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I stare in awe at the Gibson hanging in my families music store. It’s the most beautiful guitar I’ve ever seen in my life. Whenever I’m working and there are no customers I just admire it silently. I daren’t take it off the wall and play it – I’m too clumsy. I don’t hear the door opening.
“Beautiful, aint it?” a slightly husky voice says behind me. I nod in agreement. “I’ve had my eye on it for a while.” My heart leaps – someone wants to buy my guitar? Okay, so, it’s not mine yet – but it will be one day. I turn around and it’s just some scruffy kid. I say kid – he looks as if he could be two or three years older than me.
“What do you mean you’ve had your eye on it? I’ve never seen you in here.”
“Oh, I’ve never actually come inside. Whenever I go to, you’re standing there staring and I didn’t want to disturb you.”
I furrow my brow. “What changed today, then?”
He shrugs and says, “My name’s Dave, by the way.”
“Cassie.” I smile but feel kind of odd. Why is this guy even caring who I am?
“So... you want to go somewhere tonight, grab a drink?”
“Uh, how old are you?”
“Twenty one.”
“Well, I’m nineteen, so I’m not legal.
He smiles, almost patronizingly. Because of my age, I guess. “Don’t worry, Cassie. I know a place where they ser-”
“Look, no offence, butI don’t really wanna go get a drink in some dodgy bar with a guy I don’t know.”
“Okay, whatever. I need to get some drumsticks, I’ll leave the cash on the counter, okay?”
“What?” I ask and he turns around. “Drumsticks? I thought you played the guitar.”
“Oh, yeah. I do. But I dropped out of school to play the drums.”
I roll my eyes. “I guess I can add ‘uneducated’ to my list of ‘Reasons I do not want to date this guy’”
Annoyingly, he winks at me, so I just go around the store, tidying up displays and arranging things ‘til he leaves. I go to the counter to put the cash away, and pick up a small piece of paper which looks like a receipt with hand writing on it. I squint to read the messy words and realise it says a number and “Call me if you change your mind.”
I shake my head, scrumple the paper and toss it into the trash. I need to clear my mind of whatever his name is and think about my friend Cara’s ‘party’ tonight. Cara’s a bit older than me, twenty one today to be exact. The same age as that guy, I can’t help but note. She invited me out, and I have no idea what’s going to happen. I serve a couple of guys and close up shop at seven then leave to get ready for tonight.