Will took a breath then told the
gas station
clerk, you're right. I didn't do anything wrong.
Exactly! The world is always trying to put all the blame on the little guys. Like I can guarantee you that my boss and his boss is going to try to make this my fault. How is it my fault if a few hooligans come in and run out with snacks? They don't pay me enough to stand up to those kids. What do they want from me? To get a black eye or stabbed?
The guy had a point, Will thought. How much did they pay cashiers these days? When he was a kid you might not even make five bucks an hour.
minimum wage
was surely higher by this day, but he had no clue what it was. People on the
internet
always complained about minimum wage not being enough anyhow.
The clerk looked at Will. You want a
cigarette
? Will offered. He took it with no hesitation. Had his own lighter though. The same kind the gas station sold.
So will you really get in trouble? With your bosses?
Nah. They'll chew me out, but it's really not my fault. Like I said, they don't pay me enough to take no bullet.
Would you take a bullet? If they paid you enough?
Fuck no.
So it's not about the money then is it?
Clerk looked at Will funny who after a few seconds laughed. Just kidding.
After laughing the clerk took a deep drag and exhaled. Will hoped that he might ask him why he was in town. That's what people usually did out West. Asked what brought you out there. But back in town, nobody wondered this. If you were at a gas station then they just assumed you were getting gas. To go where? Who the hell knew. Work and Home. Wherever those two places were.
After smoking the cigarette Will drove over to the tavern where Allison said she'd be. There she was, sipping a long island. For some reason that felt very feminine. Maybe it was because it had the word 'long' in it and it reminded him of long eye lashes and long legs. To be honest, he had not even known that it was a
long island
in her cup until he had asked what she was drinking.
Will ordered an
IPA
. Took his first sips. And then came the hard part. The real conversation after everybody had their drinks. No more
small talk
about what person A was drinking and what person B ought to drink and what drinks were good here. Now that everybody had a drink in hand you had to actually talk. Small talk could only get you so far.
When's the last time you came back? she asked.
I was here during the holidays actually.
She said nothing. He added, do you come back often?
Yeah. I'm going to be moving back next month. So I'll be here... all the time after that.
Mm, Will mumbled.
Are you planning on staying out West for long?
For the time being. I really have no longterm plans actually. But for the next few years it looks like I'll be staying out there. Where will you be moving? Close to here?
You'll think this is neat. I'm moving into the Carter's House.
Will made a face. He hadn't thought about that house in near a decade now. Allison's mention of the house made those memories feel not so far off.