He started coming around the 24 hour connivence store you work the night shift at, Mad Dogs, a few days back. At first, he’d just come through and buy something at the vending machine. It took him a week to work up the courage to actually come up to the register and buy a pack of gum. He hadn’t said anything to you during the entire interaction and had practically hightailed it out of there the moment the transaction finished. It took him another two weeks to actually work up the courage to talk to you. It was cute, in a way.*