It was like any other day I was alone in the store working a 9-5 for money most of which I used on living expenses and transportation to get to work. Except today, Caleb last-minute decided to cancel on coming to his shift so instead here I was like a fool unable to say no standing at the cash in the blazing summer heat regretting my life choices.

At the very least on days like this when I was working far longer than I should've been the sun set in such a way that the light peaked through the suburban architecture into the windows of the convenience store, it was a sight.

"Um, excuse me hello? Can I buy this please?"

Staggered by the sudden melancholy voice of a girl half my size I looked down to see an agitated expression on her face as she held what seemed to be an energy drink on the counter. In my daze looking at the sunset I must of not have noticed the ringing of the doors being opened, hopefully, she hadn't been waiting for long.

"Sorry ma'am, is it only the drink that you'll be purchasing?" I mumbled out in a quiet voice.

For whatever reason I hated my voice, its low baritone resonance, and my 6 foot stature which I felt ashamed of as though I would be seen as a threat in the perception of most women.

"Ugh yeah uh, that's it, do you happen to have a bathroom too?" she groaned out frustrated by something unbeknownst to me.
Upon further inspection of the girl she had a rather athletic figure that framed well with the white tank top she was wearing, her hair was a chocolate brown braided to the side where the other side was shaved, and her eyes a soft hazel. I wish I could be like her.

"O-oh um right uh yeah to left there's a sign there."

She squinted at me for a moment contemplatively before heading in the direction that I instructed.

I scanned the item she placed on the counter but was so anxious she would think of me as some sort of weirdo. I took way too long to think in between speaking to her and gosh I was staring wasn't I, ugh I'm just like any other creepy guy.

Upon arriving back she snagged the drink off the counter and handed over a ten-dollar bill rather promptly.

"Ah oh um thanks, 4.75 is your chance here let me get it for you just a moment."

Before I could hand over the change she turned walking back out of the store to my sadness, maybe it's stupid but I wished the exchange would've taken just a bit longer.

"Don't worry about it," she shouted aloud facing the opposite direction and giving a little wave, "Keep it for yourself I know these jobs tend to underpay anyway."

She is an angel, must customers tend to overlook the treatment of us retail workers, yelling, or otherwise causing issues not understanding the long hours we spend on end on our feet to barely scrape by.

"Thank you so much!"

Internally though I still wanted to interact with her more, get their phone number maybe become friends, and hang out but I would need to leave a good impression to do that. Regardless before I could even bear the courage to muster and ask for some sort of social media she was already out the door. Her silhouette left the window as she walked down the street completely out of view.

Ugh, this wasn't the first time this has happened either for whatever reason this impossibly suffocating feeling surrounds me whenever I bear interest in someone. My anxiety must just take over resulting in conservation being a difficult task in and of itself which is, just so pathetic. Out of all the comic books I spent reading in my childhood, Spiderman pulling himself out of the grave after two weeks in the 1987 storyline, or Batman fighting the Man of Steel essentially a god with the power of technology. Although, unlike those heroes, I couldn't even manage to get a word out to someone who I admire, I bet I would be admired so much more as some sort of Marvel or DC superhero.

Almost on cue, a scream sounded not too far away from the store just out of sight of the window preassembly in the direction of where that girl went oh shit. Now was the chance I was waiting for, to prove my worth and get the girl in the process everyone loves a good underdog hero story right?

Rushing out of the store haphazardly not even bothering to lock the store as a leave I ran in the direction of where I heard the scream and saw a man my height sleazy beard and all grabbing onto the shoulder of the girl who came into the store. As I ran up I could hear her screaming once more stating, "This is your last fucking chance dude let go of me or you'll regret it."

Huffing a bit out of breath behind them the man's attention turned to me slightly confused and the focus caused anxiety to grip me. My legs felt as though they were tree trunks rooted in the ground, my blood ran cold, and my mouth which I prepared an intimidating speech for became but jelly. Steeling my nerves to the best of my ability though, I took a deep breath and stood at my fool height, despite hating it, bellowing, "B-back off right now or I'll punch you right in the gut!"

I turned to the girl after screaming my guts out expecting a mesmerized expression, only to see a blank unimpressed stare returned.

The sleazy man let out a grizzly chuckle, letting go of the girl rearing back his left fist saying, "You'll punch me in the gut huh, let me do you one better!"

His fist collided square to my face, pain seizing my entire body slamming me to the sidewalk ripping skin to cause even further injury. There goes my plans on saving the day, now this girl is going to see me as even more of a loser.

Turning my head with great effort to face the two of them, ironically now the girl's expression had changed to that of grave anger. Without a word in a flash, the girl kicked the back of the man's leg causing him to fall to his knees to where she balled her fist hitting the man over the head with her energy drink can. And just like that, the sleazeball has become a crumpled mass of flesh on the ground, the shock on my face must have been palpable.

"That was mighty stupid of you to do dude," she sighed almost disappointed, "wait aren't you the guy from the store?"

"Um hello sorry, about that, I just heard you scream and well you know girls can't-"

"Oh my god, you're seriously a moron huh?"

"Wait what but what did I do?"

"First off, I'm not a girl, I'm non-binary neither girl nor boy. "

"Non.. Binary I don't understand I'm sorry?"

She let off a half smile and to simplify stated, "Just use they/them for me alrighty?"

She, or rather, they continued to say, "and I can defend myself perfectly fine, just because you're a man doesn't mean that you can too. I mean seriously look at you, you've turned into quite the damsel in distress huh?"

Upon being called a damsel a weird sensation rose deep inside me and if my face wasn't red enough from injury I could feel it warm in what was a very obvious blush. Frantically before they saw I tried to cover my face with my hands playing it off like I was tending to my injury but the smirk that formed on their face begged to differ.

"Interesting..." they muffled out, then offered a hand saying "You may have gotten hurt for no reason but I suppose I do somewhat owe you one, come to my house I'll help you with that battle injury", they giggled.

"O-okay, just let me close the store first," I barely whispered my heart pounding at what felt a million times per minute.