7-Eleven

Gas station always has employees smoke my right outside the front door and the drink machine is always a mess. Gas prices are usually a few pennies less but id rather pay the difference and go across the street. Not up to seven eleven standards.

What used to be some convenience store (Sam’s Mart, maybe?) is now a 7-​Eleven. Perhaps one of the first to return to the Charlotte Metro area in some time. Sure, they have gas pumps outside. A car wash, even — that rarely works — and even a quick lube place.
But when there is a Slurpee machine on the inside, who really cares about all that stuff? It’s the magic of the frozen nectar that anyone wants, and it’s only a few short minutes from our house.
What is even better is the flavors seem to change almost weekly. Sure, they have your cola regularly. But the others are like a neon rainbow of icy sugar, ready for your consumption. And they probably sell other things too. But I’m too busy trying to keep the Slurpee pouring down my throat direct from the machine before the cashier catches me to notice.