How can we help you?

I walk into the mediocre temperature room, and sit in the swivel chair. Across from me sit lowered eyes of Red Shirt who is eagerly waiting for his turn. Red Shirt has come with his smaller friend, Striped Shirt. They are both speaking their language together, and cast forwarded glances of humor in my direction- there must be a joke that I can not share with them. Striped shirt makes amicable gestures towards Red Shirt, and his body language is also towards Red Shirt. They have similar facial expressions in the aftermath of the joke, both with slightly half up-turned smiles.

When they had interacted with me, it was brief and amicable, as the make their arrangements. They continue talking, and walk out together, in a way that is hard to tell who walked out the door first.

Next walks in Glasses, with his wife and child. They come forward, and the child--Little Head--walks over to our children's toys and begins to play. Glasses makes all the arrangements and Long Hair--Glasses' wife--simply looks around the room and watches to make sure Little Head isn't getting into trouble. Glasses speaks quietly and succinctly, and does not linger with small talk. Long Hair only says 'thank you', and once the interaction is over, they take Little head and walk out the door.

Troubled Girl, who has come in before, walks in again with a concerned look on her face- she needs a specific item, but we cannot appease the conditions for it that she desires. She attempts to compromise, but becomes agitated and leaves. Her hands were gently wringing themselves during the interaction, with eyes that did not quite meet the entire time.

There are also, near me, Nice Hair, who swivels in the chair and--with a mirroring concerned expression--ask Troubled Girl what she needs. Once Troubled Girl has, not quite, been helped and leaves, Nice Hair resumes looking through something on his phone and listening to music, sans a concerned expression. Nice Hair's friend, Cool Shades, plays the same music ritually, and take it in passively. Aside from talking about the tasks at hand, the two discuss weekend plans, or else continue on homework assignments. But, they did often mirror each other in reverting back to phone use once the talking quieted. One was wearing jeans and a t shirt, and the other khakis and a t shirt. When conversing, they had similar expressions of elation and concern, which must mark some familiarity or friendship. They have probably known each other for a log enough time to be familiar, but are both comfortable with being on their phones most of the time.