All Around Me

I have no idea where to start.
Nothing like this has ever happened to me before. I can't believe the huge responsibility that I have, and sometimes I just think, why me?
But then I hear the way Gerard's voice softens as he speaks about Frank, the way his olive coloured eyes grow misty as he talks about the past, the way his face becomes filled with pain as he talks about Frank's possible future, and I know I have to do this.

I should start from the beginning.
My name is Sierra. I just finished college. I'm twenty. I'm a college graduate who could only manage to find a job at a damn music shop. And that's where it all started. The only reason I got the job was because I happened to be in there buying a CD when the only worker except for the manager quit, right in front of me.

"Fuck! No, I'm not staying another minute here!"
I stood uncomfortably at the till, hearing raised voices coming from the back. They were speaking so loud I could hear them perfectly from where I stood.
"Chester, listen, it's fine! It's just the shop! I need to do some work on it!"
"It's not the God Damn shop! You can't blame this shit on pipes or the old building! I saw those CDs, they flew right off the fucking shelf! No one was anywhere near them!"
"Ches, I think you're overreacting.."
"Fuck no! I'm out of here!"
With that, the door leading out back swung open and a man with short black hair, covered in tattoos burst out into the shop again, his face red with anger. He shoved past me, grabbing his jacket, and stepped out on to the street. That was the last time I saw him.

I was feeling pretty shaky at this point, and was about to put the CD down and leave, but I heard a weary voice calling out to me.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, miss."
I turned around to see another man coming in through the door of the shop, a tanned well built man who looked about twenty five.
"Oh, er, it's okay." I said quietly, still feeling uncomfortable.
The guy took the CD from me and ran it under the scanner, rubbing his hand through his hair at the same time. "Sorry you had to hear that. Chester can be a bit loud sometimes."
I said nothing, only nodded. The tanned guy handed me my CD and I handed him the money. I was about to turn and leave before I realized that if that Chester guy really had quit, then there must be an opening for a job.
It might not be the best time to ask, but fuck, I really needed money.
"Er.." I started, turning around again. "Do you..need someone to fill in for that guy while he's gone?"
Surprisingly, the guy (whose name I later found out was called Vinny) grinned widely, standing up. "You. Are a lifesaver."

That's how I ended up with this job in Skull. I had first thought of it of a way to get money, to keep my little flat in New Jersey and not have to fly back to Florida to live with my parents again. Even when I had that job at first, I was still looking for openings in photography work, which was what I had done three years in college for in the first place. I didn't know at the time that that job would be the most life changing experience of my life.

I walked in the first day with my long dark hair pulled back in a ponytail, my green eyes outlined in black kohl, ready to do whatever it was I was going to be asked to do. Vinny was waiting for me outside the shop when I arrived. He smiled as he saw me walking towards him and looked at his watch, nodding. "It's eight thirty. Right on time, Sierra."
I smiled weakly back at him. I wasn't used to getting up this early. All my classes in college had usually started around noon, and I was stifling a yawn as Vinny led me in to the shop.
"Right, well you'll be working out here in the front. You've got the books and the CDs and stuff. You know how to work a till, right?" I nodded. "Great. And I'll be out back- if anyone comes in and asks for instruments, you'll send them out to me. And if you need anything, just tell me. Alright?"
"Yup." This didn't seem too bad. I had worked in shops part time before when I was getting money to go to college in the first place. It wasn't hard.
"Any questions?" Vinny spoke again.
"Er, yeah." I said. Something had caught my eye. "Who's that guy?"
A boy who looked around my age was sitting near the back, staring up at us intently. He had long black hair and big olive eyes that stood out against his pale skin.
"Huh? Who?" Vinny said, frowning. I looked at him with a confused expression. Couldn't he see him?
"Th-" I turned back to where I had seen the boy, but he was gone. I blinked, putting my hand back to my side. "Oh, sorry. Never mind. I thought I saw something."
Vinny gave me a strange look, but shrugged it off. "Right, well I'll be out back if you need me."
I nodded, but my eyes were still focused on the spot near the back.
There was definitely nothing there. But I was sure I had seen him.
I definitely saw him- didn't I?