Kat

Was this what everyone always talked about? Was this a boring night, or was she already bored with her job?

It wasn’t the most interesting night shift for Kat; no one interesting came in and nothing had startled her. Not being scared was nice, but the monotony of stacking the same five types of soup she always did, then cleaning the same restrooms she had the night before, was draining what little energy she had. But the actual issue was that she understood her job; there was nothing more to learn.

What if that was being an adult? What if that was it?

Oh God, have I peaked?

She chuckled to herself as she reached for her phone. Maybe someday she’d get a real job, after finishing school, of course. Then she’d find herself in an office job with vague expectations and little reward. Someday she might have a job just as boring as the convenience store.

Well, that’s an idea worth spiraling over!

Luckily, a knight in shining armor had thrown her a lifeline.

Tom sent a text.

The apathy faded, and she was now uncomfortably excited.

Then she felt silly, then a bit scared, then lonely…then excited again.

Just look at the damn text!

Kat nodded to herself and opened the message.

Tom wanted to know what she thought about the whole Rodney thing.

Nothing.

She felt nothing about it!

But that wasn’t true; she felt weird about it. Knowing people were worried about him and that he was still missing. She felt guilty for having his job now.

But she didn’t know him…and she was hoping Tom was thinking about her.

“It’s weird for sure,” she said aloud while texting. “How are you feeling about it?”

There was a long pause. Kat wondered if she could change the subject, maybe ask him how his day had been?

Maybe they could talk about something she wasn’t so conflicted about. Maybe she could avoid a subject that might give her the creeps while she worked alone at night…

No such luck.

Another text.

“I’m worried that he never came back for his stuff. I know he probably got into trouble with the cops or something. He did smash the place up.”

Maybe this was her out.

“That’s understandable. I’m not sure I’d come back if I wrecked my workplace. Forget the cops, I’d be too embarrassed to see anyone.”

It was true, in her heart of hearts Kat would rather go to jail than suffer such an uncomfortable situation.

At least no one would know her in jail.

“I guess, but that doesn’t explain the key.”

Damn, she was so close to being disinterested.

“What key” Kat typed back, forgetting to add a question mark.

“It was in his stuff. I’m not sure what it goes to; I just assumed it was his apartment key.”

Kat thought Rodney was too young to live on his own. She had assumed he was about Lucy’s age.

“Does he live by himself?”

“Yeah, I think so. We didn’t talk much about it, but Rodney’s an orphan. He doesn’t even have foster parents, as far as I know.”

Kat avoided the question that was on her mind.

How did he know that? Rodney

She knew first hand how cruel teens could be. She’d lost a parent, two really, and while most were outwardly sympathetic, other’s use it to make her feel small.

Hayden’s warning came to mind. Was Tom as nice as he seemed?

“What are you going to do with the key?”

It was a safe question. Less emotionally charged.

“I’ll hold on to it for now. I’ve been trying to find someone who knows Rodney. We weren’t close, but I’d like to check in on him.”

A guilty conscience?

Kat hadn’t been excited about a guy in a long time. It would be a shame for her to spiral out by make up a reason to distrust him.

You’re just like your mother.

She gave the phone a rest and tried to keep all of her personal shit from clouding what was, in fact, a very simple conversation with a cute guy.

“Have you asked Lucy if she knows anybody?”

“I don’t think they ran in the same circles,” Tom responded, faster than she expected.

“Really? I would have thought they’d be into the same things.”

“They were, but Lucy thought he was a creep. She might have been right too, haha.”

Then why do you care?

“Still,” Kat typed, “have you asked her?”

“I’m trying not to chat with Lucy too much outside of work. I think she might have a bit of a crush on me.”

Kat’s heart fluttered. How did he feel about it? If he were avoiding her, he must not feel the same way.

But how to respond?

If she were negative, how would that look? And she couldn’t encourage it!

“Maybe just make it obvious that you text with friends of both genders. We’re texting, right?”

You fucking idiot.

She’d all but said, hey Tom, we’re just friends.

How could she recover from that?

“You’re right, as always,” Tom typed, adding a winking face.

A winking face! She was still in!

Kat shook her head; she overanalyzed everything. The good and the bad.

“Just stop being a weirdo,” she said to herself, “It’s a text, you’re not on the stand.”

Similar to before, she would rather endure legal scrutiny than confront the ambiguous complexities of a budding office romance.

Too exciting, too stressful!

“Okay, I’ll text Lucy and ask if she knows any of Rodney’s friends. We’ll get to the bottom of this mystery!”

Hardly a mystery, but she was just happy he was.

“Besides all that,” Kat typed, “how is the week treating you?”

She smiled to herself as the texts came pouring in.

Suddenly her evening was looking up. Sure, she was stuck working in a dim store that smelled like burnt pizza and bad hotdogs. But she had a lifeline to the real world.

And an invitation to some cafe in Blackstone?

“Don’t mind if I do,” Kat said to herself, imagining a nice coffee and good company. Not alone in the middle of nowhere.