As I continue working at my new job I loose track of time and realize that school has been out for over ten minutes and I still have to pick up Tate. He doesn't know I left and he's not going to. I can't let him know I skipped school he might do the same.
"Umm Andrew?" I go in his office.
"Yes?"
"I need to leave for a quick ten minutes." I ask hoping he wouldn't be mad.
"Okay." He says without hesitation.
"Whoa really?" I ask sounding surprised.
"Sammy, you're shift hasn't even started yet." He laughs and I remember that I don't work until 3:00.
"For the millionth time it's Sophie! And thank you!" I yell running out the door.
Because the school is so close I could run there in like five minutes.
"SOPHIE!" I hear Tate's small voice yell from the playground.
"Tate, are you okay?"
"Yeah I'm fine but where have you been? You said you'd pick me up right after school."
"S-Sorry I umm had to stay for something but I'm here now." I say and his frown turns into a smile.
"Do you want to come to work with me?" I ask and he nods.
"Good because I don't want to walk all the way home, plus you're to young to be on your own anyway." I say grabbing his hand and we begin walking back to the album store.
"So how was your day?" I ask.
"It was okay I guess. I made a new friend and he's cool." He tells me and I smile, knowing he had a better day than me.
"What about you? Did you make any new friends?" Tate has asked me that question many times before and I always reply with the same answer.
"No, not really." I say blankly.
"That's okay. You still have me!" He tugs on my arm and smiles and I smile back.
We walk into the store and a lot more people have shown up since I left.
"Can I help you?" A blonde girl with bright blue eyes asked from the counter I was standing behind not to long ago.
"Oh I uh I kinda work here." I shyly say, knowing that she was around me age, I got nervous.
"Oh you must be Sophie or Sammy as my dad likes to call you." She giggles and steps away from the counter to greet me.
"I'm Amanda. Andrew is my dad." She tells me and I simply nod.
"And who's this?" She asks referring to Tate.
"This is my little brother, Tate." Tate has always been more extroverted than me. He went straight up to Amanda and hugged her.
"Aw that's so cute." She laughs and looks at me.
"As you can see it get a little crowded in here after schools get out. Especially NorthWest, which is my school." She begins stacking CDs while continuing to talk to me.
"Yeah, I go there too." I say and she turns around with a shocked look.
"You do? How come I've never seen you before?"
"Well I haven't gone there yet but I'm starting tomorrow."
"That's great! Aw we can work together and we can go to school together! I can already tell we're going to be best friends!" She smiles at me with excitement. I just met this chick and she's already calling me her best friend. Seems a little to perky for me than again this might be my only shot at making friends. I haven't had a best friend since I was ten and it didn't end well. We got in a "fight" because I had to move again and she got mad and I've never talked to her since.
"AMANDA!" I hear Andrew yell for Amanda.
"Be back in a sec. You can start working the counter if you want." She tells me before disappearing into the back. I take her advice and sit on the stool behind the counter, waiting for someone to make a purchase.
After a while people started to leave the store but then a young boy who also looked around my age walked in. He was wearing sunglasses but he quickly took them off to reveal a stunning pair of blue eyes. He seemed to know what he was doing cause he went straight to a specific section, picked up a CD and started making his way to the back.
"Umm only staff is a-allowed in the b-back." I stuttered and I bet he could detect my nervousness.
"And who are you supposed to be?" He says leaning on the countertop.
"S-Sophie. And who are you?" I ask, looking into his deep eyes.
"Luke. Nice meeting you." He grins, taking a handful of guitar picks from the jar and stuffs them in his pocket.
"Ya know who have to pay for those?" I give him a sassy look and he giggles walking back over to me.
"And who's gonna stop me, sweetheart? You?" He gets fairly close to my face and I back up.
"If I have to, I will." I say getting in his face causing him to back up.
"I don't think you could." He breathes out.
"Try me." I say as he raises him eyebrows in shock. For some reason I wasn't scared of him and I'm scared of everything. He had a different approach then he seemed. He looked like a complete jerk but something tells me he wouldn't hurt a fly.
"Luke, get in here!" I hear Andrew yell as he comes out his office and looks at the two of us.
"Where have you been?" He asks as I stand there in confusion.
"Wait a-are you h-his uh son?" I ask, hoping someone would answer and fast.
"Duh!" The tall blonde snaps.
"Luke, why didn't you tell her?" Andrew says sounding somewhat disappointed.
"Cause I wanted to mess with her." He laughs while I'm busy turning bright red out of embarrassment.
"Well you're late! Lucas you've got to stop hanging out with the band before work." Andrew grabs Luke by the shoulder and pulls him to the back. I heard him say "band" and I was interested so I, being the curious person I am, followed them.
"Now there's something I want to ask you." I hear them both sit down as I hid behind a wall where I couldn't be seen.
"I see you've already met Sophie." Sure now he gets my name right.
"Yeah, what about her?" He asks not sounding excited.
"I want you look out for her at school."
"She doesn't even go to my school!" His voice gains.
"She starts tomorrow. She just moved here a couple days ago and I can already tell she's a little shy." I hear him whisper softly so no one else would hear.
"Not to me. She seemed like she owned the place when I talked to her."
"Exactly! Which is why I want you to do it. I'm not saying you have to be best friends but at least give her a chance. She's a really sweet girl and I bet you two would get along."
"Why can't Amanda do it?" He asks slouching in his chair.
"Like I said before she approached you differently. She was shy around me and Amanda both at first. Just please Luke." He asks a final time.
"But dad-"
"No buts. Just at least introduce her to the guys or something." He says as I hear Luke sigh. Something tells me he isn't to stoked about this.
"Uh yes, sir." He finally says. I begin to hear footsteps approach me so I quickly run back to the front before anyone sees me.
"Hey uh Sophie?" I pretend to be doing work when Luke comes back in.
"Yeah?"
"Since you're new and everything maybe you'd wanna come by my house later and ya know meet a couple people from school." I want to say no because for one thing his dad is making him do this but also, I'm terrible with crowds.
"Yeah sure." Why'd I say that?! No, I can't. Tell him you can't and make up an excuse.
"Ok so after your shift is over Amanda can take you. Is that cool?"
"Yeah sounds good." No! What are you doing?! That does not sound good!
"Ok well I'll see ya later then." He says, walking out the door but not before taking a couple of extra guitar strings from behind the counter.
"Wait, where are you going?" I ask just before he leaves.
"I have band practice."
"You're in a band?" I till my head from shock.
"Yeah, is that weird?" He asks.
"No..... it's cool." I smile.