Sail

"Your job is just as boring as mine," Briella said with a smirk.

Chandler watched as she fingered through the vinyls in the rhythm and blues section. "Yeah, it' pretty slow in the beginning of the week. Where do you work?"

"The bookstore on Makers Avenue."

"Oh man, is that place still open?" he asked, fondly. "My mom used to take me and my siblings to that place once a month and we could pick any book we wanted. It's insane how much she made us read..."

Briella paused to look at his warm expression. "That's the first time you've mentioned anything about your family. I almost assumed you didn't have one."

Chandler shrugged and fidgeted with his work lanyard, feeling suddenly vulnerable. He really didn't like to talk about his family and anyone who knew them could guess why. It wasn't that he didn't love them, he just hated the way they made him feel. He'd moved out of that house before he even turned eighteen and couldn't imagine what state of mind he'd be in now if he'd stayed. "We fuss like any family, I guess but it's for my sanity that I don't really talk about them."

"You're preaching to the choir."

"I am?" he asked, flipping his dark brown hair from his face. "I'm intrigued..."

Briella chuckled as she moved along to the next bin of records. "We'll save the game of Whose Family is Worst for another day when we've run out of things to say."

Chandler nodded in agreement but, inside, he was dying to know where Briella came from and what had helped shape her into the young lady she'd become. Clearly, she was beautiful but she was incredibly closed off and always seemed like she wanted to be anywhere but exactly where she was. Chandler could recognize this look because he saw it whenever he looked in the mirror.

"I'd much rather know what we're going to do on our date this weekend," she said, changing the subject.

"I hope it's okay if I didn't have anything lavish in mind... I'm a sucker for live music in a low key bar." The rueful look on Briella's face made Chandler realize a crucial detail about his new friend. "Shit... You're not twenty-one."

"Bingo."

"Damn, Bri..."

The brown and blonde curls surrounding her head danced as she laughed. "Relax. I may or may not be in possession of a driver's license with an appropriate date of birth on it..."

Chandler's concerned expression eased into an amused one and the pair both laughed when Briella tried to imitate the expression. It wasn't she reached out for his shoulder to brace herself from laughter, that he realized how close they'd gotten as they strolled around the store. Up close, he could smell the cupcake scent coming from her hair. He noticed that her black, wide-rimmed glasses had prohibited him from seeing the freckles scattered across her nose. He wished he could see the laughter reach her eyes but they were still shut as she clutched her side.

Just then, the bells on the front door jingled, signaling a customer. Chandler stiffened and took two feet away from Briella to greet the customer. It turned out to be just his band mates and they all seemed to be talking a mile a minute.

"Bro, way to answer your phone," Phil said, lightly shoving Chandler. "We've been trying to get a hold of you for, like, hours."

Chandler opened his arms to gesture the room they were standing in. "Bro. I'm at work."

"Call up your boss right now and tell him you quit!" Maverick, the tallest of the group, hopped onto the check-out counter and did a riff on his air bass.

"What the hell is going on with you guys?"

"Hey, Chandler, I think I'm just gonna head home."

He turned to see Briella was already three steps away from the door. "No, wait! Do you wanna meet my band?" He beckoned her over. "The tall one with the Rapunzel hair is Maverick. He plays bass. This is Phil. Beneath all of those tattoos, there's a voice of an angel, I swear. And this is Terri but we all call her Jim Bean. She's a beast on drums."

"I'm shit with names so I've forgotten everything that you just said but it's nice to meet you guys."

Chandler laughed. "It's fine, don't worry. Guys, this is my friend Briella."

They greeted her simultaneously and even though Chandler wanted her to stay, Briella insisted that she would just talk to him later. It was hard to read her expression as she left and Chandler hoped that she wasn't mad or anything at the intrusion.

"So..." Terri said once the younger girl had left. "That Briella girl... does she swing your way or mine?"

"Oh, tuck it in, Jim," Phil said with a groan. "There's still this massive development that we need to tell Chandler about."

"Out with it already."

"The Red Unconsciousness has been called up," Mav said. "It's finally happening, man."