Soup

The clunk of something on the table jerked me out of the half-stupor I'd found myself in. "Huh?" I brilliantly managed.
Soup." Megan, of all people, said. She gestured to the small container on the table. "Feel better." she added with a small smile before disappearing from the breakroom as silently as she'd come.
I stared after her in surprise. That wasn't....Megan didn't ever interact with anyone without them talking to her first.
So why....
I shrugged as the scent of chicken noodle hit my nose. Ah. I reached out eagerly desperate for something to warm my sore throat. This would definitely do the trick.
I closed my eyes with satisfaction as I swallowed the first spoonful of hot liquid. Oh yes. I would have to thank Megan profusely next time I saw her. This...this was a life saver. 

-Inspiration from grabbing soup for a sick coworker. 

Me: So we posted the story. We should probably go to bed.

Brain: NO! WE POSTED THE STORY WE NEED TO WAIT FOR FEEDBACK!!

Me: But...work....

*first comment comes in* 

Me: ()_() NEVER MIND LETS STAY UP AND WAIT FOR FEEDBACK!!!

Brain: What if....we wrote a story that was a cross between two Christmas stories?!?! 
Me: *glancing at other writing projects* Uh....
Brain: Come on! It will be fun!!! Let's do it! Christmas! CHRISTMAS! CHRISTMAS!!!!

The Shriek

It was the high pitched shriek of an upset child that started it. 
The sound reached a decibel level that caused me to wince, to flinch away.
And as it repeated itself. Again and again.
The ache behind my eye grew. 

>.<
I probably could have gotten away with not getting a headache today.
Seriously I could have.
But for whatever reason, that child in the store today at work...just had the right tone and volume to put me on edge and cause me to get the headache that I'm now struggling with.
It didn't help that there was also a customer that let his two little tiny dogs bark their heads off like crazy for a good 15 minutes.
It didn't help that I had to play jigsaw with juggling cages today at work, which is always a mental strain.
It didn't help that I was tired and that my right arm decided to randomly start aching like mad even though I did nothing to it to cause it such pain. 

No. A lot of things didn't help me out today in avoiding this headache. 
*exhales*

Still Present

Whelp....
Headache is still here.
I mean, it disappeared for a bit during the night.
But the annoying thing came back early this morning.
*Exhales* 
Looks like I'm going to be stuck with it for a bit. 
Though maybe more heatpacks and more meds will help it go away.
Maybe.
Just maybe. 

All the Stress

I ended up with one of those nuclear headaches today.
It started right before work.
And refused to leave.

Why did it start?
No idea.
Was it just leftover stress from dealing with all the customers yesterday for Black Friday?
Was it staying up late writing?
Was it stress from finally beginning to post a little fic I've been working on and the consequential worry from how it will be received by the readers?
Was it from eating two croissants for breakfast today when I haven't had them in a couple of months?

Who knows.
I really don't.
Maybe it's a combination of everything above.
But in either case.
It's wiped me out.
It's left me feeling awful.
And I just want it to go away. 

Alone at Last

I locked the doors, nearly catching the heels of the last customer as they left the store. It took everything I had to not slump against said doors.
Finally. Finally I was free of the chaos that had been Black Friday. 
Honestly, if I never saw another cart or another price tag or another Customer for the rest of the year....I would be totally content. 
I knew that wouldn't be the case. After all, this was retail, and we were open again tomorrow.
But at least for now, I was free. Free of the bickering of the whining, of the screaming. Free of having to run all around the store to ensure that when we said we were out of an item, we actually were out of the item. 
Really, all I wanted to do right now was curl up on the breakroom couch and sleep.
But I couldn't. I still needed to recover the store from the tornado of customers that had visited us today.
But at least....this Black Friday was finally over. That I could at least be grateful for. 

-Inspiration from working Black Friday

A First Time

He'd always been curious as to what Thanksgiving was like. 
If it was as warm and cheery as the movies made it out to be.
Was the Turkey really so large?
Was there really so much food that there were actually leftovers?
Did everyone actually smile and have a good time?
Cautiously he peered around the corner, into the kitchen. Little fingers gripping the wood as his stomach growled. He swallowed, trying to keep himself from drooling at all the food he could see laid out before him.
His first Thanksgiving with a real family. His first time being included in a group. He pulled back slowly, hugging himself as he leaned against the wall. He shivered with anticipation. Food. Family. Love. Everything he craved. And now everything he had. He couldn't wait. Couldn't wait to partake in this tradition. He smiled. For once. Everything was going his way. 

