The Singer and The Songwriter

So, this is a new story that really isn't all that new to me, just due to the fact that it's been sitting in my documents for ages, but I've recently finished it, and I think it's time to upload it. It's kind of short (about eight chapters, and an epilogue). But I think it's finished enough, so enjoy... Also, I think this chapter mentions some drug use, and I just added it in for humor, to show what kind of character the owner is, because in my mind he's a sort of hippie, but anyway, I DO NOT condone the use of drugs (but I mean, I can't control what you do). So anyway, don't be offended, I think it's the only time drugs are mentioned. 

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Chapter One

          I walked through the front door of Amp’d, where I worked after school. I flipped my long, dark brown hair over my shoulder. I walked to the lounge, where we hung out when we were on break. I put my coat and my bag in my locker.

          I found my nametag, and pinned it to my plaid shirt. I applied a quick coat of Carmex, and clocked in. My phone buzzed and I sighed, looking at Ackton’s text.

 Ackton Aimes:

Hey, will you cover for me? Clock me in, I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.

          I sighed, and clocked him in. I walked out to the counter, and relieved Gwen of her job. She worked in the morning. She was nice. She had short blonde hair in a choppy cut with a few tattoos and piercings. She was in college, and a single mother. I babysat for her son sometimes.

          “Tell Harry I said hi,” I smiled.

          “I will, thanks,” she smiled.

          “Hey Kiddo, where’s Ackton?” Budd, the store owner asked. He old and gray, but was still pretty cool. He was one of those at Woodstock, fighting for peace by smoking weed and eating brownies.

          “He’s in the bathroom. He ate a bad burrito,” I lied easily.

          “He’s going to be late again, isn’t he?” he asked.

          “Yup,” I nodded, popping the ‘P’. He rolled his eyes and walked away.

          I sat on the counter, reading a new book. It was amazing, but then again most books were.

          “Thanks for covering for me,” Ackton ran in, and kissed my cheek. I scrunched up my nose in disgust.

          Ackton went to my school, but we weren’t friends. We didn’t talk outside of work, really. And when we talked at work, I was usually yelling at him for using the microphones for karaoke, or the guitars to practice his guitar.

          Ackton was the school it-boy. He had the fabulous body, with the sculpted abs, and light brown hair. He had perfect light green eyes and dimples when he smirked, which is all the time. He was kind of full of himself, though.

          He had a gray sock hat covering his head, and his hair was left down and shaggy instead of perfectly spiked up. He fiddled with his lip, and then I noticed he’d gotten it pierced. He already had gauges and a tattoo, but I didn’t know he wanted his lip pierced.

          I rang up a customer, putting my book down.

          “Will that be all?” I smiled.

          “Yeah,” they said and left.

          “Will that be all?” Ackton mocked me in a sugary sweet high pitched voice.

          “Shut up,” I glared at him.

          “Your book looks terrible by the way.”

          “Gee, thanks,” I muttered sarcastically.

          I got back to reading Before I Fall, and sat on the counter. Ackton sat beside me, and started messing with my hair.

          “Stop,” I said. He continued.

          “Please stop,” I begged.

          “I want to braid it,” he says.

          “Fine,” I sighed, and flipped my hair over my shoulder, and faced by back to him, so he could braid it.

          “How do I braid?” he asked. I huffed, and he chuckled. He got up, and three seconds later, I heard the loud gnashing sound of him obnoxiously strumming on a guitar plugged into an amp, turned all the way up. I flipped my book shut, and stormed over to him, unplugging the electric guitar.

          I was counting down the minutes until my shift was over, literally. I hated working with Ackton, but stupid Budd made our schedules the same.

          “Hey, kiddo, I have to leave early, my old friend’s got poker and some pot, will you close up for me?” Budd asked.

          “Sure,” I sighed. At least I could sit at the piano and practice writing. I got out my old notebook, and scribbled down some lyrics that I’d thought up.

          Soon enough, closing time came, and I flipped the sign, turning off the lights. I walked into the lounge, and saw Ackton putting on his coat. I grabbed my phone and sent a quick text to my brother, telling him I’d be a little late.

          “See you tomorrow,” Ackton said, and kissed my cheek. I rolled my eyes. He always kissed my cheek, but I think he did it because he knew it pissed me off.

          “Nice lip ring,” I commented.

          “Thanks,” he smiled a genuine smile. His genuine smiles were the best, but were also really rare. He grabbed his keys and left. I locked the door behind him, and walked over to the grand piano.

          I started playing, and fixing my music.

          “You’re amazing!” I jumped when I heard the voice behind me. I turned around to see Ackton standing there. I jumped up and tried to grab all of my music at once, but I just knocked it on the floor. I hurriedly picked them up off the floor, and Ackton bent down to help me.

          “Why don’t you try out for the talent show?” he asked me. Easy for him to say, he won the talent show every year with his singing voice.

          “I-I…I-uhm…I have really bad stage fright,” I mumbled. Truth be told, he was the first person to ever hear me sing.

          “Well, I thought it was amazing,” he smiled, “I wish I could write my own songs…”

          “THAT’S IT!” he yelled.

          “What?”

          “You write and I’ll sing. We’d be amazing together,” he smiled.

          “Oh…I don’t know-I--.”

          “Please?” He stuck out his bottom lip.

          “Fine,” I sighed.

          “THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!” he hugged me, and kissed my cheek.

          Little did I know, this was going to be the biggest commitment of my life.