Closer Than You Realize

Chapter 7

     "Second Miracle's second album." He replied, looking shameful.

     I didn't even have to look for the album, I knew exactly where it was.

     "Here. Tell your sister to enjoy, it's a good one." I said, barely even looking up.

     "Thanks." He mumbled and brought the disk to Hayden to pay, then quickly made his way back to his car.

     "No comment." Hayden said with a straight face and his eyebrows raised.

     "Oh, honey, I have a comment." I said as I held up a sassy finger and jutted out my chin and shook my head. "Or question, I guess." I added, my uncertainty breaking me from the intended sassiness. "Have I ever told you how much I dislike him? I want to like him, I want to be his friend, but everything he does infuriates me and everything he doesn't do or doesn't want to do bothers me!"

     "You know, Lyddie, I think you oughta let this one go, I think he's too far gone to drag him back in. He seems like the type of person who just can't wait to finish high school and get out of this small town. I think you should just let him."

     "I guess you're probably right. I just wish he had friends at this school; it would make things so much easier and make me not want to be friends with him so badly. He just seems lonely."

     "If I'm being honest Lyddie, I've never seen him associate with anyone else during school, not even back in middle school. I think if someone is really bothered by the fact that they don't have friends at school, they'd at least try to reach out and make some. I really think he's content the way he is."

     "Maybe." I said, and went back to sorting.

     I needed something to get my mind off of Tyson. It just bothered me that he didn't have friends, at school at least, and that he wasn't taking advantage of someone who was clearly willing to be his friend.

     For the next 30 minutes, no one came into the store and Hayden and I spent the entire time goofing off and cleaning up the store.

     I was in the middle of playing the guitar and jokingly, and dramatically, singing a sappy love song to Hayden when he heard the bell ding again.

     I was still singing when I saw Mae from math class walking shyly into the depths of the store. I immediately stopped singing the second I saw her.

     "You have a really great voice." She said with a small smile.

     "Thanks, Mae." I grinned. "Is there anything you need help finding?"

     Mae was one of the last people I thought I'd see walking into our shop. She was so shy that I guess I never pictured her listening to music, which, in hindsight, sounds kind of mean.

     "I was actually looking for a piano book." She replied and I realized that playing the piano really suited her.

     "They're over here." Hayden grinned, remembering the time he tried playing.

     It was a nightmare. Definitely a funny moment. But still a nightmare.

      Mae picked out a book she wanted and bought it before saying a timid goodbye and exiting the store just as quietly as she entered.

     "Maybe you should ask Mae to teach you how to play the piano." I joked.

      "Shut up." My best friend laughed. "It wasn't a good moment for me."

     "We all know, ask anyone." I said and Hayden rolled his eyes.

     For the remainder of our shift, Hayden worked on the computer to layout that week's issue of the magazine and I dusted all of the instruments in the front corner of the store, lost in thought.