Vending IV

(I wrote this almost two years ago as a reward for a backer and completely forgot about it in the tumultuous times afterwards. In the spirit of making sure I start 2025 off on the right foot, I figured this was a good opportunity to share it with you all. Thank you for helping me keep writing, and thank you for reading! <3)

The tall girl crouched in front of the old vending machine, leaning closer to the glass. With the hood fully drawn over her head, it was enough to shut out the rest of the world; just her and the bottles arranged in a neat row. Save a couple, all of them were identical. Similar size, similar color, similar tags: G—

“I’m almost at the theater,” said a young woman as she walked by, the sidewalk not allowing for much privacy after all. “Are you sure you’re gonna make it?”

The crouching girl remained hunched in place, slipping her hands into the pockets of her hoodie. The last thing she wanted right now was more attention. Was the passer-by leaving, at least? She looked up.

No such luck. The young woman was practically leaning against the side of the vending machine, the only source of light between the two intersections of this sleepy street. Thankfully, she seemed completely absorbed in her phone conversation. “Are you sure? I mean, no pressure! I’d love to introduce you to the gang, but if it’s too much trouble…”

The girl’s knees ached, but she remained in position in front of the glass. She was going to do this, no matter what. This was her mission. Reach up, put money in. Push button, get potion. She only hoped that the machine wouldn’t make too much noise dispensing her hard-won prize, considering the age of the thing. Was the lady done yet?

“Alright! Yeah no worries, I can wait! Yeah, by the machine, you know the one. Take as long as you need, I understand how it is.”

She gritted her teeth, staring daggers through the side of her hood up at the chatty woman. Fine. Fine! There was no helping it. She reached up and completed her purchase, bracing for the noises, hoping to be out of there as soon as possible.

Chk! Click.

“Oh, is your roommate gonna come too? No? Ah, that’s alright. Yeah? What package?”

Krrrrrrr…

“Okay, so when you say dog bed, you mean like…”

KLUNK.

The girl reached in and snatched up the bottle with such speed that it sent her off-balance. Before she could regain her footing, she was on the ground. Thankfully, the only thing bruised was her ego; her purchase was safe. She desperately scrambled back to her feet—

“I’ll call you back. Hey, you okay?”

—but not before attracting the attention of the bystander. She swore inwardly. “M’fine,” she mumbled as she looked up. “I can handle… uh…”

Now that the other woman had fully stepped into the light the vending machine cast on the sidewalk, the girl was able to get a proper look at her; a look that sent the rest of her words tumbling out of order. “I, uh… um…”

The young woman put away her phone. She had bright orange hair tied into twintails that spilled out over her varsity jacket, almost touching the pleated skirt that was festooned with metallic buttons. From her snapback to her leggings, her entire outfit was covered in logos from brands the girl had never seen before. The woman extended a helping hand, fingers sporting the same kind of band-aid as the one across the bridge of her nose.

The girl reached out with her free hand. Oh god, how long had she been taking in every detail? How long had she been staring? It had felt like minutes, if not hours! She looked away as she was helped to her feet, trying to conceal the rush of heat and color that was taking over her face. Once again, she’d made a perfect fool of herself in front of an unforgettable stranger. Time to crawl into a hole and never come out. Time to—

“Oh hey! Good choice.”

“What?” the girl said, taken aback enough to make eye contact as she was helped back up to a crouching position.

The young woman grinned, pointing at the bottle. “Girl Potion, right? It’s my favorite too.” She gave a thumbs-up.

“Y…yeah?” Between the cold sweat and the burning cheeks, the girl didn’t know which one was winning. She stood up wordlessly, using the vending machine for support. The young woman’s eyes followed her up, and then went wide as they continued a little bit further than expected.

“Oh wow, haha! You’re even taller than I am, aren’t you.”

“Y…yeah.” The tall girl scratched her arm with her free hand.

A truck drove past, the sound of its engine imposing a pause on the conversation.

One moment passed. Then another.

“So, uh, these Girl Potions… they really work?”

The young woman smiled brightly. “They really work. And if you like what they do, I can get you in touch with folks who know how to make it stick. I’m waiting for one of them right now actually, we’re gonna go over to the theater to watch the game with some friends. Wanna come with us?”

“Yes!” the girl answered, much too quickly for her brain to catch up and think better of it. What had she done? “Uh, I mean, if it’s, uh—”

“Haha, it’s fine, it’s fine!” the young woman said with a smile. “It’s totally fine. I’ve been there.”

The girl returned the smile, awkwardly at first. Then with a little more confidence as she looked at the bottle in her hand again. She gave it a gentle shake, making the liquid inside swirl like a miniature whirlpool, a… what were those called again?

“I’m River, by the way.”

“I’m, uh… I…” The girl paused. She looked back down at the contents of the bottle, her mouth silently forming syllables. She looked back up. “I like your name.”

River grinned. “Thanks, I picked it myself.”

Fin.