CHAPTER ONE
Skylar
I lived for Christmas shopping.
Especially on Black Friday.
I loved a good deal just as much as the next person. But the best part was the adrenaline rush as I made my way through the crowds.
But as the world grew more popular, the crowds grew thicker, and the excitement waned.
Online shopping was satisfying, but there was nothing like holding the item you wanted in your hand.
So today, I planned on battling them.
I worked hard for what I needed and wanted in life. I’ve needed a new laptop since college. Now that myEtsybusiness was taking off, I definitely needed a new one. Mine constantly froze, constantly needed to be rebooted, and I was ready to toss it at the wall most days.
This year’s Black Friday deal had the laptop I wanted priced at fifty percent off. I couldn’t resist.
So here I was, parking my car at the back of the parking lot only to wait in line out in the cold until the store opened.
An hour later, I finally made it into the store and sprinted to the electronics, dodging people left and right. My Granny was a shopper. She lived for this shit. I liked to think I learned a trick or two of hers from our time holiday shopping.
Making a beeline for the laptop section, while nudging and elbowing thru the crowd, I spotted the laptop I wanted.
There was only one left on the shelf.
Alarm bells went off in my head. I had to get it.I had to!
With one last burst of energy, I pushed my way through and grabbed the box, wrapping my hand around the side. But when I went to lift it off the shelf, someone pulled the box in the opposite direction.
My eyes jerked up. Someone else was trying to take the box.
“Hey! I had it first!” I yanked the box back towards me despite the handsome man’s efforts to hold on to it.
“No, I did! Back off!” He pulled the box back.
“You did not! There were no other hands on this box when I grabbed it.” I pulled it back again, thus starting a tug of water.
A crowd gathered around us as our voices grew louder and our tugs grew more forceful.
I couldn’t help myself. I came here with a purpose, and I wasn’t leaving without the laptop.
“What’s going on here?” A store employee came up beside us as we continued to tug and shout.
“I had my hand on this laptop first. Now he’s trying to steal it from me.” I explained, breathless and aggravated.Did I mention I hatedshopping? Because I fucking do. With a passion.
“I am not trying to steal anything. This woman is trying to take the laptop from me. Clearly, I was the one who had my hands on it first.”
“No, I did.”
“No, it was me.”
Back and forth we went, our argument turning into full on shouting. I didn’t care that a million people were watching. I wanted the damn laptop, and I wasn’t leaving without it.
“Okay, let’s try to settle this peacefully. Will the two of you follow me to the back, please?” The employee looked between the two of us, holding his hand out for the box.
Neither one of us would hand it over. The employee tried taking it from us and neither of us would let go.
