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He hadn't seen him for days. He didn't know where he'd gone, didn't
want to ask in fear of what the answer might be. Did he quit? Did he
get fired? Did he die?? John didn't even want to consider the last
question as a possibility, although the fluttering in his chest every
time he thought about it let him know otherwise.

He continued to go to the store every day in hopes that one of these
trips he'd find him there, around the store doing something mundane or
maybe even behind the counter again. But even if he did see him, would
Dave want to talk to him?? He must've gotten the single chocolate bar
that John had carefully laid on the seat of his bike that was always
parked in the front of the store. Maybe that was it, he considered.
Maybe he'd gotten the candy bar and never wanted to see John again.

Of course that was it. Jesus, why hadn't he thought of that before??
Dave wasn't some kind of fag, he didn't like other guys. Well.. then
again, neither did John. He didn't even know why he'd done it, it's
just been an impulse. Or maybe an instinct? He pushed that thought
aside quickly. It'd been a joke. That's what it'd been. One huge
stupid fucking joke.

And one huge stupid fucking mistake.

On that Wednesday, exactly five days since he'd seen Dave, he went to
the store and finally mustered up the courage to ask. "What ever
happened to that other guy that used to work here??"

"Who? Dave??" the other boy behind the counter asked, the one that was
too cheery and so nice it made John sick. "He switched shifts. Now he
works at night."

"Does your manager switch you guys around a lot?"

"No," was the reply. "He likes to keep everything the same. But Dave
wanted to change, so I guess he let him. Dave's a good worker, so
nobody really minds."

"Oh.. " John said, smiling weakly. "Okay. Thanks."

"Have a good day."

"Right."

He moved to the exit, left the store. Got into his Jeep and began to
drive away for what he knew would be the last time. Because he wasn't
going to come back, not tomorrow, not the next day, not next week, not
ever. Not when there wasn't any point. This was his fault, and he knew
it. But he wasn't going to cry, he wasn't. He wasn't going to shout or
curse. He was going to take this like a man, and learn from his
mistake. Learn from his huge stupid fucking mistake, and never return
to the store again.
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