And that’s when it happened.
One of the candy bars slipped out. It hit the floor with a soft crinkle. Too loud. Too sudden. Chauncy’s heart jumped as he quickly bent down, snatched it up, and shoved it back into his pocket almost instantly. Too fast. Like he didn’t want anyone to see. He straightened—
And that’s when he heard it.
“Hey.”
Chauncy froze. For a second, he considered pretending he hadn’t heard. Just keep walking. Just get out. But something about the voice made that impossible. Slowly, he turned.
The man stood a few feet away. Older. Clean shirt. Arms crossed over his chest. Watching him. Not a customer. Chauncy recognized him immediately. The store manager. And for a split second, Chauncy knew what he had seen.
The dropped candy bar. The way he picked it up. Too quick. Too nervous.
“Yeah… you,” the man said, tilting his head slightly. “Come here.”
It wasn’t loud. It didn’t need to be. A couple nearby had already started to glance over. Chauncy felt his chest tighten as he took a few slow steps forward. Each one heavier than the last. The manager’s eyes never left him. Not for a second.
“What are you doing in here?” he asked. Simple question. But it didn’t feel simple anymore.
“I was just… looking,” Chauncy said finally. The words came out wrong. Too quick. Too unsure. Even he didn’t believe them.
The manager’s expression didn’t change. “Looking for what?”
