Look to the Skies

As soon as I stepped out of the air-conditioned record store, the humid L.A. air hit me, sticking my thin tank to my chest. I quickly jogged across the street to the coffee shop, my purse bumping across my hip.

"Damn, girl. What the hell took you so long?" Tate was leaning against the brick wall, lips painted bright red and her long black hair pulled into a braid that fell over her shoulder. "Did you travel from Mars?"

"Sorry. I had a last minute rush of a huge group of teenagers," I gave her a quick hug and strightened my purse. "They were looking for some Pink Floyd vinyl but we didn't have it and this one girl flipped out. But whatever. Where's Jess?"

"Right here!" She came bounding over, heels clicking against the sidewalk, blonde hair falling out of her elaborate up-do. She pecked both of of our cheeks and pushed the hair out of her eyes. "Sorry I'm late. Work, ya know?"

I pulled open the shop's door, the cold air from inside hitting us with a blast. It was relatively empty, the lunch crowd having already passed. I glanced at the menu board and Jess and Tate started arguing about differenct iced coffee drinks, deciding which flavor was better. I went ahead and ordered an unsweetened iced tea, getting the largest they offered. They were still arguing by the time it was ready and I had sucked down almost half of it.

"Guys, does it really matter which is better?" I asked.

"Yes!" they both snapped.

"I'm just gonna go grab a table, kay?" When neither of them turned towards me, I sighed and walked away, going for the table by the window.

"Marin?"

Oh, no.

I froze, my eyes sliding shut. That voice, his voice, was unmistakable. I had spent hours listening to his music, but hearing it in person was completely different. I turned, the soles of my blue Converse squeaking against the tiled floor.

"Hey, Nathan," I smiled freely, but my heart was pounding. "Aren't you a little over-dressed for the weather?"

His hair was covered by a gray beanie and he had on a green sweatshirt and dark jeans. The same scuffed boots he always seemed to be wearing were on his feet. One side of his mouth quirked up, and he folded his hands across the tabletop.

"Hot weather really doesn't bother me much. My body stays pretty cool."

His gaze left my face and traveled down my body, skipping past my white tank, black skirt, and moving down to my shoes. I knew what he saw. Slightly frizzed hair pulled into pigtails, face devoid of make-up, pale skin reddened by the heat.

"Yeah? I'm really not a fan, myself. I get too warm."

"Ah."

There was a moment of awkward silence, where I shuffled my feet and sipped at the iced tea in my hand.

"Did you want to sit down, maybe?" Nathan asked, eyes lighting up hopefully.

"Oh, well....." I looked behind him to the front counter, where Tate and Jess were flirting with the cute guy working. "Just for a little."

I pulled back the chair and sat down, the wood seat cool against my legs. Being so close, his smell enveloped me, something cool and crisp. I inhaled deeply, my heart kicking back into overdrive. I fiddled with the end of one of my pigtails, wondering what to say.

"Working today?" he asked, his voice light.

"Yup. I was just meeting some friends for a little coffee break."

"I'm not keeping you from them, am I?"

"Oh, no. They seem to be pretty busy," I chuckled, nodding towards the counter.

He glanced behind himself, grinning wickedly.

"That guy has no idea what to do," he laughed.

"Yeah, Tate can be pretty determined when she feels like it. And she can be a lot to take all at once."

"And Tate is....?"

"The one with the black hair. Jess is the blonde," I sipped at my iced tea, smiling a little. "Unfortunately, they're my best friends."

"Unfortunately?"

"They drive me crazy half the time. They're both older than me by a year, so they like to think they know what's best," I grimaced. "Which is ridiculous since they both act like they're twelve."

"I know what you mean," Nathan grimaced. "My best mates are always treating me like a little kid."

"Yeah. Like-"

I've been addicted to you, since the first hit, Out of control, like a surge of electric.

The music blared loudly and I grabbed my purse and started digging through it for my phone. Nathan's eyes widened at the song, but his beautiful lips curled into a little smirk. I answered the phone and instantly pulled it away from my ear. The high-pitched hysterics coming from the other end it of belonged to Anthony back at the record store.

"Marin! Come back now! The bathroom is flooding and leaking out into the back storeroom!" he shrieked.

"Fuck. Okay, I'll be there in a minute." I hung up and dropped it back into my purse. I stood up, slinging my purse back over my shoulder. "Listen, Nathan, I'm really sorry. But I gotta go. Apparently the second I walk out of the store, it goes to hell."

He stood up as well, his height only a few inches taller than my own.

"You should come by the store sometime. I can help you pick out some bitchin' music," I offered. "Maybe come and get some coffee?"

"Yeah, definitely. I'd like that," he smiled.

I put my hand out for him to shake, and the moment his skin touched mine, it was like a shock traveled through me. I yanked my hand back, rubbing it against my thigh. He was so cold, colder than I would have ever expected. Yet my skin felt burned.

"I-I should go," I muttered, side-stepping around him.''

"Bye, Marin," he said softly, his breath ruffling the hairs on my neck and causing a shiver to go down my back.

I hurried away, grabbing Tate and Jess, who still had yet to order anything, and pulled them out the door.

"Hey, who was that?" Tate asked, glancing back at the front window. "He looks really familiar."

"I think our sweet, little Marin has a new boyfriend she's not telling us about," Jess laughed.

I hadn't told them about Nathan. The club incident from over a week ago had been forgotten by them, and I hadn't mentioned anything about it since then. I hadn't told them I had run into him that rainy day, or that I knew who he was. I hadn't told them that in about a week I had become completely obsessed with a famous singer I knew nothing about, except for what I read online. They didn't need to know I fell asleep listening to his voice and imagining his stunning smile.

But even more, I didn't want them to know.

I turned back to them, pasting a smile across my face.

"It was no one."