World of Endless Days

The shop windows were brightly lit, illuminating the perfectly dressed mannequins, each one holding a different position, trapped behind the glass. Each painted desperate face seemed to scream for help, to be set free, but unfortunately, the mannequin's were doomed to face a life of simply showing off the latest fashions and watch life unfold before them, beyond the shop window.

Charley was seated on a bench across the road from a row of clothes shops, each one trying to outdo the one before and after it. It was all one big competition to entice customers inside, but deep down Charley knew that window displays meant nothing to customers. It was the price tags and the designer labels that mean the most. Not those black wedges that mannequin in the window was modelling.

She had her notebook flipped open in her lap, her pen flying across the page. She noted down the shop name, and what the window displays looked like, the clothes the mannequins were wearing, the way they were positioned, the colour of the backdrop, the use of props, if any at all.

This wasn't a pointless exercise, as it may seem. She wasn't intending to copy any of these shops, as she could easily pick out flaws in each display, she was simply drawing up inspiration, doing her homework in preparation for her return to work in eight days time. The thought of finally having something to do, a purpose in life, made her stomach bubble with excitement, even if she had to endure taunting courtesy of Chuck Reynolds. She had made a mental note to ignore him from now on.

Chuck Reynolds was a simple speck of dust, clouding her vision slightly, and she could easily brush him away whenever he drifted into her line of sight. And she intended to do so, when she returned to work.

"Charley?" A familiar voice cut through Charley's endless thoughts and she looked up to see Nick smiling down at her, a guitar case in one hand. "Hi."

"Hey, Nick," she smiled, shifting her bag from beside her so he could sit himself down.

"What are you doing?" He asked, curiosity lacing his tone as he gently placed his guitar case down on the ground.

"I'm finding inspiration for my own display," she explained, simply.

Nick glanced across the road, slowly studying each shop window, before turning back to Charley. "You could do so much better than that, don't use those as inspiration. I'm positive you could think of something much more unique."

She scoffed. "I highly doubt that, but thank you."

He smiled, before his face fell slightly. The memories of the night before sliced through his good mood, and his happiness slowly turned to depression. "How did your date with John go?"

"It wasn't a date," Charley said, still furiously writing in her notebook. She stopped for a moment, looking across at Nick. "John kissed me last night."

"I kn- Oh, did he?"

She frowned and nodded. "Nick, I don't like John. I mean, he's a cocky little shit, and he's just so full of himself. It's all about him, he's such a big attention seeker. He's like a kid at Toys R Us, who isn't getting his own way when all eyes aren't on him."

Nick shook his head, laughing bitterly. "Why'd you think he's The Maine's singer?"

"I don't like him. Like really, don't. And thats not just in the lovey dovey sort of way. He's vile, if I'm being brutally honest. I don't understand how someone as sweet as you, and as nice as Eric can stand to be friends with him."

Inside, Nick was dancing. He was deliriously happy, his knees twitched, he was dying to jump up and do some sort of happy dance. Charley couldn't stand John. So that equation meant the kiss was nothing, absolutely nothing. Nick had to fight the smile from his lips. His mood had just been lifted sky high, and it wasn't going to drop anytime soon.

"Well, he's different with us. I mean, we're guys. John just isn't used to being around girls that don't want to have sex with him," Nick informed her, defending his friend slightly.

"Hm, makes sense, but it doesn't give him a right to be like that."

"True, true. Hey, I'll make you a promise."

She turned to face him, "go on."

"I'll keep John away from you, well till he goes off on tour anyway. I won't invite him anywhere if we go out one day, and I won't bring him to the store when you start work again."

She smiled softly. "That's really sweet, thanks Nick. Bring Eric by all means, he's been nice so far."

He nodded, a bright smile attacking his face. Things we're going to be okay from now on.