In My Dreams It's Me And You

The bell above the door rang indicating that I had new customers. I put down my magazine and stood up behind the counter in an attempt to at least tempt the person back after today due to my polite behaviour.
A tall man in a leather jacket, black jeans, aviators and a black fedora approached the counter.
“Uhm. . . Do you have a pop section here?” He asked me awkwardly.

I smirked; this tough guy was buying pop music? It had to be for a girlfriend.

“Yeah, it’s right over there,” I pointed to an aisle on the other side of the store.

He smiled and flashed me a brilliant white set of teeth, “Thanks.”

I just nodded in response and as soon as he walked away I picked up my magazine again thinking that I might as well occupy my time while he flicked through C.D.s.
Inside the magazine was an article on Avenged Sevenfold. I tended to buy anything with a story about them in it; it was my only way of knowing what was going on in there lives, Matt’s especially.

I was reading about their plans for a new album when I heard a cough from in front of me and I placed my magazine aside to see Mr. Fedora grinning at me while holding out Aqua’s Barbie Girl.

Seeing the CD brought back a wave of nostalgia and I smiled fondly at it. That song had been mine and Matt’s song. We used to listen to it in his car on the way to band practice.

“Barbie Girl, huh?” I smirked raising an eyebrow at my customer’s choice of music.

A blush crept up onto his tanned cheeks, “Well . . . Uhm. . . It’s not for me. My. . . Uh. . . Friend wanted a copy, said it reminds him of a girl or something.”

I laughed at his pathetic excuse, “Sure dude, whatever floats your boat.”

He looked up at me then and despite the sunglasses I could see his brows furrowing as if thinking, but then it disappeared when he saw the article I was reading.

“You listen to Avenged Sevenfold?” He seemed happy at this prospect.

“Uhm . . . No actually, I don’t,” I answered him honestly. I didn’t listen to them but not because I didn’t enjoy their music- I love it- it was just too hard to hear my old best friend’s voice on all those tracks.

Mr. Fedora’s face visibly fell, “Oh okay.”

I stared at him confused but scanned in the CD, “That will be five dollars please.”

He nodded and handed me a twenty, told me to keep the changed, took his girly CD and left the shop.
What a weird guy.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“So this rocker just came into the shop and bought a Barbie Girl CD?” Sarah asked as she fixed her make up in the car’s mirror. “Then gave you a fifteen dollar tip?”

I nodded while keeping my eyes on the road, “He was so random, tried to tell me that it was for his friend.”

She scoffed, nearly poking herself in the eye with her black eyeliner in the process, “Yeah right. Somebody was just embarrassed.”

We laughed and then descended into silence with the radio playing in the background as I drove us to the local night club for a girl’s night out.
Suddenly I could hear that familiar voice filling up my car.

“A lonely road, crossed another cold state line,
Miles away from those I love,
Purpose hard to find.”

I glared at my car’s stereo system as if it could be blamed for the pain that the song was causing me. I sighed and changed the channel -anything to escape that voice.

“Why’d you turn off Avenged?” Sarah demanded and I had to mentally remind myself that she was a huge fan and, of course, didn’t know about me and Matt.

I just shrugged in response, “Uh. . . I don’t know.”

Although I kept my eyes on the road I could feel her huge brown orbs watching me carefully.

“You always turn them off when they come on the radio or T.V.” She commented. “Do you not like them?”

“Uhm. . . I guess I just don’t like his voice,” I lied, my heart thumping in my chest.

“Oh okay,” She seemed satisfied with my answer and sat back quietly in her seat as I tried to find a parking spot near the club.

In the end I parked a block away in a small car park outside a small supermarket.

“Right, let’s go!” Sarah squealed excitedly practically jumping out of my beaten up, red Toyota Corolla.

I sighed for what seemed like the millionth time today, sometimes Sarah was a bit hyper- even for me. I got out of my car, locked the doors and then walked around to meet her by the trunk.

“Okay, I’m obviously not drinking tonight so if you’re coming home make sure you tell me and I’ll bring you,” I told my blonde friend. “If you’re going off with some guy just make sure you text me or something ‘kay?”

She giggled, “Yes Mommy.”

I smiled, “You know I don’t mean to sound like a parent all the time.”

She nodded and replied sarcastically, “Yeah, you just care.”

She placed a hand dramatically over her heart before giggling again.
I stuck my tongue out at her and we both laughed.

We linked arms and began making our way to the club, Fibbers, the hottest rock club in town.

“Hey Manny,” I smiled at the bouncer who both Sarah and I knew quite well.

“Hey girls,” He smiled, aiming a wink at the scantily clad Sarah. “Girls night out?”

“When isn’t it?” Sarah laughed and brushed her hand up his arm in a flirtatious manner.

Anything to get her way.

The burly man shook his head while laughing and pulled back the velvet rope to let us in ahead of the people who had been queuing to get in before we had even arrived.

Once we were inside Sarah and I split up. I headed to the bar to get a drink and she made her way straight to the dance floor, most probably in the hopes of finding a guy for the night.
I reached the bar and noticed that my favourite bartender, Ali, was working.

“Hey Eva,” He smiled as I took a seat at the bar. “Jack and Coke?”

I shook my head, “Nah dude, just the coke tonight please.”

The sandy haired man’s blue eyes widened, “Eva turn down Jack Daniels? Are you feeling okay?”

I giggled, “I’m fine dude, but I drove tonight so I can’t drink.”

