1
The Staff
Thursday, December 16 - 9:43 P.M.
There’s always something disturbing about the mundane conversations that people engage in just minutes before an unexpected tragedy comes that changes their lives forever.
What should have been a forgettable Thursday night shift at Movie Madness was just the opposite. The store had seen only three customers in the past hour. All were Thursday night regulars who’d learned to stock up before the weekend rush emptied the shelves. Alex didn’t mind the slow shifts because it gave him ample time to debate movies with his blatantly less passionate coworkers.
“Wait. You’ve never seen Psycho?” Alex asked as he cleared out the video return box. “It’s the pioneer of horror films. Nothing like it had ever been made. It was unprecedented for its time. People didn’t even know how to react to it.”
Molly shrugged, not nearly as bothered by this as he was. “You know I don’t like scary movies.” She stacked some DVDs in her hand and gladly walked away from the conversation. Alex chased after her, continuing the one-sided debate.
“But it’s not just a scary movie!” he argued. “It’s a classic. You like classic movies. Psycho changed the way movies were made. Forever. Listen, you have to see it Mol. In fact, I’m pulling it off the shelf right now.” He darted past her toward the rarely-visited classic movies section.
“Won’t make a difference,” Molly said back with a casual smile. Arms crossed in protest. “I’m not watching it. I don’t waste my time on scary movies.” She rubbed her eyes as she checked her phone. 9:45. Ready for bed already, but couldn’t go home quite yet. Working on weeknights was dreadful to Molly, especially with her having an early morning mid-term the next day.
“Well, I’m going to check it out for you anyway.” Alex set it by her purse on the counter. “Look at it as a reward for getting through all your exams.” He smiled, causing her to mirror it back.
“That is the last reward I would choose. Just give me a day to sleep. That’s what I’d take.”
“Hey, Molly!”
Molly turned to see Peter, the assistant manager, walking in. Peter was tall and lanky with glasses. Dark complexion. His family was from somewhere in the Middle East. Iraq? UAE? One of those. Maybe the nicest person in town, he always had a smile on his face.
Sometimes Molly wondered if it was fake.
“Peter,” she smirked at home. “What are you doing here? We’re about to close.” She half paid attention to him as she shut down two of the three dusty computers. Though technology had far surpassed these ancient machines, the owners appreciated the vintage vibe they gave off to customers. Locals seemed to appreciate their age, almost as a local novelty of what once was. The vintage, preserved style of the store’s technology was one of the few reasons Movie Madness had survived through the digital media area.
If you didn’t know any better, you would assume it was 15 years in the past when you walked into Movie Madness. One of the few remaining independent video stores in the state, and the only in the area, it had found its footing in the town’s entertainment scene. Or lack thereof. Pecos was like many other small towns in the country. A higher value for tenure over innovation. A deeper appreciation for history over technology. And a clear, obvious preference towards the local mom-and-pop joints over the big box stores and restaurants – which had mostly avoided franchising in Pecos for that exact reason.
“I’m not sure, actually.” Peter said. It was rare for Molly to see him out of his work uniform and in a polo and jeans. He was more fashionable than she would’ve guessed. “Christine asked all the staff to come in for a quick meeting,” he explained. “Plus, I told my mom I would grab her a movie.” He laughed, which didn’t fit the situation. His insecurity towards Molly, and most people, dripped off of him as he forced a smile.
“Why is everyone coming in?” Molly asked, now curious. “And on a Thursday night? Is it an emergency or something?”
“Is Christine quitting?” Alex piped in, hopeful. “Does that mean you will become the store manager?” He elbowed Peter, who immediately threw up his hands and shook his head.
“I don’t know man,” he said. “She mentioned some message from the owners that she needed to relay to us. That’s all she told me.” He smiled again, this time an authentic one.
Alex raced to clear the return rack before Christine would come to the front. He, just like Molly, had school in the morning and was already exhausted from working a six-hour shift on a school night. He knew he had to roll out of bed by 6:15 the next morning to get to school in time for his first midterm. After putting all the movies back behind their covers, Alex slipped back up to the front to see Molly studying the back cover of Psycho.
“There you go! Maybe this weekend we can watch it together…” Alex suggested. She smiled, then brushed past him toward the supply closet to restock the candy. He chased after her, as he often did when they worked together. “I’ll take that as a ‘Yes, Alex! I would love to!” When she rolled her eyes, Alex made his way back to the front of the store.
He plopped on the counter and looked around the store. It had been almost two years since he joined the Movie Madness staff. The only job he’d ever had. One week after he got his license, he applied. The store manager, Christine, was so impressed with his unmatched passion for movies that she hired him on the spot.
He loved the job. It was far better than flipping burgers or bagging groceries. Pecos offered few jobs for 17-year-olds as it was, so he was thankful to even have one. The recession had hit little towns like this one a bit harder. Tidal waves of poverty washed out many of the stores for good, even ones that had been there for decades. But for some reason, Movie Madness survived the economic storm. Sitting pretty in this little strip next to an Italian bistro and an insurance agency, it was one of the busier places on a Friday night.
And Alex loved it even more since Molly had started a few months earlier at the beginning of the school year. Every shift he worked with her raced by. His crush was a powerful force, and he wasn’t afraid to show it. They hardly saw each other at school, so their shifts together were the highlights of his week. Talking about movies. Flirting with the idea of actually hanging out outside of work together.
So far, he’d been unsuccessful with that part.
Alex wasn’t the most attractive guy. He would be more handsome if he lost thirty pounds, but he liked burgers too much to bother. He knew that his selling point wasn’t his looks. It was his personality. And vigor. Molly was way out of his league, but she didn’t act like it.
Her beautiful red hair was cut just above the shoulders. Always brushed well. Always smelled like fruit. Molly was down to earth, unlike most seniors at Pecos High School. Not much of an athlete, her reputation was built on her GPA. She had the highest in the class and was dead set on keeping that way.
But the selling point for Alex? What made her so irresistible to him? She loved movies. Almost as much as him. They had spent hours together discussing their favorite movies between customers. Both had gotten in the pattern of renting movies for the other person. They now expected movies to be sitting in the hold drawer for them, already checked out in their name. No permission needed.