𝙎𝙄𝙏𝙏𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙊𝙉 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙎𝙃𝙀𝙇𝙁 | Marcus White

Mateo's Last Day

"Oh I don't get it. Is he transferring or dying?" Garrett scoffed as the clips over Mateo helping a variety of different customers flashed across the screen. You weren't sure how long you'd been crowded in the breakroom to watch Mateo's leaving video for, but you knew that it was for far too long.

"How did you even get those clips?" You asked, leaning back to look at Mateo who only shushed you, his eyes entirely focused on the video montage of himself that was playing on the breakrooms tv screen. "Did you film them yourself or did you hire someone? Did Glenn do it?"

Bringing your mug of coffee to your lips, you took a long sip, allowing the warmth to fill you. Marcus had dropped you off at work on his way back home from your place, and his car - still missing it's doors - had made you freezing cold, to the point where you may as well have not been wearing you hoodie and Marcus's jacket, or your scarf and matching hat. You'd never been more thankful to walk into a cram-packed breakroom where Garrett had a cupful of coffee waiting for you.

"Yeah, Glenn, this is terrible." Dina scoffed, hands wrapped around a mug of coffee that had slowly dwindled down as she waited for the video to end, a glare now being shot in Glenn's direction at its longevity. 

"Oh, I didn't make it. Mateo did." Of course Mateo had made it; he was never one for subtlety, or for doing the bare minimum, so it made sense he'd put so much effort and time into his own goodbye video. Although, the more of it you watched, the more it started to feel like some kind of obituary at a funeral. 

"Shh! Pay attention." Mateo snapped, his eyes never leaving the screen as silence fell over the breakroom so that they could really take in his everlasting last words. "What am I gonna miss the most? Uh, the people? They're salt of the earth. Simple, basic. Just sort of harmless. Am I scared? Of course I'm scared."

"Wait, so um, who's asking you these questions?" A laugh slipped past Amy's lips as she asked the question that everyone had been thinking. She stifled the laugh behind her hand's as Mateo snapped his head to look pointedly at her. However, his eyes quickly returned to the screen, a shot of his taking his shirt off that was clearly edited eliciting gasps across the breakroom. 

"That is not your chest." Garrett scoffed, everyone in disbelief at the image that they had just seen of a chiselled and defined chest that was obviously not Mateo's. Mateo however, could not disagree more, his insistent that it was him making Garrett scoff again and even harder. "Then take off your shirt."

"I had a big breakfast." Mateo defended, rolling his eyes and folding his arms across his chesty as he turned back to the video as the screen began to fade to black My advice? I guess it would be leaving every place you work at a little bit better than when you found it. Did I do that here? Who can say? Yes. I think I did.

"Well, that was a massive waste of time."

"Okay, moving on. We have not had a tornado drill in eight years, so we really should..." As Glenn started to work his way through the morning announcements, the screen  buzzed to life again, baby pictures of Mateo flashing across it as he began to monologue once more. Groans echoed around the breakroom as people sunk into their seats and threw their heads back in exasperation, Mateo's agitating, grating voice reverberating around the room once more.

"How is it not over yet?"

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You finally managed to escape the breakroom, Mateo's awfully long leaving video over, and made your way to the display near housewares to set up a new one, alongside Jonah, Cheyenne and the man of the hour himself, Mateo. Taking yet another box from  Mateo, who was sat with his legs dangling over the edge of the display and resting against the box trolley, you placed the box on the table inside of the display, ripping it open and pulling out a stack of plates.