The Glue That Holds Everything Together

u/gateauxes recounted, “I used to work at a drinks store with two extremely unreliable individuals who were drawn to drama-like magnets. Both of them got into a foolish argument with the manager and impulsively quit on the spot. This left me and a skeleton crew to handle the rest of the hectic summer season. The remaining crew members spent a significant portion of their shifts doing nothing. As a result, I became the go-to employee almost overnight.”

Compared to the two drama-prone colleagues, I was a very well-behaved worker. However, there were times when I would take my tips and make a quick visit to the coffee shop next door while still on the clock. On one occasion, I returned to the store just as the manager entered through the other entrance. We locked eyes, and she simply shrugged helplessly. She allowed me to continue doing so for the remainder of the summer because she knew that if she fired me, that place would utterly fall apart.”