Ruby's

Chapter 1

I finished my exam and sighed quietly. I had studied hard, but felt like I just bombed it. I stood up and grabbed my backpack from the floor and walked to my professor's desk. I laid my paper on top of the neatly stacked pile of exams and walked out of the classroom. I walked a block to the record store where I worked. It was in an old, small, brick building with a big red sign out front that said "Ruby's Records". I pushed open the door and went inside. My boss, Will,  greeted me.

"Hey Claire. How was the test?"

I made a face at him.

"Don't even ask."

"That bad huh?"

"I guess I'll find out Friday when grades are posted."

I walked to the back room where the employees left their personal belongings amongst various boxes of new shipments and supplies. There was also a small bathroom. I set my backpack down on the small table and returned to the front of the store.

"You alone today?"

"Nah, Jeff left about an hour ago."

"OK. Anything you need me to do tonight?"

"Yes, can you check the inventory in this stack?" He held up a stack of papers.

"OK."

"I'll stay til 6, here are the keys."

"Ok, thanks." I put the keys in my pocket.

I had worked at the shop since I was 16. That was four years and he had only began trusting me to close the store a couple months ago. I took the stack of papers and went to check the inventory. I was by the vinyl section, when I heard the door open. I glanced up and saw a man walk in, then went back to what I was doing.

Will talked to the man like he knew him. A couple minutes later,  I saw the man walking over to the vinyl.

"Hi" I smiled. "Can I help you find anything?"

"Actually, I was looking for this album by The Left Banke and I can't find it anywhere."

"Ok."

I flipped through the albums where it would have been and shook my head. "Sorry,  looks like we don't have it, but I could see if we can order it."

"Ok,  thanks."

He followed me to the front of the store and I looked it up in the system.

"Are you ok if I go? " Will asked quietly as he walked to the front door.

"Yeah I'm fine, go." I smiled.

"Ok, don't forget to lock up."

"I won't,  goodnight."

"Goodnight." he glanced at the man. "Take care, Noel."

"You too Will."

I turned back to the computer and searched for the album.

"Looks like we can order it for you. It would be $25 and take about a week." I looked at the man.

"I won't be 'ere in a week. I live in London."

"Oh, I thought I heard an accent."

He flashed a smile "Dya think you could mail it to my office in London when it comes in?"

"Yeah, I can do that."

I grabbed a piece of paper and pen and handed it to him.

"Just write down the address."

He took the pen and began writing and I noticed he was left handed.

He handed me the paper and smiled.

"Thanks alot."

"No problem." I smiled and he turned and left.

We didn't get another customer all night. We didn't really get many customers at all, but it gave me time to study or listen to music. I usually played my favorite band, The Smiths,  and drove everybody else who was working crazy, but tonight I was alone so I cranked it up. 10 o'clock finally arrived and I grabbed my backpack and walked to the front of the store. I stepped outside and locked the door behind me. I stood waiting for my mom to pick me up. I still lived at home and had no car, so she usually dropped me off at school then picked me up after work on Mondays,  Wednesdays,  and Fridays. She pulled up a minute later and I climbed into the car.

"How was work?"

"Fine" I shrugged.

"Were you very busy?"

"Nope, had one customer all night."

"Wow,  I don't know how Will keeps this place open."

"He had a cool British accent."

"Who? "

"The customer."

"Oh, that's neat."

"Neat? " I laughed lightly to myself. "Yeah, I ordered him a vinyl album and we are going to mail it to London for him."

"That's nice. How was your test?"

"Fine."

"Fine?  How do you think you did?"

"Fine I guess." I shrugged.

She sighed.

"You better have done good."

"Mom, don't I usually get good grades?"

"Yes, but."

"Then chill out."

"I just want you to do good,  honey."

"I know." I muttered.

That Friday when I got to work, I saw that the record I had ordered arrived.

"That was fast."

"What was?" Will asked.

"The record I ordered for that guy on Monday is already here."

"Do you know who that guy was?"

"No, who was he?"

"Noel Gallagher."

"Who's that?"

"He was in Oasis."

"Never heard of them."

"Oasis?  They are from Manchester,  England?"

"Of my god, so are The Smiths!"

He chuckled and rolled his eyes.

I packed the record in a cusioned envelope and then put it in a box and covered it with packing peanuts then taped it up. I wrote the address that the man had written down then put it in the small pile of boxes that needed to be mailed.

"I'll mail them in the morning." Will said.

"Oh yeah, guess what I got on my test?"

"What?"

"A" I smiled.

"Thatta girl!" he smiled back.

He was always encouraging and understanding. Everything my parents were not. 

*Song Inspiration