Alex hated taking on graveyard shifts at his family's convenience store. His parents always told him he could stay up all night playing video games and eating spicy chips; therefore, he could run a store until the break of dawn. Last time he checked, he could neither game nor snack while behind the cash register. On the list of other things he was not allowed to do was check his phone and fall asleep.

So there sat the lonely 17-year-old, half-awake and bored out of his mind. He grew tired of braiding his shoulder-length hair and tinkering with the carabiner hanging on his belt. All he wanted to do was go home. Customers didn't come as late as two in the morning! If only he could produce a life-size cardboard copy of himself and use it to sneak away and eat some snacks.

His eyes were about to give up, but the automatic doors suddenly opened. He fixed his beanie and flannel shirt to look more presentable. "Hello, ma'am, sir. Welcome to Fresco's Mar-"

Alex blinked, expecting someone to come into the door. Except that someone was not a human but a fluffy cat with gray fur and bright green eyes. The cat stood on his hind legs and waltzed like he owned the place. He studied his surroundings before his eyes settled on Alex. The cat walked up to the counter and bowed.

"Good morning, young man. Had I known this place sooner, I would have come here more often." The cat spoke in a deep, masculine voice. "May I ask where your cat food section is?"

A million questions were racing in Alex's brain. He did not know whether to scream, call his parents, run to the nearest police station, or hide. But his gut feeling told him not to anger a potential paying customer. (Did the cat even have money on him?) So, with a shaky hand, he pointed to where the cat food section was.

"Thank you, kind sir!" the cat merrily responded. And it walked away behind the convenience store shelves.

Alex held his breath until the cat was gone. Was he in some fever dream concocted by his lack of sleep and too much energy drink? Alex looked at his smartwatch and saw it was a quarter to three. He wondered if this was an early onset of psychosis.

The automatic doors opened again. A familiar face greeted Alex, from the pale brown skin to the raven black hoodie. Alex sighed in relief.

"Paul! You're up quite early in the morning." With regular customers, Alex often dropped the formality and jumped on a conversation. "Boy, am I glad to see you. I think I am going nuts."

Paul walked over to the counter to pick up his favorite chocolate bar. He answered, "Why? Is the convenience store secretly haunted?"

"You could say that, yes. I just saw a cat walk in on its hind legs. And it spoke to me! And-"

Before Alex could finish, the same cat returned, pushing a basket full of canned cat food. Alex rubbed his eyes in disbelief. He wasn't hallucinating at all! He looked at Paul for reassurance, expecting the other teenager to be just as disturbed. Instead, Paul shuffled awkwardly in place, holding a handful of chocolate bars.

"Paul! Where have you been? You did not help me carry all this cat food!" the cat scolded.

"Geez, sorry, old man," Paul replied. "I just got a little distracted."

"I taught you to be better, young man. Next time, keep an eye on your elderly. You never know when they need your assistance. Now chop chop, we need to pay for our goods. Are you sure you only want chocolate again?"

Alex stared at the two in disbelief. When Paul noticed the cashier's face had turned white, he cleared his throat and said, "Oh, right. Alex, this is my Uncle, Howard. Uncle Howard, this is Alex."

Howard's demeanor suddenly switched. He clapped both front paws and, in a delightful voice, said, "Oh! Alex! He is the boy that you have been gushing about to me lately. What a lovely lad you have chosen, Paul! He will certainly be a great addition to the family."

Paul suddenly lifted his feline uncle and covered his mouth. He looked at Alex and replied, "Don't listen to him. He's delusional sometimes."

Alex could only slowly nod. 

Paul and Howard paid for their goods in silence. But while nobody spoke a single syllable, Alex could not help but catch a few glances towards Paul. He noticed the teen blushing and wondered if he was just as flustered as he was. Howard quietly instructed Paul on how much to pay from the boy's wallet.

Paul and Howard left quietly into the night, leaving a flabbergasted Alex slumped on his chair, questioning what had just happened. He had his fair share of crazy customers, from loud drunks looking for a midnight snack to heartbroken ladies needing frozen fixes. But nothing could compare to a talking cat. And not to mention, that same talking cat was somehow related to one of his favorite customers.

He needed fresh air. It was risky to leave the cash register, but he would choose to get a scolding over an early quarter-life crisis.