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"Shit!"
Chris stares at the spot where her usual brand should be presented.
An empty space is staring back at her.
She brushes her hair back like she always does when nervous or irritated. It's gotten long again, almost reaching her shoulders like that. Feeling how long it is make her even angrier, seeing it as a reminder that she still didn't manage to go and have it cut.
"Fucking shit!" she almost yells.
"A pretty lady like you are shouldn't be swearing like that."
The low voice sounds offended as if Chris had attacked the man it belonged to on a personal level.
"Oh yeah? Maybe you should mind your own fucking business, because this 'pretty lady' has sexists like you for breakfast!"
Chris doesn't even turn her head but keeps staring at the empty spot.
"Looking closer I see you're actually pretty darn ugly" the voice replies.
Chris flips her left middle finger in his general direction. She just isn't in the mood to deal with the human equivalent of a cramping uterus when the actual one is trying to kill her.
The painkillers' effect had worn off a minute after she had realized that she forgot to stack up on pads and now she's standing in the sanitary products aisle at ten twenty-one at night and staring at the shelf where she hoped to get something to save her pants from being ruined.
Chris stares at the product range of maxi pads to 'light days' pads and tampons from the size of her pinky finger to a large pickle. Maybe the diva-cup isn't the worst option to consider here.
Chris had used it four periods before deciding that she just can't work up the patience to sterilize it before and after every period; and pads are exchanged way faster than the cup is emptied so they are not so bad after all anyway. Now it's stashed in one of her cluttered drawers, retiring among band aids, tweezers, pens that aren't working anymore and probably one or two candy bars nobody should eat anymore.
Chris sighs and reaches for a pack of Always. She had despised that brand from the very beginning not seeing any sense in paying twice as much for this brand when the home brand works just fine.
"The devil it is."
She takes one pack, maybe her brand will be back in stock tomorrow.
"Band aids." Chris doesn't even notice that she is talking out loud when she goes a few steps down the aisle to where the band aids are.
"Are you fucking kidding me!"
The store's brand is out.
"Fuck this!" she turns around.
"Fuck you!" she looks at her belly.
"And most of all, fuck Always!!!" she shoves the pack of pads back to where she retrieved them ignoring the amused look the woman next to her shoots in her direction.
"Rough night?"
A soft and slow voice reaches her ears.
Chris turns to shoot something back - assuming the man from earlier or another douchebag had appeared - before her brain processes what she heard. Her mouth gapes open, a witty come back on the tip of her tongue.
A dark haired woman is looking at her. A little bit of something that looks like worry shining from her eyes.
Maybe it's the generic light in the store but her eyes are wicked blue; they compliment her high cheekbones that lend her face a certain sharpness but don't draw attention from her long lashes. Her lips are full and her mouth is naturally curled upwards distracting from her slightly broad jaw.
Although wrapped in a black faux leather jacket her arms look slim but strong holding the packed shopping basket in front of her slightly curved body. Her light blue shirt hugs her upper body just right. She tucked it in her black jeans that are ripped on her left knee and just above her right one. She is wearing pine-green Chuck Taylor's. They're of the low kind and allow a glimpse on her socks. Chris notices with delight that they're mismatched. One is yellow and the other one has foxes on a gray background on it.
Her long dark hair held back with hair slides that secure strands to fall in her face; one broke loose and is hanging right next to her left eye just out of her field of vision as she doesn't seem to have noticed the runaway.
There is no doubt. That woman is beautiful.
Chris had probably stared at her a little too long with her mouth gaping open and clearly checking her out.
She is now staring back at Chris. Her expression changing from displaying amusement mixed with worry to what can only be described as a resting bitchface.
"Um," Chris' right hand is still resting on the shelf where she replaced the pads.
"You have no idea." she scratches the back of her neck with her left hand.
"I could tell by the sound of an angry person shouting at people. And things. In case you were wondering."
The stranger makes a vague gesture above her head, still holding her shopping basket in front of her body with the other hand.
Chris sighs.
She didn't realize how loud she had been until now and frankly she doesn't care, really.
The other woman chuckles.
"hey, I'm not judging. I was just passing through to stock up on essentials before it’s my turn again."
Chris takes a look at where her hand is still resting among the packages of sanitary products and takes a step back.
"um, sure. Sorry. I didn't mean to stand in the way."
This woman makes her very nervous for some reason.
"thank you." she says and steps up to the shelf. She bends down and grabs a pack from the lowest level and places it in her basket. She then grabs another one stands up and turns around.
"It’s not the store's brand but these are the best alternative, plus they stay in place a little longer."
She holds the pack in Chris' direction.
Chris had never noticed that brand before. Probably because it has a very small spot on the shelf and doesn't look too interesting.
In fact, the packaging is white with some light blue applications and basic font.
She takes it and nods at the stranger.
"Thank you."
"No problem." the other woman grins at her; white teeth reflecting the white neon light.
Chris just stares back. She really doesn't know what to do or say.
"Um, I almost thought you'd tell me, too, to go and fuck myself, to be quite honest." the woman is still smiling.
"what?" Chris feels stupid.
"After yelling at the man and the pads and your belly, I thought you might also yell at me to go and fuck myself." her grin reflects mischief.
"I was planning to anyway, so that wouldn’t actually have been a problem for me."
Chris is now full on gaping at the woman. Did she really just say that?
'She's perfect' Chris thinks.
"I'm Chris" she awkwardly offers a hand while a smile is creeping on her face.
The other one takes her hand and shakes it. A firm grip. Hand warm but not sweaty.
"Sebastian. Nice to meet you, Chris.” She smiles “And your uterus.”