Waking up at the age of seven, knowing that my back-to-school shopping needed to be done wasn’t stressful like it is now. It was full of new animal-print fashions with glittery peace signs and neon colors, unlike the laundry hamper, silverware and endless amount of binders I need now.
Had you told me ten years ago that I would be working in Justice, then my favorite store, I would’ve been over the moon excited and probably accidentally spit on you while talking too fast from happiness.
Around a month ago, one of my closest friends had told me about a job opening where his mom worked. I knew this store was Justice, but that wasn’t going to stop me from applying and possibly receiving $11.80 an hour to live a childhood fantasy. Stocking piles of neon pinks and blues high on a table and folding sequin-clad jeans would be a dream compared to restaurant business.
Growing up, my family was always considered middle-class and still is. We make enough to support the family and pay the bills, maybe even go out to dinner once and a while or see a movie. However, we all know that no teenager is cheap, nor do they usually let up on the rides to the movies or a friend’s house. So, of course, my parents told me to either get a job, or find the money another way. Drug dealing wasn’t an option and babysitting was rare, considering everyone in Warren county knows each other already. My last resort was to find a place that would hire a 15-year-old with mild social anxiety and phenomenal hair. I put in my application to New Beginnings, a restaurant about six hundred feet from my house, and I was called the next day.
For two and a half years, I was the trusty counter girl and sometimes coffee girl. I made a lot of customers laugh and smile by the time I got out of my shell. I improved a lot in that time and I was bumped up to waitress about six months ago.
I love my job there, I really do. My co-workers are fabulous and my bosses are wonderful with my schedule, but this retail job would be so great to have. Especially since Justice is a chain and I can work in Pittsburgh when I go to college in the fall. Also, the less time I have to deal with creepy old men and grease, the happier I am.
Knowing that this was totally out of my comfort zone, I’d walked into the store with the most realistic looking confidence I have. I wasn’t going to let anyone know that I was freaking out on the inside.
The walls were already covered in an array of the classic “tween” clothing. Colors from lime green, sky blue, to lavender, they were all there. Some may say it kinda hurts to walk in there, but my years of shopping here keep me from feeling the burning sensation in my retinas.
After filling out more paperwork and getting my locker and Justice lanyard, my boss had regretted to tell me that this would be my training day, and I would basically be staring at a computer for the next two hours. My heart fell and suddenly I knew that if my eyes didn’t hurt now, they were going to in a bit.
Ashley, my manager, set me up at her neat desk in the back room. Back here there was a slight draft from underneath the emergency exit, making me feel thankful for the cardigan I’d chosen to wear. Once I had logged into the system, my online training began. The bright magenta, blue, and green logo stared back at me as I went to work on my vigorous computer training session. Ash had armed me that most people take about two hours to complete the training courses. Once I’d began, I could see why. The sessions were almost like little interactive PowerPoint presentations, then afterward, a game to see if you actually gathered any information. While I zoomed right through it, I would have to stop and look away and this is when I started to notice the small little details in the back room.
To my left were stacked lockers where my phone, keys and most recent assigned paperwork lay, unsigned. In front of that was a table with a small folding chair and a few larger bags brought from Afton, one of my co-workers. Just minutes before, she had pulled a liquified travel size of squirtable mayonnaise out of the work fridge, noticing how the consistency had nearly turned to water. The girl was already heating up a sketchy-ass sandwich in the microwave, bought from probably the dollar store, and was now asking if the mayonnaise was a good idea. I knew in that moment that we would get along great, not to mention, she had offered me a cheese ball because “Planter’s cheeseballshit different” and I’d never had that specific brand of the cheesey goodness. For quality assurance on Afton’s part, they do, in fact, hit different. Lucky for me, that damn mayonnaise never saw the light of day again, after I talked her out of using it, of course.
After the mayonnaise fiasco, I grew more comfortable with my surroundings. Not even the huge racks of newly shipped natural-toned tie dye rompers made me feel uncomfortable anymore. I was cracking jokes while leaning back in the oddly-comfortable and plenty used leather spinny chair as I completed my training in almost an hour. I laugh at New Beginings, but it took me almost three months to be comfortable enough to crack a joke and not get looked at. Here, we all have the same crackhead energy, and I was living for it.
Once I’d finished that and about seven videos about internal and external theft, shipping, and how to pick out a girl’s first bra, I was brought out front to have a shortened tour of the smaller store. I was introduced to the “heart” of the store, where most of us generally will be, because you can see everything and make sure no one tries to nab the new daisy printed leggings. I was also introduced to the cash-wrap, another place where a lot of my time would be spent cashing out customers and wishing them a good day or night.
Once my informal tour was over, I was granted the opportunity to clock out and go home, due to the store closing at seven instead of nine thanks to COVID-19.
Many may think that only rich and priveledged kids shop at Justice, but let me tell you, I was no poor kid. All of my co-workers (that I’ve met so far) are so down to earth and I think we can all agree that you’ll have one mom and daughter that will not take no for an answer. But, then again, there’s satisfaction in knowing that your sense of style might actually be a little girl’s first day of school outfit, or the outfit she wears to her cousin’s birthday party. A big reason why I took this job was to inspire young girl’s like me, shy and uncomfortable in their own bodies, to feel comfortable and love the way they look in clothes, even if it means I gotta help them with their first bra or even tell them about my own personal experiences.
So, yeah, this may not be foreign to anyone else, but this was my first time really stepping foot into such a bright (literally and figuratively) environment on my first day and quite honestly, I can’t wait to go back.
Creative Minds 
Ashley,
As descriptive and helpful as I would like to be, I am absolutely awful at analyzing writings; however, your writing was so beautifully put. The grammar was on point, and the descriptions you used were quite distinct. This is all due to your great use of imagery. You were able to create a flawless outline of what the store looks like and the environment surrounding it. You were able to paint an entire picture of what it looked like with your own emotional context surrounding it. Your choice of words was indeed a perfect blend of formal and informal writing. You were able to add your own thoughts and feelings into a descriptive piece of writing detailing the store itself and your feelings going into your new work place. This caused your tone to sound hopeful but yet anxious to begin working in a new place. The amount of excitement you put into your words kind of makes me want to work there too if we are being honest. Along with your great story of working at justice, you were able to format the writing in a way that made everything that was going on make sense. You separated each paragraph well by separating the things you were trying to talk about. This gave the reader, in this case that would be me, a better understanding of each event that was taking place in each section of your writing. Overall, I believe the story of your new adventure was well worth the read, and keep writing just the way you do. It was great!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ashley…*insert unicorns flying above my head pooping rainbows*… this was so good. you are very descriptive in all parts of your writing. When reading each individual paragraph I felt as if I was literally standing in the store, I also could imagine the creepy old men that hit on you at the counter at New Beginnings. All of your thoughts and ideas seem to flow seamlessly together without difficulty. I also love the recurring mentions of neon colors throughout the entire blog. Overall I think this is written very well and I applaud you for the amazing writing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Just kidding I’m not done I forgot the word count requirement. Your writing truly can make people feel as if they are experiencing everything you do with you. There is was not a time in the entire blog that I felt bored or that I was just reading this because I had to. It dragged me in whether I wanted it to or not— it engulfed me entirely. Your vocabulary may not have been be ideal for a research paper, but it fit perfectly in this piece and helped convey what you wanted to convey. I also feel you enjoyed to write this. In fact, I feel that most things that I have read of yours all sound like you enjoy writing them, or your very good at making it seem that way. Which ever case it may be, continue to do that. Finally I feel the length of your writing was perfect. You said what you wanted to say without making it too short and vague but also without making it long winded.
LikeLike