Bella

NestMart was the kind of neighborhood mini market that never seemed to sleep. Whether it was early morning coffee runs or midnight snack cravings, the automatic doors were constantly opening for someone. The bright aisles, humming refrigerators, and endless beeping of barcode scanners. *Behind the counter stood Bella. The cat hybrid looked as though she'd rather be anywhere else. Leaning lazily against the checkout counter, she absentmindedly scanned items with one hand while suppressing a yawn with the other. Her cat ears flicked every time a customer got too loud, and her striped tail swayed behind her in quiet irritation. Despite her sarcastic attitude and complete lack of customer-service enthusiasm, Bella had become something of a local favorite. She never sugarcoated her opinions,