Small Talk is Still Talk

by Big Rat

Kinda OOC bc this wasn't originally written for them, BUT IT'S STILL KINDA CUTE AND I WANTED TO POST IT BUT IT ALSO SUCKS SO BE WARNED. It's short too, so it won't be too much of a waste of your time. :) Wybie and Coraline are locked in a Circle K at like 11 PM and they talk and stuff. Leave a comment if you feel so inclined to, I would love to read one! 3

Damn it. This really sucks. Sure, it could be worse, but it's not, and this still sucks. I don't want to be working here after hours, not even paid, and yet, here I am. What also sucks, is that I'm not just frustrated, but flustered, because I'm here with someone that I don't really know, but kinda wish I did. She's cute. Let's leave it at that, for now. Would it be awkward to introduce myself now? We've just been standing around for like ten minutes. Heck it, here goes.

"Hey."

Shoot me.

"Hi?"

"What's your name?"

"Coraline."

"Nice."

That was a weird thing to say, huh, me?

She giggled. Just now. Heck me.

"Uh, my name is Wybie."

"Nice."

I chortled.

I.

Chortled.

I hate me.

"We don't have to talk, you know? I don't really mind."

"Oh, okay then."

"Unless you want to, 'cause I mean, I-"

The way she fumbled over her words kinda just melted my heart.

"Am I making you uncomfortable?"

"Ah, I mean, I don't. Um, I just don't know what to talk about, I guess."

Fair enough.

"What kind of music do you listen to?"

Small talk is still talk.

"I don't really know. Lots of - stuff..."

"What was the last song you listened to that you actually enjoyed or had the intention of listening to?"

"Uh, I think it was Turn Into by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I was listening to it on the walk here."

"Ah, I don't know it."

"Well, I could play it for you?"

"Sure."

So, she's playing it from her phone, and we're listening to it. She sorta bobs her head along and mouths the words. I just feel so weird. In a good way though.

Then it sorta hit me. She said she walked here. Would it seem creepy if I offered her a ride home? Likely. I probably wouldn't accept anything from me if I was her.

"How far's the walk?"

"Huh?"

She grabs her phone and pauses the song. Now I feel bad for interrupting her.

"Uh..."

I don't know if I want to repeat my original question. I don't really want to be too forceful, I guess?

Perhaps, God has given me a second chance!

"How's the walk?"

God has wasted His time. She was confused, of course.

"Uh, fine? It's a walk..."

I feel like an idiot.

Why did this happen to me?

Why in the world would this girl be walking to Circle K this late in the night to get some gummy worms and a soda? Why did Xavier have to lock up? Circle K's don't close, not even on Christmas. Why today? A normal Tuesday night. We should be open and this shouldn't be happening. I should be going home in an hour and I don't actually know if that's gonna happen because my phone is dead.

HOLD ON A SECOND.

Coraline's phone isn't dead and if she wants to get home before 5AM, she may feel more inclined to help me out.

Although, now that I'm thinking about it, I don't know Xavier's number. It's gotta be around here somewhere.

"Hey, Coraline?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think that you could allow me to borrow your cellular device for a moment?"

"Uh, sure?"

"Are you sure? You don't use like minutes or anything, do you?"

"No, I don't, it's fine with me, really."

"Alright! Thank you. First, I need to find the number though."

I search through the desk at the front for a good five minutes and I do find it, but not how I was expecting to. It was a receipt on the floor that says "Xavier's #" and has a little heart at the bottom.

I shout to her, "Here it is!"

She just smiles a small smile and nods her head.

So, I call him. And he declines the call. I guess that makes sense. So I text him, saying, "Hey man. This is Wybie. Me and this girl are locked in the store. This is from her phone. Mine's dead. Could you come to unlock it?"

He takes forever (not forever, but still) to reply, and he says, "Why didn't you just call the cops?"

Shit.

Coraline and I have a good laugh. A real good laugh. And while Xavier's text made sense, he said he would be coming back soon anyway and he'd just unlock it then.

So, for the next 20-ish minutes. Coraline and I just sat around and talked.

After he got here Coraline got her soda and gummy worms and we went outside and I offered her that ride I mentioned earlier.

"I don't know I would accept a ride from a stranger."

That's fair.

"So, sure."

I probably shouldn't have had such a big smile. I guess we're not strangers anymore then.

"And thanks, Wyborn."

"No problem, Jonesy."

And she smiled.

I just wanted to write something.
So, here's this hot pile of garbage.