I was just minding my own business down at Pet Super Store, looking at them new self-cleaning litter boxes. I don’t got a cat myself, but my sister does, and she’s always complaining about scooping. I was trying to remember what kind of litter she uses, cause them fancy boxes need a certain type. I got a real good memory for dates, like I can tell you what day of the week August 15, 1997 was without looking it up, but remembering brands of cat litter ain’t my strong suit.
The store was kinda quiet, just the hum of the fish tanks and a few people wandering around. Then this lady walks in, and she had a fluffy orange cat in one of them fancy clear bubble backpacks. It was a real cute cat, just sitting there all calm looking out at everything. The lady, she looked like she was maybe early twenties, wearing a tight pink top and some jeans. She was a little bit bigger than what them models on TV look like, but she walked like she thought she was the most beautiful thing God ever made. She had a real intense kinda look, like she was always trying to find something to stare at. She started pushing her cart real fast towards the back of the store.
I was still trying to figure out the litter boxes when I heard a little bit of a raised voice coming from the pet carrier aisle. I walk over that way, just to see what’s what, cause I ain’t got nothing else to do. There was a young lady, probably around my age, maybe a little older, holding this real sparkly pet carrier. It was a rainbow one, all shimmery and shiny, kinda like a unicorn puked on it, but in a good way. It looked like it was made for a small dog or a cat, one of them soft-sided ones. She was standing there, holding it, with a kinda worried look on her face.
The lady with the orange cat, the one who just walked in, was standing real close to her, talking kinda loud. She was saying how that carrier was the only one that would do for her little “Princess Sparkle,” which I guess was the cat’s name. Princess Sparkle was still in the bubble backpack, just looking around, totally unaware of the fuss. The lady with the rainbow carrier, let’s call her Sarah, was trying to explain that she had picked it up first, and she was just about to go pay for it. Sarah was being real polite, almost too nice, you know? She just kept saying things like, “Oh, I’m so sorry, but I already have this one,” and “I really do need it for my new kitten.”
But the pink top lady wasn’t having none of that. She kept getting closer to Sarah, her voice getting even louder. She was saying how her cat was a very special cat, a purebred Persian, even though it looked like a regular orange tabby to me, and how it needed the very best of everything. She even mentioned how she had a real rare blood type, AB Negative, and that meant she knew what was best for her cat too. She said Sarah probably didn’t even know what a real quality pet was, implying Sarah was too poor or something to have a fancy cat. She started reaching for the carrier Sarah was holding, like she was just gonna take it right out of her hands. Sarah pulled it back a little, still trying to be nice, but her face was getting red.
Another lady walked by, pushing her own cart, and she kinda looked over, then quickly pushed her cart faster. Nobody really wanted to get involved, which I understood, but it was getting a bit much. The pink top lady was now talking about how she saw the carrier online and it was “destiny” that her cat get it. She said Sarah was basically stealing her cat’s destiny. Her voice was getting real high-pitched and whiny. Princess Sparkle, the cat, looked a little bothered by all the noise, and let out a small “mrrp” from inside the bubble.
Suddenly, a little kid, maybe four or five years old, was walking by with his mom and he stopped. He pointed right at the pink top lady and said, real clear and loud, “Mommy, that lady is being mean!” The kid’s mom tried to shush him and pull him away, but the pink top lady heard it. She glared at the kid, then at his mom. She was like, “Excuse me! I am not being mean! I am merely asserting what is rightfully mine!” She puffed out her chest a little, and the tight pink top seemed to stretch even more. Sarah just looked at the ground, holding the carrier tighter. She was still trying to be polite, trying to tell the lady that there were other carriers, maybe a different color that was just as good. But the pink top lady just shook her head and kept insisting. She said, “No, it has to be the rainbow one. It matches Princess Sparkle’s aura.”
I seen a store employee, a young guy with a name tag that said ‘Mike,’ walk by. I kinda motioned him over, trying not to make a big show of it. He walked over slowly, probably seen the whole thing unfolding. I just gave him a look, and kinda nodded towards the commotion. Mike seen it too. He walked a little closer, trying to be helpful. He asked if everything was alright. The pink top lady immediately turned her attention to him, acting like she was being totally wronged. She started telling him how Sarah was trying to steal her cat’s carrier and how unfair it was. She was talking real fast, leaving out all the parts where she was being demanding.
Mike, he looked a bit confused. He asked Sarah what happened. Sarah, still being super nice, explained that she had picked up the carrier first, and was just about to pay for it. She held up her receipt for some cat food she had already bought. Mike thought for a second, then he said, “Ma’am, we do have a policy that the first person to pick up an item and take it to the register gets it. It’s kinda like a unspoken rule, you know?” He was trying to be polite, but firm. The pink top lady wasn’t having it. She started yelling about how ridiculous that was and how she was a loyal customer and how her cat deserved special treatment. She even threatened to call corporate and tell them how rude everyone was being.
Mike, he sighed a little. He said, “I’m gonna have to call a manager over. Just a moment, please.” He walked away to the customer service desk. It took a few minutes, maybe five, maybe a little more, before the manager came out. He was an older fella, with a real tired look on his face. Mike explained the situation to him real quick. The manager listened to both sides, though the pink top lady was doing most of the talking, interrupting Sarah a few times. Sarah just kept her head down, still holding the carrier. She looked like she was about to cry, but she was still being nice.
The manager finally looked at the pink top lady. He said, real calm, that Sarah had clearly picked the item first and had every right to purchase it. He said if she kept up with the yelling and disturbing the other customers, he would have to ask her to leave the store. The pink top lady’s mouth just dropped open. She couldn’t believe it. She started saying how she was gonna take her business elsewhere and how this was the worst customer service she ever had. She looked at Sarah and gave her a real nasty glare. Sarah just kinda smiled weakly.
The pink top lady grabbed her bubble backpack with Princess Sparkle in it and stormed out of the store, muttering to herself the whole way. Princess Sparkle just looked back over her shoulder, giving a cute little blink. The manager went back to his office, and Mike gave Sarah a small smile and told her to have a nice day. Sarah walked over to the registers, still holding that rainbow carrier real tight. She looked relieved, like a big weight was off her shoulders. I went back to looking at the litter boxes, thinking that sometimes, being too nice just makes things harder, but at least she got her carrier.
