Hot Chocolate || Malcolm Wilkerson ✔

Chapter 3

The night shift at the service station runs slow for Malcolm. Not that he doesn't expect it to, it usually always runs terribly slow, especially when he's the only employee on site. Which also totally sucks, as he's got no one to talk to at all.

Though it wouldn't really be that different compared to if he was stuck at home. Well, apart from the fact that if he was home right now, he'd more than likely be asleep.

He'd very much welcome sleep right now if it weren't for the fact that he's working currently. Unfortunately, sleep is going to have to wait until he gets back to his apartment. He doesn't fancy getting fired for sleeping on the job. He's not that irresponsible.

Glancing outside the store windows, he sighs as he doesn't see any customers coming anywhere near the store to get gas or anything. Which on one hand, he's kind of thankful for? Having to work the night shift here does mean that he doesn't really have to deal with a lot of people after all. Occasionally he has to deal with a couple of weird folks though, but he can usually manage it on his own. It's just that it gets terribly lonely being the only person working.

At least, most nights he's the only one working. Some nights there's another employee on site, but he barely knows the guy, as they don't really talk when they're working the night shift together. So really, there's not much of a difference.

If only he could text or call Chelsea right now, just so he has at least some form of human contact, even if it is through a phone. Knowing how late it is right now though, she's likely to be asleep, so there's no point in even attempting to text her.

He supposes another upside of working this late and on his own is that he doesn't need to put up with having to listen to shitty Christmas music during his entire shift. The fact that he's working along means he gets full control over the store stereo, so no Christmas music, but good old classic rock. He's not too sure how long he'd last if all he had to listen to was Christmas music.

Looking up as the door opens distracting him from his thoughts, he spots a couple of teenage girls entering the store. He can only assume that they're either on their way to a party or coming back from a party and are looking to buy food as the group of them head on off to the small snacks aisle. Though as he looks closer at them, they don't look like they're heading to or from a party, so they could very well just be here for a midnight snack run.

Thankfully they don't take too long in choosing their snacks - there's really not a big selection to choose from anyway - and they're paying for everything and out of the store in no time.

If he's being honest, Malcolm feels rather glad that they didn't stay in the store for very long and were relatively quick about their purchase. He doesn't expect it, nor is he at all surprised that none of the girls even attempted to flirt with him. He's never been very popular with girls - or guys for that matter - and he's often been told that he looks quite young for his age, and quite short for his age too.

It doesn't bother him too much these days that people say that though. He's used to it and has learnt to deal with it, he knows he's awfully short and always has been, and maybe he should start taking it as a compliment when people say he looks young for his age....

Sitting back on his chair, Malcolm sighs, staring up at the clock on the wall. Half past eleven.... He's still got a couple hours left in his shift, and he just wishes that the time will go by much faster than it already has. He just wants to get back to his apartment and sleep. Thank god he's not got any work tomorrow. Thankfully that's his day off, and he can do whatever he pleases tomorrow - which is likely going to be sleeping for the whole day, and ignoring his parents phone calls.

I wish it would hurry up already and be time for me to go home. I just want to get some sleep....

Though, there is the slight issue of that when it's finally time for him to clock out that the guy or girl coming to take over for him will be a bit late, which means he'll have to wait around for a bit longer. He does get a little annoyed by that, but it's whatever. He'd hate to have to wake up as early as they do to get to work, and as a matter of fact, he's had to do that quite a few times, and he hates it.