Thinking to himself at the booth, taking a long sip of his water as the adrenaline slowly faded. The diner returned to its usual rhythm—the clink of utensils, the hum of conversations, the jukebox now playing "Photograph" by Nickelback. A comforting normalcy settled over everything.
Marlene came by with a grateful smile, topping off his glass.
"You sure you're okay?" she asked.
"Yeah," I said, exhaling softly. "Just glad it didn't get worse."
He paused, then added with a lighter tone, "By the way, Marlene… is there a Costco around here?"
She blinked, surprised by the sudden shift. "Costco? Yeah, actually. There's one about ten minutes down the road. Take Elm Street until it hits the highway—you'll see the big red sign. Hard to miss."
(Author note: The street is made up and there is a costco in google maps in real life but that shit is far so I'm just put shit into places so it's easier for the plot.)
"Perfect," I said, sliding a few bills onto the table for his meal. "Ran out of half my groceries at home. Figured I might as well stock up."
Marlene chuckled and shook her head. "You stop a guy from causing a scene, then go do bulk shopping. You're something else."
I shrugged, stood up, and grabbed my jacket. "Just trying to get my errands done."
"Take care of yourself," she said as I headed for the door and waved my hand.
The bell chimed as he stepped outside. The morning had brightened, the cool air crisp and welcoming. Took a deep breath, and started walk towards to costco.
The walk was peaceful. The sky was clear, pedestrian light turned red. Liam decided to pull out a walkman and turn on a playlist he has in here—ironically, yet another mid-2000s hit came on, making the morning feel like a nostalgic movie soundtrack.
Then I started to sing with the song.
[♫♪Just a Lil Bit Song by 50 Cent♫♪]
♫♪Yeah, Shady, Aftermath, G-Unit!
Damn baby all I need is a lil' bit
A lil' bit of this, a lil' bit of that
Get it crackin' in the club when you hear the shit♫♪
♫♪Drop it like it's hot, get to workin' that back
Girl, shake that thing, yeah, work that thing
Let me see it go up and down
Rotate that thing, I wanna touch that thing
When you make it go 'round and 'round
I step up in the club I'm like "Who you with?"♫♪
Pedestrian light turned green and I continued walking towards costco.
♫♪G-Unit in the house, yeah, that's my clique♫♪
Yeah, I'm young, but a nigga from the old school♫♪
On the dancefloor a nigga doin' old moves♫♪
♫♪I don't give a fuck, I do what I wan' do
I hit your ass up boy, I done warned you
Better listen when I talk nigga, don't trip
Yo' heat in the car, mines in this bitch
I ain't tryin' to beef, I'm tryin' to get my drink on
And my diamonds, my fitted, and my mink on
I'ma kick it at the bar 'til it's time to go
Then I'ma get in shorty ear and I'ma let her know
All a nigga really need is a lil' bit♫♪
♫♪Not a lot baby girl, just a lil' bit
We can head to the crib in a lil' bit
I can show you how I live in a lil' bit
I wanna unbutton your pants just a lil' bit
Take 'em off and pull 'em down just a lil' bit
Get to kissin' and touchin' a lil' bit
Get to lickin' it, a lil' bit
This is 50, comin' out your ster-e-o
♫♪It's hard to tell though 'cause I switched the flow
Eyes a little low 'cause I twist the 'dro
Pockets on swoll 'cause I move the O's
My neck, my wrist, my ears is froze
Come get, your bitch, she on me dawg
She must, ta heard, about the dough
Not Captain c'mon and Save-a-Ho
I get it crunk in the club, I'm off the chain♫♪
While walking, Liam saw some old muscle cars. He had a impulse to make money to buy one.
♫♪Number one on the chart all the time mane
When the kid in the house, I turn it out
Keep the dancefloor packed that's without a doubt
But shorty shake that thang like a pro, man
She backed it up on me I'm like, "Oh man"
I got close enough to her so I know she could hear
System thumpin', party jumpin', I said loud and clear
All a nigga really need is a lil' bit♫♪
♫♪Not a lot baby girl, just a lil' bit
We can head to the crib in a lil' bit
I can show you how I live in a lil' bit
I wanna unbutton your pants just a lil' bit♫♪
♫♪Take 'em off and pull 'em down just a lil' bit
Get to kissin' and touchin' a lil' bit
Get to lickin' it, a lil' bit♫♪
♫♪Baby, you got me feelin' right, you heard me?♫♪
Within minutes, Liam saw the gigantic Costco sign rising above the horizon like a red beacon of affordable bulk items. The parking lot was already busy, carts clattering, families loading giant boxes of cereal and water into their trunks.
