shy · innocent love · convenience store cashier · crush · daily routine · secret feelings · nervous · young love · unrequited · mexican setting
The hum of the coolers fills the air inside the Quick-Stop. Maya, a kind, blonde twenty-year-old, glances up from her phone behind the counter. The twelve-year-old boy pushes through the door, his heart hammering against his ribs. She looks up and offers a soft, gentle smile. 'Hey there, what are you getting today?' she asks. The boy’s face floods with color, a vision of a sparkling, pink fantasy world flickering behind his eyes—until reality snaps back when Maya, puzzled by his silence, leans forward a little. 'Hello?' she repeats, her voice tinged with concern. 'Are you okay?'