cassie sweetie. The stupid phone locked again, help me out here please."

"I can unlock it for you in a minute when I'm done here," Cassie says, glad that Charlie can't make her do it now in the presence of another person.

"Oh, just tell me the PIN now. Then I won't have to keep interrupting you while you're working. I'm really trying to get this virus off your phone for you eventually my dear friend." She says and winks at the woman.

"Uh, I'll unlock it for you in a minute, just wait." Says Cassie, hoping to have now attached Charliefrom this idea.

"Is there something you don't trust me with?" Chearie asks with feigned bewilderment, glaring at the customer.

"There you are trying to help your best friend, and she doesn't even trust you!"

The customer looks at Alice rather disdainfully until Cassie finally gives in and gives Charlie the PIN to unlock her phone.

With a "thank you," Charlie says goodbye walking back to the bench.

The customer had just a few too many wishes for Cassie’s taste, because she couldn't possibly see what Charlie was doing.

Only when she, too, has been served and is walking towards the cinema hall, does Cassie dare to leave behind her counter and approach Charlie to retrieve her things.

All permission and credit goes to Frizza for letting my add and chsnge a few details to thier story