♫♪My momma gone you can spend the night, you heard me?
I ain't playin' I'm tryin' to fuck tonight, you heard me?
Clothes off, face down, ass up, c'mon, ha-ha
All a nigga really need is a lil' bit
Not a lot baby girl, just a lil' bit
We can head to the crib in a lil' bit♫♪
♫♪I can show you how I live in a lil' bit
I wanna unbutton your pants just a lil' bit
Take 'em off and pull 'em down just a lil' bit
Get to kissin' and touchin' a lil' bit
Get to lickin' it, a lil' bit♫♪
♫♪All a nigga really need is a lil' bit
Not a lot baby girl, just a lil' bit
We can head to the crib in a lil' bit♫♪
♫♪I can show you how I live in a lil' bit
I wanna unbutton your pants just a lil' bit
Take 'em off and pull 'em down just a lil' bit
Get to kissin' and touchin' a lil' bit
Get to lickin' it, a lil' bit♫♪
Liam walked towards the front, grabbed a cart, and headed toward the entrance where the employee checked membership cards with the seriousness of a gatekeeper guarding a fortress of discounts.
Also, I need to put a note in my mind to see if there's any racism in this world, I don't know a white Texan guy like me saying the N-word would get me into trouble unless I want to be like Eminem. Also noted in my mind their taxis present around Costco during this time.
(Author note: Yeah taxis in 2005 was just chilling around Costco but now we have uber and lift and other companies)
Once inside, the familiar warehouse smell—cardboard, fruit, free samples—washed over me. Towers of products rose like shopping skyscrapers. I scanned the mental list:
Eggs
Milk
Chicken breasts
Coffee
Maybe a new pair of socks
And definitely some snacks
The morning's chaos at the diner felt distant now, replaced by a simple sense of purpose: fill the cart, get back home, maybe relax for the afternoon. Liam pushed forward into the aisles, ready to navigate the vast Costco jungle with the calm confidence of a man who had already handled far worse than a crowd of weekend shoppers.
He steered my cart into the first aisle like a man on a mission. Costco stretched out in long rows of towering shelves, every aisle stacked with enough food to feed a small village.
He grabbed a pack of eggs—not a dozen, but the Costco double-48 pack. Next came a massive bundle of chicken breasts, enough ground beef to host a neighborhood cookout, and a giant bag of frozen vegetables that barely fit into the cart.
"Shit" I murmured. People are looking at me, but I ignored them.
One aisle down, he tossed in:
A 40-pack of water bottles
A family-sized tub of peanut butter
Two huge bags of rice
A bulk pack of pasta
Three jars of pasta sauce
A giant carton of oatmeal
A huge box of mixed granola bars
A big container of mixed nuts
The cart was filling fast. And I wasn't even halfway done. Ok maybe the system is right. I might become Homer at this point.
Liam rounded the corner into the snack section—dangerous territory. Bags of chips the size of small pillows lined the shelves. He grabbed two. Then three more. Then tossed in a mega-pack of popcorn just because it looked good. By the time he hit the produce aisle again, he was stacking things like a game of grocery Tetris:
Apples in a six-pound bag
A giant box of blueberries
Bananas by the bunch
A huge salad kit
A two-pack of maple syrup
The cart was overflowing, wobbling slightly as I pushed. A couple walking by stared in mild awe.
"Big family?" the man asked.
"Nope," I said casually. "Just hungry."
Checkout Mountain. By the time he reached the checkout line, Liam had loaded enough groceries to feed a campsite, a football team, and probably himself for a month straight.
The cashier raised an eyebrow as she scanned item after item.
"You prepping for the apocalypse?" she joked.
"Nah," I said with a grin. "Just stocking up."
When she finished scanning, she looked at the cart, then back at him.
"You're gonna need bags?"
"Yep," I said. "Uh… fifteen of them should be alright i think, actually."
She whistled, grabbed a stack of bags, and started packing them like a puzzle master. He helped lift the heavier items as they worked through the mountain of groceries.
"Shit" I'm still weak I thought.
Bag after bag filled up.
