No Introduction Needed

Chapter Seven

Maddox was hard at work, helping to fill a truck, the ware house had just received a large shipment order so everyone under Ted's team and few other's had been looking after it for the past two hours, three big trucks needed to be filled by the end of the shift, so everyone was on double time.

Maddox had been sweating pretty badly because he was wearing an extra layer just to hide his skin, but a little ice water now and then went a long way to help him, at some point he needed to switch out his belt because it wasn't providing enough support as the boxes grew heavier and he had also wrapped his wrist with straps.

You could hear forklifts and other major equipment moving around the warehouse by the most experienced workers to load up the bigger and heavier boxes. Maddox handed a large box he was carrying over to two men that stood at the end of the ruck a young woman who looked like she was still in high school taking note of it.

He went back passing a few of the men, he could see the pile was going down and the truck wasn't even halfway so he called out to Ted who had to go and ask for more to be fetched out to them, he went back to his work soon after sweat running down his face, chest, back and arms, thankfully he had the straps on or he might have dropped a box or two.

two more hours had passed and they had finished two of the trucks and was starting the last one when a bell was sounded and he could hear a sigh of relief spread through out the area, it was break time and Maddox opted to just stop for a few minutes so he could drink some water and go to the washroom before getting back to work, not that he really had a choice, hr hadn't brought any hing for lunch and when he checked he didn't have his five dollars on him so he figured when he went home he would get something quick to eat before going to bed.

When he finished using the washroom he started to put on his gloves as he headed for the loading section but came to a stop when the young girl that looked like she was still in high school stopped him in his tracks by stepping in front of him, he looked down at her with a raised eyebrow and she folded her hands over her chest.

"Where are you going?" she asked looking up at him.

He looked around and then looked down at her, before trying to move around her but she was quick on her feet and blocked his path again, he sighed as he gave up, he really didn't need this right now "I'm going back to work, so move out of my way kid."

She in return arched a brow at him raising her fingers as she spoke "first of all I'm not a kid, kids don't go to law school and second of all you're not going back to work, you're going to the cafeteria and getting something to eat, we need every available person to get this other out in time and I don't need you collapsing because you didn't stop when you had the chance." 

He huffed and tried to move around her but once again she matched his every move step for step "I've been keeping an eye on you since you got here Wednesday and up to this point I have never once seen you eat something, the most you do is guzzle down water but that's it." he froze as his eyes darkened "oh don't give me that look, I keep an eye on every new person that works here, I don't need slackers bringing my aunts company to it's knees, anyways that's beside the point, go to the cafeteria, or the convenient store or something but make sure you eat something."

She finally moved so he could walk away, he glanced back at her when he started walking "I'll eat when I get home, so mind your own business." She looked a bit defeated as he walked away going back to the loading section, he checked his belt and gloves before going over to the pile of boxes, he worked quickly piling them all in the back of the truck and then climbing up in the truck to stack them neatly and then secure them with a strap.

The pile was gone but the truck still had a ways to go and he had no idea where they were getting the boxes from, with a sigh he sat down on the edge of the truck until he heard footsteps and looked up to see the girl walking up to him, he sighed and covered his head with his arms as he tried to block her out but heard her when she spoke "that's no way to react to someone that brought you food, I kinda figured maybe you had no money."

He looked up at her and she smiled handing him some bags he reluctantly collected them and then watched as she climbed onto the back of the truck, he watched her as she went through the bag and pulled out two big boxes and handed him one, he sighed and opened it to see a burger and fries with ketchup squirted on it, he looked up again when he felt something cold pressed against his arm, he collected the smoothie and watched her as she bit into her own burger, he mumbled a thank you and she smiled before they both eat quietly.

He bit into the burger and found himself moaning, it tasted like heaven, as he took another bite he tried to remember the last time he had one and nearly chocked when the image of him and his at the time girlfriend sitting on a bench eating as they made jokes came to his mind. He swallowed and looked down at the burger with a frown.

The taste was spoiled for him but as to not be rude by wasting the food someone had paid for with their own money and then give it to him. He finished eating it and then moved onto the fries he looked over at the girl to see her biting into her burger, stuffing fries in her mouth and then taking a sip of her smoothie, he grimaced and shook his head returning to his own food. When he had finished he took a sip of the smoothie and his eyes widened, he looked on the label and smiled, it was a mango smoothie, he had never had one but when he got some money he would buy one.

Soon they were finished and she got up to throw away the garbage before returning to sit next to him, he watched as she swung her feet and undid the braid her brown hair was in before brushing it over her shoulder and wrapping a rubber band around the end "sorry about the way I spoke to you earlier, my mom always told me I had a bit of a bossy side." he shook his head and mumbled it was okay.

"So tell me about you." he looked at her and blinked a few times before looking away, Mary-Ann had told him to keep his story to himself, so he would, he didn't need the trouble he would find if more people found out  he was an ex-con, the girl seemed to pick up on his sudden change in body language and sighed "well at least tell me your name." he mumbled it and she hummed "Maddox, that is a strange name but it still sounds cool, my name is Melissa, pretty common name, but my sis calls me Mint, you can call me that if you want."

The none existent conversation died down and they remained sitting quietly until the rest of workers returned, Ted calling for more boxes when he noticed the empty space where the pile had been when he left. Maddox jumped down from the back of the truck but had to get back up when he was told he would work from there, Melissa went to collect her clip board before she came back and another guy joined them before the work started up.

*

It was a little before ten when they finished and they ran a final check before sending the trucks on their way, Maddox was called into the office, where Mary-Ann was waiting with a small envelope, he looked at her and she smiled as she handed it to him "it's your pay for the past three days, figured you needed it, three hundred and twenty five dollar maybe you could buy something for yourself, or use it to get a bus pass so you don't end up getting robbed."

He tilted his head and she nodded "I see you every night walking home and then you come walking to work too, it's not good and also make sure you start bring lunch, okay kid?" he nodded and she smiled wider "anyway tomorrow is Sunday, also known as your day off, enjoy it, and please take the bus home, Saturday nights are always the most dangerous, Goodnight."

He nodded to her and stuffed the envelope in his bag going out the office, he could take a bus but he didn't know the route to take so he might just end up on the other side of the city, so he left the building with the intention to walk, but a bike skidded to a halt in front of him, Melissa pulled her helmet off and smirked at him "figured you wouldn't listen to my aunt, get on and I'll take you where you need to go." he stared at her and nodded getting on, he told her the address and she handed him a helmet helping him to gt it on before they were off.

She dropped him off and watched him get to the porch before she yelled goodnight and drove off, he went inside and dropped down on the living room chair, closing his eyes in.