When the fears about the virus started to spread and the travel industry started to

desperately slash their prices my parents decided to let go of caution and grab the bargain

their anniversary was coming up and they could never afford a cruise in a pandemic-free world.

What's the worst that could happen?

No one was going to keep 2,000 people in quarantine, right?

Wrong.

I was meant to have the house all to myself.

This weekend was going to be my weekend.

I would

end beak and spend the entirety of the next 48 hours frying my brain to whatever

binge-worthy show the algorithm would throw at me.

No bickering, no chores, no orders, just me, TV and the family pet.

I spent the whole week avoiding whatever bug was going around.

My hands were raw from disinfectant.

I was popping vitamins like tic-tacks.

There was at least a meter between all customers and classmates that I encountered.

My caution game was on point, a perfect run. My throat felt fine, my lungs felt fine. I was the pinnacle of health. Then some assholes came in with a bag of cat litter and sneezed in my face.

Sorry, he said absent mindingly as he wiped his dumb face on his hoodie.

Working in a pet store has put me in regular contact with the section of population that owns

spiders and lizards.

I see scores of weirdos are weak.

This guy could take the Social Reject Olympics gold home all year round.

...