-Inspiration from the Holiday

Time To Eat

"Guys. Guys I'm fine!" I complained as my coworkers basically frog marched me into the breakroom.
"You are not fine." David said flatly, sitting me down on a chair. "You nearly collapsed in front of a customer! She said that you went white as a sheet and your eyes rolled back like a demon possessed." 
I flushed, looking down at my hands. "I'm fine." I repeated. "It was just a momentary thing, I can wor--"
"When was the last time you ate, Carrie?" 
I shrugged. "I'm not hungry." I mumbled. It had been too long. A couple of days maybe? 
"That's not an answer."
"I ate this morning." 
"What did you eat?"
"Uhmmm....bread?" I winced as my tone came out questioning. 
I looked up in time to see David exchanging looks with Mark. 
"Guys...I'm fine." 
They turned the same disbelieving stare at me at the same moment. "No you're not." Mark said, folding his arms. "Carrie, you're going to sit there until we get you something to eat, alright? You need your strength."
"Do you like pizza?" David asked, suddenly. Pulling out his phone. "I'll order pizza. What kind do you want." 
"I don't--"
"Carrie." 
I swallowed, looking down. "Uh Pepperoni?" 
"Alright, Pepperoni it is." 

-Inspiration from getting pizza at work. -Nobody was fainting, only hungry.

So sleepy

I think I'm just tired.
Energy gone.
Feeling sleepy.
And with me stubbornly staying up.
Attempting to write....

An ache is growing behind my eyes.
*exhales*
Perhaps I should just call it now and go get that sleep so hopefully the headache doesn't get worse.
Maybe...

A Friendly Wager

"So," I said, leaning on the podium at work. "Who do you think will come in first out of our two coworkers due to replace us, Kayla, or Stephanie?"
Amy paused in her washing of the windows, looking at me thoughtfully. "What's the bet?"
I shrugged. "A candy bar?"
"Butterfinger?"
"Sure."
She smiled. "Alright....I'm going to say that Kayla shows up first."
I blinked. "Really?"
"Yah, I know that it's usually Stephanie who comes in first, but I have a really good feeling about Kayla today."
I nodded thoughtfully. "Okay then. I'll go with Stephanie." 
She smirked at me. "Deal. May the odds be in my favor."
I laughed, and shook my head. "I hope they're in my favor more." Because I really wanted that chocolate.

-Inspiration from a work event

Aftershocks

Like an aftershock from a major earthquake.
I think tonight's headache...okay I know tonight's headache is just the after effects of being stressed out about speaking earlier today.
And with the fact that the talk I had to give is now over.
That I can now relax again.
However, that doesn't mean it's easy for my brain to do the same.
Thinking, wondering if it could have gone better.
Worrying about what I said to others afterwards.
And just being...tense in general because having to present yourself in front of a group of people is always rather stressful to me.
The fact that I ended up with a slight headache tonight was not at all surprising. I was expecting it. Because honestly. 
It was a stressful day lol. 

It's Coming

It's creeping up. 
I can feel it.
Starting in the shoulders.
Moving up to the neck.
Heading to my eye.

It's coming.
Because a stressful situation is coming.
One I don't quite know how to face.
One with unknowns that make it hard to know how to accomplish it well.
A situation that I've known about for most of the week.
And has been hanging out in the back of my mind since I found out about it.
A situation that only stresses me out further as it draws closer.

So a headache?
Yah. Totally not surprised to still have one this morning.
Because life has its stressful moments.
And this is one of those moments. 

Tired Eyes

Yah I did this to myself.
Hunched over. Staring at a bright screen.
Typing like crazy.
Forgetting to eat and drink regularly.
Not moving around a lot?

Yah.
A faint ache behind the eyes is totally expected.
*exhales*
Maybe in time, just maybe in time.
If I do this enough, the body will get used to it, and I won't end up with a headache any time I spend the day writing....
Just maybe.

