Finding You Again

“Watch your step, young lady,” the old uninviting woman snapped. This is the third time someone has called her attention to such.

“Oh, I’m sorry” Lopez responded hurriedly as she stepped aside for the woman to walk into the space she assumed to be her lane. 

The day had been a relentless grind of customer demands, endless queries about beauty products, and the constant hum of fluorescent lights that bathed the store in a sterile glow, yet she had been standing for almost two hours, waiting for her boss. 

“I am not leaving here today without my pay” Lopez mumbled as she continued to pace the same lane as a little girl waiting to be picked up from school. 

“I guess you are the next” a red-haired girl said to her in almost a whisper. That’s Taddy, her colleague at work whom Lopez detested so much, and, of course, her friend, Sky. They both find joy in bullying her and by now she ought to have been used to their bullying, but the opposite was the case. 

“I would advise you rather not go though. I can bet there is nothing for you” Sky mocked.

“What do you mean?” Lopez asked, ignoring her sneering smile. 

“I mean, nothing enough is coming out from there that can stop you from ranting about how to feed your dying mother” Sky continued, but was soon interrupted by Taddy. 

“Come on girl”, Taddy dragged Sky. “She can check for herself” she turned to Lopez, “don’t say we didn't tell you,” she said as they walked away. 

Lopez sighed heavily, digesting the piece of information. This is not her first time experiencing this. In fact, it happens ninety-five percent of the time. Some days it's about how they did not make enough sales and other days, it's an unreasonable excuse.  

The most annoying thing about working here is how long they have to wait to get the payment, which is not even certain, and the distance they had to stand away from their door. 

“Evening ma’am”, Lopez greeted, standing by the door. 

“Lopez?” the thick gold-haired woman asked without raising her head from the phone she is pressing. 

“Yes, ma’am” Lopez responded, already gnashing her teeth. 

“That is your pay”, her boss pointed to two ten-dollar notes on the table.

“Sorry, what? Lopez exclaimed, disbelief etched across her face. “Twenty dollars? For what? She questioned. 

“That is what you have left after all the deductions, Lopez. The company isn’t financially buoyant to overlook all your mistakes, you know? The unconcerned woman answered. 

“Mistakes? What mistake? Today is the fourth day of the week and I haven't received any payment at all this week, and now you are giving me that?’ she pointed to the money on the table with contempt. 

"If you have any problem with the company’s method of payment, you can put down your complaint. The box is right there". Her boss pointed to the box in the corner of the room.

Lopez did not respond. She stared at her with a mixture of pain and contempt. “If you can't do that, then you have to keep your mouth from running, else…” 

“Else what?” Lopez snapped, unable to contain her anger anymore. 

“Careful girl, you still have a job while I am still calm,” the woman answered, looking up at her face for the first time. 

“Job? You call this a job? Is this a joke?" she demanded, her voice steadier than the storm raging within her. 

“I have worked tirelessly all week with nothing to show for it, and now you sit there and tell me this is a job” She began to rant, but the manager didn't move an inch. The manager's indifference only fueled the flames of frustration.  

“You know what? I quit.” Lopez added, breathing heavily from her ranting. 

“Okay,” the woman responded, her eyes glued to her phone screen as they were when Lopez entered. 

“What?” Lopez exclaimed, shocked by her nonchalance. She turned to leave, then remembers the twenty dollars on the table. She reached out for the money, but the manager picked it before she did. 

"That is no longer yours". I only pay workers, not ex-workers. The manager said, grinning. 

Lopez stormed out of the office. Her heart pounded with a blend of anger and helplessness. She was still standing at the entrance of the store when a thought crossed her mind. 

In swift, determined motions, Lopez began grabbing items off the shelves, stuffing them into her bag with a rebellious disregard for the consequences. She reasoned that if her hard work couldn't earn her a fair wage, then she would take what she deemed owed in a different form. 

Just as she was about to make her escape, a sharp voice behind her cut through the air. "What are you doing? 

She need not turn as she already knew whose voice it was from the tone. One of the security men at the store. Panic gripped her as she assessed her options. In a split-second decision, she made a dash for the exit, the stolen cosmetics clinking in her bag.

“Stop right there!” the man yelled. The sound of his hurried footsteps echoed behind her as the security guard gave chase. Lopez maneuvered along the stairs. She bursted through the exit doors, entering the open space outside, only to find herself face-to-face with a sleek black car pulling up.

Fear surged through her as she contemplated her next move. Without thinking, she darted towards the car and its well-dressed occupant, a wealthy young man alighting from the vehicle.

"Hey, stop!" the security guard shouted, closing in on Lopez.

Desperation fueled her as she darted behind the young man, using him as a shield. The security guard hesitated for a moment, confronted by the imposing figure and the security personnel accompanying the young man. 

Caught off guard by Lopez's sudden appearance and the surrounding commotion, the young man turned to see the security guard approaching. Lopez, breathing heavily and still hidden behind him, sent a silent plea through her eyes.

Before the man could take another step closer to them, the security personnel stepped forward. “Stay back, a husky voice said, sending shivers down Lopez’s spine.” 

Intimidated by their physique and appearance, the security man turned around and hurried back into the building without looking back. 

“Which would you prefer, the police or my men?” Andrea said, facing Lopez who is still hiding behind him. 

When she didn't respond, Andrea released himself from her grip with disgust on his face. “That’s a 26,600 dollar suit. Will you be able to afford it with what you stole?” he inquired, his tone commanding attention.

Lopez, feeling exposed and vulnerable, emerged from behind Andrea. “That would not be necessary,” she said, her hands in the air, indicating that she was no longer holding onto him. 

Andrea scoffed at her response. “I would like to know why you are being chased,” Andrea said. 

With almost no hesitation, Lopez responded, transferring her anger, “I would like you to mind your business.” With that, she withdrew from the proximity, checking out to see if the security man was still lingering around. 

“About the police, they need them more than I do” she added before resuming her race. 

“What audacity!” Andrea muttered. 

“Sir, do you want me to get her?” one of his men asked. 

“Of course not. I am not interested in chasing petty thieves,” Andrea responded. 

Lopez arrived home in a rush, the adrenaline from her running still pulsing through her veins. Even though she was no longer being chased, she ran all the way home. “Never again,” she said, trying to catch her breath. 

This is the first time in her entire life she has done something illegal and now scared of the consequences. “The manager can’t arrest me. She will be scared of spending some time in jail herself,” she assured.

She hadn't taken more than a few steps toward her house when she heard her father’s voice. “Not again” she retorted, sighed heavily, and then proceeded inside.   

The familiar scene greeted her as she stepped through the door – her sister and father locked in yet another argument. She could feel the tension in the room and if she wasn't already tired from the running, she would have turned back and never returned until later. 

“If you can’t pay my tuition, who will? Tell me” her sister screamed. 

Lopez initially intended