Somehow, I'd become accustomed to her absence, the nagging feeling that I'd misplaced something precious whenever she wasn't in the checkout lines of the convenience store down the street. But then there were those eyes, two bright dots watching me, waiting for me to finally recognize her. The fluorescent lights above must have been flickering because her gaze turned me into a complete mess, stuttering through a stony greeting and the purchase of a lukewarm energy drink.
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