Fluorescents

14

" If you need a friend, then please just say the word."

The music plays throughout the small record shop that we stepped into. After Derek asked if he could go with us we both obliged and we began walking through the city quietly, the three of us just enjoying the environment surrounding us. Eventually we came across a small record shop and I buzzed with excitement before rushing inside. They followed behind me and we all ended up searching through the different vinyls.

Derek gazes at me as I rummage through the different records in hopes of finding anything that catches my eye. A wide smile imprints my face and I watch from the corner of my eye as he gazes at me buzz like a child from everything surrounding me. Record shops are definitely on my list of favorite places to be.

" What about this?" Derek pulls out an old Taylor swift album and I scrunch my nose in disgust before taking it away from him and placing it back in its original spot. He laughs lightly and so do I. I'm going to need to show him some new music. People that consider Taylor Swift good enough to listen to tend to settle for whatever pop music is playing on the radio. If only they were aware of all the beauty in other genres.

" I'm gonna get this one for the bus." Clair pops up holding a cd album of The Fray. I nod my head and give her a sweet smile before she makes her way towards the front counter. I continue vigorously searching for any good records while Derek drifts off deeply into his own thoughts and spaces out.

" Can, can we talk?" Derek asks some time after, stuttering in between his words. I mutter a mhm under my breath but continue searching through the records. When he asked if he could come along I assumed he would want to talk but he hasn't said much. I also had assumed that we were fine even after he ditched me at the hotel but the tone of his voice has me thinking otherwise. " About what happened at the hotel-" he continues but I interrupt him before he can go on.

" You don't have to explain yourself." I say finally turning away from the records. He opens his mouth to speak but I stop him once more. " It's your life." I shrug before giving him a reassuring smile.

" So are we, ok?" He asks with uncertainty laced in his quiet tone. He's trying to be calm and make sure he doesn't say the wrong thing but I really have no problem with him or what he did earlier. It is his life and I have no right to put in input or judge him for what he does.

" Yup, we're cool." I say while nodding my head and he gives me a confident and amused smile that I return shortly after. " This one." I gasp as I pull out a Black Keys record. I admire it and completely ignore Derek as he eyes me curiously. I make my way to the front counter and Derek follows closely behind. When I finally arrive at the front I find Clair patiently waiting at the empty counter. Her fingers are tapping against the wooden counter and you can tell that she's been waiting for someone to help her for quite a while. " Everything ok?" I ask her and she huffs out of annoyance shortly after.

" No one seems to be working here." She groans and I laugh lightly before looking back at Derek. He shrugs his shoulders and I look away from him and gaze back at the empty counter in front of us. I tap on the small bell on the counter several times before my annoyance gets the best of me. I attempt to walk around the counter but the small door jams so I hop over it. "What are you doing?" Clair gasps with a shocked face while Derek chuckles behind her.

" What?" I shrug before looking around. " I'll be right back." I say, making my way towards the back where I assume the workers are. Clair gasps and I hear her mutter several pleads for me to return but I ignore her and continue my pursuit to find an employee. When I finally reach the back, two closed doors come into view. One has a small bathroom sign while the other has a sign that reads 'employees only'. I use both of my hands to knock on the doors and step back and wait. Several seconds later a man with a fender sweater, shaggy brown hair and bloodshot eyes appears out of the room for employees.

" What the fuck are you doing here?" The man asks with a shocked and clearly agitated expression. I roll my eyes at the fact that he's the one that's upset and when I prepare myself to speak he interrupts me rudely. " Get the fuck out." He shouts and I cross my arms over my chest. I should be the one that's angry. He was the one that wasn't doing his job. Aren't the customers always the ones that are right.

He pushes me towards the front counter and unlocks the small door before continuing to push me back towards the exit. Derek seems shocked and wants to get involved but I give him a look that tells him to stay put. I don't want him to get involved in situations I put myself into.

Once I'm outside I continue to put an effort to barge back into the shop but eventually give up and wait outside for Clair and Derek. A couple minutes go by before Clair steps out with a small bag and shortly after Derek steps out with a larger bag. I gaze down at it and wait for him to show me what he bought. I never saw him chose something. He must have gotten something while I was in the back room. Or maybe I just didn't bother to pay attention and he snuck in the Taylor Swift album. He gives me a small smile and I gaze down at his bag as he pulls out the Black Keys vinyl. My heart instantly is engulfed by a warm feeling and I can feel my cheeks flush. So much emotions pulse through me and I stand there with wide eyes and a clearly shocked expression.

" Is, is that for me?" I ask quietly, scared to say it too loud in case it isn't for me. He laughs lightly and nudges it towards me. Once I'm sure that it's for me I carefully reach towards it as if I'm afraid that it'll disappear once my fingers graze it. He's so sweet. And the best part is that he's consistent with it. He doesn't occasionally act sweet towards me, he constantly does it. Once I have the vinyl in my hands I finger the corners and admire it from my spot. It's beautiful. I have dozens of vinyls but the fact that this was gifted to me by him makes it mesmerizing. He took the effort to buy me it without me even having to ask him.

"I'm starving." Clair groans, rubbing her stomach like a toddler that's informing her parents that she's hungry. Derek looks at me and we exchange shrugs before making our way towards Clair and away from the shop.