Straight Out of '94: A Michael Clifford Story

Chapter 1

It was a sudden rainstorm that brought Haley into Turntables the first time. She’d only ducked inside to escape the elements, having left for work in a hurry that morning, without an umbrella, only to find herself in a warm, dimly lit shop lined with records and CDs, guitars hanging as decoration from the walls. It's as close to heaven as she thinks she could get.

She'd been drawn to the haphazardly stacked albums, and it’d been impossible for her to resist browsing. By the time she was done, the rain had petered off to a slight drizzle, tapping quietly against the windows. Juggling a record and two CDs along with her bag and coat, she approached the counter.

As far as Haley could tell, she was the only customer in the shop, and the guy behind the counter didn’t even notice her coming until she’d set her selections down in front of him. 

As he looks up from the book he'd been writing in, her eyes lock with his. She's struck by them immediately, especially by the color, a mix of light green and blue that she struggles  to name. Running a hand through his hair, which is bright blue, he gives her a small smile. 

"Uh, sorry. You haven't been standing there for a long time, have you?" She's surprised by his accent, what she thinks to be Australian, and stops herself from asking how he'd ended up all the way in California.

 Haley shakes her head.

"Only about ten minutes."

 His eyebrows shoot up, eyes widening comically. 

"Shit." Running a hand through his hair and down his face, he blows out a breath. "I'm really sorry, I was just-"

Haley feels guilty, and smiles at him. 

"I'm only kidding..." She peaks at the nametag attached to his plaid shirt. "...Michael. I just got here."

The relief on his face is clear, and he offers a small smile of his own. 

"Sorry, I was just really focused. Are you all set?"

Haley nodded, and Michael took the music from her. 

"Woah."

Looking up at Michael, she raised an eyebrow.

"Is something wrong?"

"No." Michael shook his head, holding up the copy of 'Take Off Your Pants and Jacket' that Haley had been really excited to find in the stacks. "You just don't really strike me as a Blink 182 fan. 

Haley looked down at her work clothes, and realized that he had a point.

"They're one of my favorites, and I lost the CD a long time ago."

 Michael nodded, scanning her other two choices, and slid them into a bag. 

After he'd rung up her purchases and she'd paid, she smiled at him once more before heading out to the thankfully dry city. There was nothing better than dancing around like an idiot after a long day at work and she was excited to get home and blast her new music.

A/N: So I've started another new story, because I don't have enough to work on. This is just a short introduction, but it's a Michael Clifford story, and I'm not sure how long it'll end up being.