A Tip

I turned away, glad that I was finally done carrying out the customer's rather large order. I hadn't minded the manual labor, it had been a relief to break away from the boredom of just standing there in the store with nothing to do. The breath of fresh air, the sun on my face, that too was worth the effort of spending a good half hour helping the rather elderly customer get everything into their car.
"Wait. Wait!" I heard the customer call behind me.
I turned, in time to get a fistful of cash shoved into my hand. 
"Here."
I blinked at it in surprise. "That's not necessary," I said with surprise. My job didn't do tips. I wasn't supposed to accept tips. 
"I insist. I feel bad making you carry everything out by yourself."
"Really, it's no--" I tried to hand back the wad of money.
But the customer shook their head. "Take it. I insist. As thanks."
"Well...Okay. Thank you." I said sincerely. It really was the nicest thing I could have experienced today. 

-Inspiration from encounter at work

Customer Service Woes

I'm pretty sure that any shift I work that doesn't get me out of the store before 3pm....
Is bad for me.

Like seriously.
I can't deal with people for multiple hours in a day.

and the morning shift I worked today. Which was basically 8 hours of customer service...because I came into the store right before we opened....

Is horrible.
I get exhausted.
I get an ache behind my eyes.
because I'm exhausted.
I can't people like this.
I can't customer service like this.

*exhales*
Thankfully the faint ache behind my eyes will probably go away....if I ever decide to go to bed....

The Focus

I have a slight headache tonight.
But it's kind of my own fault in that.

Mostly because I've been writing.
And writing tends to tense me up. 
Because I get super focused on getting the words right, the sentence right, the feel of the story right. And with the intense concentration...comes a slight ache behind my eyes.
It doesn't help that I was also writing an emotional scene.
That literally had tears streaming down my cheeks because ahhh it's sad!!!
So yah...
This slight headache is my own fault.
But hopefully some sleep will help it go away. 

Too Much Thinking

More than likely it's the minimum sleep I got last night that's the main cause of my current headache.
Why did I not get enough sleep?
Simple.
I was writing. 
Got excited.
Brain was firing off ideas nonstop.
And so when I tried to go to bed....
My mind didn't want to.
And therefore I laid there mind racing for hours on end.

Only to have to get up and work and work early in the morning. 
*exhales*

Still...the headache only appeared towards the end of the work day.
When my ability to stay wakeful faded with my energy. 
A nap didn't help.
Meds and heat aren't helping.
I can only hope an actual night of sleep will help this headache go away. 

Too Much Fun

I woke up this morning with a major headache.
Which while unwelcome, wasn't much of a surprise.

Usually when I do something the night before that's more...out of my comfort zone...I tend to tense up and end up with an aching head either later that same night or into the next day.

Being out in public, being brave and meeting people...it can be rather stressful, even though in the moment I play it off, I tend to think about my actions after it's all said and done, and then critic myself on what I could have done differently. How I could have been different.
And that can be rather stressful.
I try not to think about it, but that doesn't mean that it still doesn't happen.

So more than likely, this morning's headache was from sleeping tense after an evening out and about.
Thankfully, with some liquids, meds, and distraction...it seems to have gone away. Yay. :)

A Moment To Enjoy

I stood against the wall, watching the others, a small smile on my face as I quietly enjoyed watching the others excitement at meeting their idols. It was a small thing really. Just to see the happiness on another's face. A moment where I could vicariously live through watching them. A moment where I could forget my own worries and fears and just focus. Focus on them, and their happiness. It was well worth the aching feet, the tired muscles to just see these brief glimpses into a better life. A life that I wasn't sure that I coul--
"Hey Nikayla!" one of the guys called out, drawing me from my revere. "Wanna come take a picture with us?" 
I blinked, surprised at the sudden offer, surprised that one of the guys still remembered my name even after all the people they had met. I smiled shyly and shook my head. The spotlight wasn't for me. I was one for the shadows. 

-Inspiration from going to a Vocal Point Concert

Me: So I have this idea.
Brain: It needs a sequel.
Me: But....can't we just keep it as a single ide--
Brain: AND A PREQUEL TOO!! 
Me: But!
Brain: You know what. It should be a whole series! Yah...yah that would be great!

Done With Today

Can one get a headache from boredom?
Sometimes I wonder. 

Though really, I probably got the headache because I was hungry and I was tired, and I was annoyed with customers and coworkers today.
So...it basically boils down to tension.
And being done with having responsibilities for a bit.
*exhales* 

Thankfully some rest, food, and some time away from people seems to have helped it go away. Yay! 

