midnight man (joshler)

chapter one/dude im gonna run out of gas

chapter one ; dude im gonna run out of gas

working at a gas station is far from a glamorous job. you get hysterical drunks coming in at eleven p.m. and comical love-struck adventurers stopping by for a wazz at four a.m. to be fair, that really only applies to the night-shift people - aka me - but i'm sure it's an even less appealing job in the daylight.

a lot of people ask me why i don't just quit if i don't like the job. mainly, i need the money, but deep down i know i like working at the run-down speedway gas station simply because i meet new people. new people are interesting people, and interesting people are mostly attractive boys who come in the minute the clock strikes twelve. technically, attractive boy (singular).

i know his name is tyler. i don't know if he lied about that being his name. he won't tell me his last name. not that i've asked more than once, though. after the first 'nothing special. can i have my receipt, because i have somewhere to be,' i decided to let it slide. not because i'm not curious, just because i'm afraid of being rejected like that again. it was a bit embarrassing to be caught prying.

i also know he doesn't sleep well. he walks in every night with dark circles that could give count dracula a run for his money. sometimes he looks like he's dozed off while waiting for me to add up his change. that might just be my imagination though. in fact, i'm not entirely sure his entire existence isn't my imagination.

seriously.
work the night-shift long enough and you start seeing some spooky stuff, man. 

i hum a short song quietly to myself, drumming the beat with my foot under the counter. "let me tell you 'bout the sad man," i sing half-heartedly under my breath, flipping a magazine page and beginning to read all about kendall jenner's scam relationship with harry styles.

"you know, i don't understand why we sell these stupid magazines," i call out to mark, the only other guy stuck on night-shift with me, even though i'm sure he's probably asleep on the box of hand-warmers he was supposed to unload thirty minutes ago.

"me either, they've always seemed so unappealing," a slightly raspy, but peaceful voice proclaims in front of me.

i jump, stumbling backwards in surprise. i blush as my eyes meet tyler's guarded irises. his facial expression looks like he would smirk if he had the energy to. i smile sheepishly, directing my stare at the can of redbull in his hands.

"y-yeah, same. um, a bit late for energy drinks isn't it?" i stutter, ringing it up anyway.

"do you have a car?" he asks, ignoring my question.

taken aback, i nod slowly. my car is parked out back, in the employee parking lot. i wonder if he's trying to steal it from me or something. josh, why would a car thief openly ask you about the car he intends on stealing? why would he choose now, after being a regular visitor for three weeks?

"why?" i ask after a moment.

"i need to go somewhere," he shrugs, circling the rim of his redbull can with the tip of his finger.

"where?" i ask, though i'm already reaching for my keys.

"somewhere," he insists.

i swallow nervously, leaning over to switch the 'we're open!' sign in the window to say 'we're not open!'. i step out from behind the counter, gesturing for him to follow me outside. i lead him to my car, the sleek black coloring almost hiding it from view.

"here," i mumble, thrusting my keys toward him.

"no, no, you drive," he waves me off, waiting patiently by the passenger door.