He nodded in understanding and poured me a coke, “Here hon, back to chat in a few.” He smiled and disappeared to serve somebody else.

I tuned around on my bar stool as I drank my soft drink and focused my attention on the dance floor.

From where I was sitting I could see Sarah grinding against some guy with long, greasy, black hair. That, even after four years friendship, remained a puzzle to me. Most of the time she was a smart sensible girl but when you brought her to a club she would drink until she passed out and get off with any guy that showed and interest; and as much as I loved her, it got a bit annoying. She was so pretty and smart she could have any guy she wanted, yet she settled on sleeping with any greasy rocker who’d pretend to love for just one night. She was so stupid.

“What’s bothering a pretty lady like you on a night out?” A vaguely familiar voice asked from the stool to my right.

I looked out of the corner of my eye and saw Mr. Fedora from the record store.

Ah, it’s the guy who likes Barbie Girl.” I smirked and even in the dim lights of the club I could see him blush.

“I told you- it wasn’t for me!” He tried to defend himself.

I giggled, “Whatever.”

He smiled and shot me a grin with those pearly whites.

I turned to face him, “So, what brings a guy like you to a club like this?”

His brow furrowed in confusion and I noticed that even in this dark club he kept those aviators on.

“What do you mean ‘a guy like you’?”

I smirked, “Oh you know. . . You seem like the type that sits in a bikers’ bar ogling women.”

He laughed and it sounded so familiar I gasped.

One of his eyebrows raised and he cocked his head looking at me, “What?”

I shook my head, “N. . . Nothing.”

It can’t be him. There’s no way.

He stared at me for a moment, his head cocked to one side, before saying. “You look real familiar, have we met?

I bit my lip nervously and shrugged, “I don’t know, have we?”

He reached up to take of those aviators so as to look at me more clearly and I gasped when I saw those chocolate brown eyes.

His eyes widened in realisation as he recognised who I was, “Eva?” He whispered. “That you?”

I nodded, gnawing at my lip nervously. A huge grin spread across his face and he pulled me into his arms.

“Eva! I can’t believe it!” He squealed like a teenage girl as he crushed me to his chest.

“BriBri,” I giggled, calling him by the name I had used when we were really young and I couldn't say his name. I held him tight just to make up for not being able to for the past five years.

“What happened to you babe?” He murmured into my ear as we embraced. “We came back and you were just gone.”

I pulled back and stared into those mesmerising eyes, “Didn’t my parents tell you what happened?”

His face scrunched up in confusion, “What do you mean?”

I shook my head sighing, “This may take a while. Come for a walk?”

He smiled and nodded, “Yeah sure.”

“I’ll meet you at the door in a minute, just got to say goodbye to my roommate.”

He nodded again a stood, holding out a hand to help me up. I took it gratefully and he hauled me up to my feet.

He leaned down and kissed me cheek lightly, “I’ll see you in a few then Tofu.”

I giggled a little at the teenage nickname he had given me when I had become vegetarian.
I turned and made my way to the dance floor in search of Sarah.

I finally found her grinding against some guy who looked at least eight year her senior.

“Sarah?” I called over the loud sounds of Metallica’s Master of Puppets.

My blonde friend pulled away from her dance partner to look at me, a drunken smile playing on her lips, “Hey Eva, what’s up?”

“I’m leaving now with an old friend, so make sure you either get a taxi home text me to let me know you’re going home with some else.”

“Of course,” she then smiled and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. “Who’s the lucky guy?”

“Just an old friend,” I looked to Brian who was standing by the club’s exit, obviously waiting for me.

Sarah caught my glance and turned to look Brian up and down approvingly.

“Nice,” She winked evidently not recognising him as her favourite guitarist.

I rolled my eyes, “Whatever Sarah, we’re just friends.”

She gave me a look that said she didn’t believe me but she smiled and kissed my cheek,

“Bye Eva. Love you.”

I hugged her, “Love you too. See you tomorrow.”

I pulled away and was halfway back across the dance floor when I heard her voice shout over the silence between two songs, “Use protection!”

I flipped her off laughing and continued on my way over to Brian.

“Hey,” I smiled when I reached his side.

He linked his fingers with mine in a friendly manner, “Hi.”

He led me outside to the bitter winter air only found in Newark, New Jersey.

We walked in silence for a few moments before Brian spoke, a smirk on his face, “I like your friend.”

My cheeks went red as I blushed in embarrassment, “Oh you heard her then?”

He laughed, “I think the entire club heard her.”

I laughed, “I guess so.”

He smiled and those perfect white teeth that should’ve been a giveaway from the start flashed at me, “And where did you meet her?”

I bit my lip nervously, unsure as to how to phrase my answer, “I . . . uh. . . I met her in . . . . Em. . . Rehab.”

He gasped and I quickly realised what he must have assumed.

“Oh Bri! I wasn’t there for drugs or anything like that,” I quickly assured him.

He sighed, obviously relieved and his broad shoulders visibly relaxed beneath his leather jacket, “So, why were you there?”

“Maybe I ought to start at the beginning,” I mumbled whilst leading Brian to the entrance of the local park. “Let’s sit down.”

“Sure,” He agreed and led me down the tree lined path to a small bench about halfway down the pathway.

He sat me down before sitting down himself and turned to face me, “Now talk.”

I nodded and took a deep breath before beginning the story I had never fully told to anyone.