Tick Tock

I couldn't stop glancing at the clock as I leaned against the door frame. 
I was supposed to be off six minutes ago. I should have been heading home.
Yet, here I was, standing in the doorway of the manager's office.
Because the manager wanted to talk to me. 
Only he was in the middle of talking to another coworker, and it hardly seemed like they would be ending their conversation any time soon.
Again, I glanced to the clock.
How long before I would be seen?
Because I really really just wanted to head home.

-Inspiration from work.

Why Here?

I got a headache at work.
I don't even know why I got a headache at work.
It wasn't like work was stressful in a non normal stressful way.
It was all fine and dandy there.

Yet, I found myself with that annoying ache behind my left eye.
An ache that would not leave. No matter the meds I took.
It would fade a little bit after some TLC with a heatpack during my breaks.
Only to come roaring back soon after.

Why, dear headache, why did you come?
Is it just a subconscious tension that built somewhere? An annoyance that's irritating me that I can't pinpoint?

Who knows.
I just know it was difficult to focus through work today.
And I'm glad it went away after more TLC with a heat pack and resting my eyes for a bit. 

Brain: IDEA!
Me: We gotta finish this thing first.
Brain: But. IDEA!!
Me: I know it's cooll but---
Brain: IDEA!!!
Me: If you keep distracting me we won't get this done and we won't be able to reach the idea.
Brain: ....okay........*whispers* idea.

Skipping Is Not Good

I think I may have to officially call it that Fast Sundays are not good for me.
At least where preventing headaches is concerned. 
Because I feel like I get a headache every Fast Sunday no matter what.

Which...I'm pretty confident that it's not the lack of food that is the main concern,
but the fact that I end up being stressed out nearly every Fast Sunday and that in of itself causes me to get a headache?
Because stress is definitely a main factor.

Today?
Probably dealing with people that have caused me to be tense has been the main thing, plus the annoyance at being interrupted when I'm trying to do something else also has been something to tense me up. 

Probably the sudden switch in Daylight Savings is also affecting me as well....
*Shakes head*

Who knows.
All I know is I have a headache today and I just want it to go away. 

Go Ahead, Don't Listen

I paste a smile on my face, nodding politely as the man before me continued to talk, proving that he had, indeed not been listening to a word I'd said before he decided to open his mouth to 'correct' me. Unfortunately, he was correcting me with all the wrong information. Things he'd found on google, info that others had told him that contradicted what I said. It was, I decided, his aim only to prove himself right, and I was willing to help him...put his foot into his mouth. If he wasn't going to listen to me, who had worked here far longer than anyone else in the store, then fine. He could learn the hard way that the internet isn't always correct, nor that he should think that because I was younger than him, that I was more naïve. He could dig his own grave, I'd already tried to prevent him from doing so once. I wasn't about to try again. 

-Inspiration from encounters at work and social media

Aching Cheek

I sit back with a grimace, massaging my cheek. Why did it have to hurt so bad after the numbing agent wore off?
Had it meant that I'd bit my cheek one time too many?
Had the needle been jabbed too forcefully through my skin to ensure that I couldn't feel further?
Regardless, it hurt now. Enough I didn't want to open my jaw.
But open my jaw I did.
Because I needed to present, I needed to speak. 
Dropping my hand I took a steadying breath, and moved forward. 

-Inspiration from going to the Dentist today

Wrongful Energy

It started when my manager unexpectedly tried to hand me a duty that I did not want to take because I didn't want to have that responsibility on my head, especially just thrown at me out of the blue. 
Especially when it's a 'new' thing the store is having us do, and therefore we don't have any idea what we're doing.
Definitely not something I want to face first thing in the morning.
As it tensed me up, gave me a slight ache behind the eye.

Which unfortunately was exacerbated by having a group of individual come into the store, a sort of field trip group, that just....had an energy about them that I did not like.
It was kinda like nails on a chalkboard, and it just...made my headache grow worse.

Thankfully...
Avoiding being put on the duty that I didn't want to be put on, distancing myself from the group of people, and taking some meds...

Helped to put my headache to bed.
Yay for a quick solution this time around.

Origins: Cue Annoyance

I giggle to myself as I watched the woman again swat at her arm, frowning down when she again found nothing. Nothing, because I could make it nothing. 
Again I peer around the corner, and with a small flick, again make it feel like there's a single hair brushing the woman's arm.
Again she reacts, wildly looking all over her shirt for that stray hair she's never going to find. Not if I have anything to say about it.