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Dear Breakup Girl,

I have made a big mistake. I've been working at a supermarket for about six months now and highly enjoy it, mainly because I have someone to look forward to seeing every shift: this guy called Ben. Although I found out he was three years younger than I (a big thing when I'm in university and he's still at school), we pursued each other. Everything was wonderful; we were together for three weeks before he called it off, blaming the age difference. Now everything at work is terrible, he ignores me and all eye contact I try to make, and he flirts with all the other checkout girls right in front of me. I love my job, can't change shifts, and don't want to consider leaving, but I can just see myself getting kicked in the guts every shift I do. How am I supposed to get over him if I'm forced to see him every week at work? He says we can still be friends, but he says that talking to me makes him uncomfortable. I don't want to start to dread work, and I want to get back to having a relationship with Ben that kinda resembles the awesome friendship we had before all this mess. Is this possible? Or am I stuck detesting my work shifts for the rest of my life?

--Confused Checkout Chick

Dear CCC,

Oh, oof. I understand that even a three-week relationship can take on an afterlife of its own when you have to Stop & Face each other all the time. Often, neighborhood breakups require that one party start going to the "other" supermarket; unless there's some sort of Junior Shift Abroad program that you haven't mentioned, you, as employees, don't have that option. No chance for the all-healing "cold turkey" plan when you're packing the frozen ones together.

So what to do? Well, you've just got to pad your gut with Charmin against those kicks. Let him be immature, much as it irks you; like a kid, I think he'll just run out of energy -- especially if he's getting no reaction from you. I honestly think that's all you can do, and that you should do it before worrying about how to restack that toppled friendship display. Perhaps it's too soon of me to say and for you to imagine, but you may even find that the contents have expired.

Love,
Breakup Girl

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