Euphoric but Empty

Phil

      Phil went to load the groceries into his car. He felt alone. He always felt alone. Phil had learned through the years that you don't have to be alone to feel alone. His friends had gone to a party. Not really Phil's scene. He decided he would go grocery shopping for his parents. Along the way he also picked up the recommended concealer for covering up tattoos. He had gotten one on a spontaneous whim. He just decided he needed someway to display his emotions. The ones he hides deep down where no one can ever see them. The tattoo represented Phil, and Phil liked it that way.
      While he was packing up the groceries he noticed the staff on break. He always thought it was funny how all the staff would stand and desperately try to drain the life from their bodies as though they gave up on living and wanted to quicken their reaching of the finish line that is death. He stand watching them wither away when he takes notice of one member of the pack. The cute cashier who rang him up not 2 minutes ago. While everyone else is asking for the sweet release of death this guy sits there with a thoughtful look upon his face. Like he doesn't necessarily want to die but is more thinking about the whys and how's of it. Something about it all piques Phil's interest and he finds himself walking up to him.
      "Why aren't you smoking?" He asks the guy, genuinely curious. The boy looks startled by the sudden interaction but gives a solid answer anyway.
      "It's kinda pointless don't you think? I mean, death is inevitable and one day we will all be nothing but a distant memory and it seems weird to give it any reason to happen faster."
      "Bloody Hell." Phil replied a little taken aback by the guy's blunt answer. "I didn't expect that. Usually when someone asks people why they don't smoke they give some crappy answer like 'it's more healthy' but shoot dude."
      The guy just shrugs. " Existentialism is kinda my forte. People are usually shocked and appalled that at my age I have these thoughts but I don't know."
      "I'm Phil by the way" Phil says holding out his hand for a shake. He feels a sudden, feeling that this guy could be a potential good friend.
      The guy grabs it saying, "Dan. Nice to meet you Phil."
      Dan. Nice name. Phil didn't know many people named Dan. He was excited to finally meet one.
      "Would you mind elaborating on the inevitability of death? I'm intrigued." Phil said.
And so he did. He talked about how most of the acts committed by humans would be insignificant in the future. He also talked about how only like, 1 in 1,000,000 humans will ever affect the course of humanity in their life. They talked back and forth like this for what seemed like hours (but was more like 20 minutes) until they heard a yell from inside the store.
      "That's my cue to leave. But it was nice talking to you Phil." said Dan starting to walk inside with the crowd of tobacco filled zombies.
      " Wait!" said Phil causing Dan to turn around with a somewhat hopeful grin on his face. "Can I have your number? I want to talk more about the insignificance of humanity." Phil said jokingly. With a small chuckle they exchanged phones and wrote their numbers in them. With that, they parted ways. Phil drove home excited at the prospect of talking to Dan again.