The Static In Your Eyes - Tim Wright x Reader

Chapter Two - Familiar Burns

There was a barely audible buzzing sound coming from one of the many lights that lined the ceiling of the gas station. It provoked agitation somewhere in my brain, like an itch I couldn't reach. It was unnoticed by people coming in to shop or during checkouts when I was forced to speak and ring up their items. It was the type of sound you had to listen for, and once you hear it, it doesn't go away again. I hear it when the area is empty and I am alone long enough, that it becomes obvious and rather annoying. I don't hate this job. It's boring as all hell, sure, but there are many worse jobs that I could be committing my time to in town. ²²¹¹q was grateful that the convenience store offered the same currency pay as tqq1qhe dishwashers and other jobs in the area.qqqqqŵq The only issue was how this was one of the many places that seemed to be open this late at night, which usually brought in a few questionable or off-putting individuals... This night wasn't too different, a few inebriated men here, a group of high college students there, and the occasional person you'd assume was on hard-core drugs by the way they spoke. None of them seemed keen on hurting the person at the register, so aside from the alarm bells going off in my brain, I knew I was safe. It was probably just the darkness of the night that swallowed the windows and made the aura of the world less friendly. The only source of comfort in my safety was the lights from the canopy above the gas pumps that illuminated the pavement of the parking lot. Yeah, that's the reason I seemed more on my toes when I heard that jingling bell above the store singing out its welcoming tune. It was the unknown that could be hiding away in the dark, hiding just beyond the light, knowing they could easily see in the large windows of the gas station, but I could not return that gaze.
There was one person I was hoping would come in today, just so I could ask him something. A face I could swear I've seen before, those chocolate eyes always seemed tired or worried, and his broad figure always nagged eagerly at the memory log in my brain as if it wanted to be remembered. I couldn't ever put my finger in it, who he was, nor did I ever voice it to this man. I sometimes reflected on the idea that maybe he also perceived me as someone soaked in familiarity. Maybe that's why he came in during my shift. The only other explanation, the more plausible of the two, was that he was getting off work and headed to this specific convenience store because it was, well, convenient. It wasn't until that conversation I had with Jay about Marble Hornets and Alex that it hit me. He must have been working on the production of the same movie in college. I couldn't recall anyone else who I worked with, I barely remembered Alex before Jay brought up his name. I couldn't fathom why the memories of then, during the movie production specifically, was so foggy. It was like an outside force had censored and blurred the memories, like they were something I wasn't supposed to remember.

It was the bell above the door that called out to me and dragged me out of my thoughts and urged me to straighten my bad posture into a more suitable one. Speak of the devil. There he was, the broad bodied man that always reeked of cologne and the aftermath of a cigarette marathon. He was wearing a grey collared shirt, the cuffs rolled up his forearms, and his black hair neatly combed over to the right side of his forehead. I had a vague idea of what he would get, already knowing he was a smoker. I was right. He immediately came over to me at the register, not even taking a second glance at anything else, like his mind was dead set on display of cigarettes behind the counter. He pulls a thick brown wallet from his front pocket, slipping out an old ten-dollar bill to hand over to me while gesturing to a brand behind me. "A carton of those, thanks." I didn't respond, I just turned to the display to get the man the brand of cigarettes he requested. It took a bit of courage to speak up about anything other than tobacco themed affairs. However, I just needed to know. I busied my hands, getting the change owed from the register so before he could leave, I had the opportunity to speak up. "Hey, uh- My name is Y/N, by the way. You just look super familiar, and I wanted to ask if you went to college here?" He stocked away the money into his wallet, then his wallet into his pocket, his tired dark eyes glancing into mine in an attempt to make polite eye contact. "Oh, yeah. I actually did. My name is Tim, I don't recall meeting you at all." An awkward chuckle left my lips at this because I didn't really recall meeting him either, he just looked familiar. "Yeah, I don't really think we did meet... Did you know Alex Kralie? Maybe I've seen you through him?" Tim took a few steps backward, indicating he wanted to continue his way out. "Oh, sure, I knew Alex. I helped work on his college project. It was a movie." His hand pinched the lid to his cigarettes, slipping one out before pocketing the whole carton. I just gave a polite smile, not wanting to hold him up from heading outside to indulge his bad habit. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Tim. I'll see you around?" He didn't say much in response. He just placed the cigarette into his mouth, gave a nod and a wave while exiting the door, letting the bell's chime punctuate his exit. I stared at his getaway point for a few moments, seeing the warm tone of a lighter flame as he lit up his smoke. I sigh and slouch my shoulders again, finally breaking my gaze and letting it settle onto the countertop. "What an amazing conversation." I mumble to myself, bringing a hand to my face. I just wanted to finish this shift to go home, but looking at the clock and realizing it was only a quarter to midnight, making me huff. That was the last I saw of Tim for the night, him and his familiar sideburns leaving me in the white light of the gas station...Stuck again with that awful buzzing noise, except something about it seemed different, stronger and angier that before.

Jay was the last person I expected to get a surprise from. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and when I flipped it open to see a message in my inbox from Jay. "Do you want a ride home tonight?" I was a bit surprised that he recalled I had work tonight, however, I wouldn't pass up a free ride, especially considering how dark it had gotten outside. I sent a quick text back, not wanting to be on my phone for too long, "Yes please."
It was one in the morning when my shift ended, and when I had gotten done counting the drawer, and whatever cleaning was done as fast as I could. I waited a good five minutes out in the dark after locking up the doors, before I eventually saw the yellow headlights of that familiar silver sedan breaching the night and pulling into the parking lot. I hustled over and joined Jay in the car, buckling up. "Thanks for offering a ride, Jay-" I turn my face to look at him, a bit surprised when I catch a glimpse of the red blinking light on his dashboard.
"Yeah, it's no problem, I just knew you worked tonight, and I wasn't busy." He must've caught a glimpse of my stare into the camera while pulling out of the parking lot because he gestured towards it before replacing his hand on the wheel. "I just. Keep that on. It's nothing." He brushed the idea of keeping the camera on, as if he didn't really have an excuse for it, or if there was he sure didn't want me to know about it. The drive was full of small talk about work and Marble Hornets, I didn't bring up Tim because, well... It wasn't my business. Jay asked a few questions about some of the locations we used during production, I told him about a small creek and a wooded area used and about some abandoned hospital me and Alex went to go scope out at some point. Maybe someone else was there with us... I was having a hard time remembering.
It wasn't long before Jay pulled over in front of my apartment complex, stopping me to making plans. "Did you wanna go to some of those locations? Maybe on your day off or something?" My eye twitched a bit, going to a desolate place in the woods with some guy I've known, or remembered, for less than a week.... Didn't sound like a bright idea. I coughed awkwardly and gave an unsure shrug. "Maybe. Maybe not to the woods. I don't really know you too well." He only nodded in response, an understanding nod before coming up with a compromise. "Maybe I can stop by here, or you can come by the hotel I've been staying, and we can talk. About Marble Hornets, the other actors and go more in-depth about the locations? Also, so you feel a bit more comfortable around me.." I agreed to his terms, accepting it as some invite to being friends. I slipped out of the vehicle to head into my own apartment, my body achy and sleepy from how late it was.