(a/n: it has literally been 4 years since i published something for this but i figured why start a new oneshot book when i already have this one. enjoy!!)
the smell of popcorn lingers in the air, clogging every single one of josh's pores. he's nose-blind to it at this point, having worked at the movie theater for just over a year now. the scent is permanently engrained into his uniform as if the very fibers from which it was woven were made out of the fatty butter itself.
he doesn't hate his job per se, but it's not something he can see himself doing for the rest of his life. movies are a passion of his—something he enjoys occupying his time with—but staying at a dead-end job is not as appealing, even if he does get discounted movies and concession items. pretty soon, he'll have his associate's degree in computer science and can start looking for better jobs in the field. for now, though, the movie theater suffices.
he's lucky enough that one of his friends, frank, works the same shift as him. frank is technically his boss, even though josh is usually the one telling him what to do. they spend most of the work day fucking around—the theater doesn't usually get too busy since it's one of the smaller ones on the outskirts of columbus. this also means that, thankfully, they close earlier than other movie theaters.
"got any plans after work?" frank asks, leaning against the counter and tapping his thumbs away at his phone.
"not really," josh admits. "you?"
"dude, it's friday night. of course i have plans. gerard and i are going out with some of our friends. you should totally come!"
"ehhh, i don't know."
josh isn't usually one to spend his nights in crowded bars or sweaty clubs. he has to be in the right mood (which happens on rare occasion) and definitely isn't feeling it tonight. he'll probably just go back to his apartment and spend the rest of his night playing video games and cuddling with his dog, jim. that sounds much nicer.
"come on, man. it'll be fun! you never want to come out."
they both know it's true. frank and him had been best friends since high school, and josh had probably only gone out with him a handful of times over the course of their four year friendship. it's not josh's fault that loud, crowded places make him nervous. he can't enjoy it unless he's plastered, but the hangxiety he feels after a night of being plastered just makes it not even worth it. that being said, he can't help but feel guilty with the way frank is looking at him so desperately.
"ugh," he groans. "okay, fine. maybe."
"yes!"
"i said maybe," josh emphasizes.
frank just grins, causing the other to roll his eyes. he doesn't understand how frank can even want to go out after work, anyway. josh is constantly exhausted after his shift, which is usually a good thing considering he doesn't get home until 10:30 pm anyway. his after work routine usually consists of a shower, an hour of video games, and then bed.
would they even have enough time to have a fun night out? by the time josh would be ready, it would already be an hour to midnight. it takes at least a few drinks before he even starts to feel tipsy, and most bars close around 2 am. all things considered, it would make more sense for them to go out tomorrow night since they have off. he doesn't say this, though. he just starts thinking of excuses he can give frank once he's within the safety of his own home.
checking his phone, the time reads 9:28 pm. the last movie of the night should just about be finishing up. his suspicions are confirmed when a small group of people begins flooding into the lobby. josh listens curiously to the banter between them, wondering what they thought of the movie. that's one of his favorite parts about working there—getting to see everyone's reactions once the movie is over.
