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Penelope brought out her credit card and handed it to the cashier with a soft smile. The young man behind the counter blinked in surprise. He was used to seeing Penelope come in with her friends, and they were usually less than pleasant.

"Here you go," she said, her voice gentle, he almost wanted to tell her to stop pretending. Usually when they begin to act nice, it was to make fun of him.

The cashier, taken aback by her sudden change in demeanor, carefully collected the card from her hand. He swiped it, his movements deliberate and cautious, almost as if he were afraid the moment might shatter if he wasn't careful. The transaction went through without a hitch, and he handed the card back to her.

"Thank you," Penelope said, maintaining her soft smile as she tucked the card back into her wallet.

"Uh...are you okay?”

“What?” she asked raising her head to look at him.

“Nothing. You're welcome," he replied, still a bit dazed. "Have a nice day."

Once they were outside, her friends turned