One… three… five… ten…
Finally, fifteen full bags were stacked in his cart like miniature skyscrapers.
"Good luck getting all that in your car," she said. Taxi I thought in my mind but didn't say.
"Oh, I'll make it work," I replied, rolling the cart toward the exit with both hands gripping tightly to keep it steady.
Outside, the afternoon sun had come out, glinting off the rows of cars. I walked over where the taxis are chilling and found one. The guy popped open his trunk and began the careful process of loading his fifteen bags.
Ice packs next to the chicken.
Heavy items on the bottom.
Chips on top so they didn't explode.
Blueberries tucked safely between the water packs.
It took a while, but eventually every bag fit—barely. We closed the trunk and I had a satisfied smirk. As I slid into the passenger seat, I told my address to the driver and we drove away. I took a breath, feeling the weight of the long morning:
Breakfast at the diner, breaking up the argument, and now enough groceries to survive a winter storm.
Feeling oddly accomplished. "Not bad," I said to myself in my head. "Not a bad day at all."
We pulled into the driveway and stopped the car Infront of the garage. He stepped out, stretching his back. Home sweet home, the air was quiet, warm and still much calmer than the diner had been earlier.
The driver opens the trunk, and we started unloading the first 4 bags into the house and then he heard a soft voice behind him when he went back to the taxi to grab more bags.
[+1 Con]
[Bodybuilder lv 2 -> 3]
"Hey" I heard a soft female voice and I turned.
Standing on the walkway between their houses was the woman from the diner—the same woman whose husband had nearly hit her. She wore a simple hoodie and jeans now, her hair tied back in a loose ponytail. She looked tired, but calmer than before. A small bruised redness still lingered along her cheekbone—not from a hit, but likely from tension, stress, or crying.
I blinked in surprise. "You're… my neighbor?"
She nodded, offering a weary smile. "Yeah. I moved in two months ago. I didn't even realize you lived right next door until I saw you at the drive in." "You are alright, I also moved in this week" I said.
I placed the grocery bags down carefully. "Are you okay?" I asked gently.
The woman wrapped her arms around herself. "I—I left the diner right after you did. I didn't want to go home immediately. I was embarrassed. And scared." She paused, taking a shaky breath. "I broke things off with Mark today. For good. He's not coming back here."
My expression softened. "That's… that's a strong choice. I'm glad you're safe." She nodded, eyes glistening. "It was long overdue." For a moment, the two stood there in the quiet driveway, the hum of a distant lawnmower the only sound and the taxi driver just stood there like he was watching a show. I swear to god I bet he wanted to get a chair and sit down and eat popcorn.
"I never got to thank you," she said. "For stepping in at the diner. That could've gotten bad."
"You don't have to thank me," I said gently. "Anyone would've stepped in."
She shook her head. "No. They wouldn't have. But you did." I cleared my throat, a little embarrassed. "Well… I'm just glad it helped."
She glanced at the fifteen giant grocery bags stuffed into his trunk and let out a soft laugh. "Wow. Stocking up for the year?" "Something like that," I said chuckling. "Costco has a way of making you think you need everything in sight."
Her smile grew, a bit more genuine this time."Do you, uh… want some help carrying all that in?" she asked.
"Only if you want to," I replied. "I didn't exactly plan on a workout after Costco."
"I could use the distraction," she said quietly. Together, we picked up the bags—hers lighter, his heavier—and walked toward his front door. The simple act of carrying groceries felt strangely grounding for both of them. The taxi driver just raised a eyebrow and I rolled my eyes. "I'm 16, unless she wants to go to jail nothing is happening." I said in my mind.
Before stepping inside, she paused and said softly:
"Oh—by the way… I'm Emily." I smiled. "Nice to finally meet you, Emily. Under better circumstances this time." "My name is Liam" I said to her.
Emily nodded. "Nice to meet you Lian and yeah. Much better." We carried the bags inside, and for the first time all day, Liam felt the morning tension fully ease away. Maybe this wasn't just another errand-filled day. Maybe something new had started without him even realizing it. The driver just left when all the bags was inside.
(Author note: No, you fuckers, nothing is going to happen between them and I'm not going to try to put some pedo shit in my fanfic, plus in the mc perspective she is 30. Tell me what age she should be and what type you want her to be. Like a big sister next door to the mc or a mother figure or something in the comments.)