Slow Motion

•Music and Ice Cream •

After I get off the floor I'm now restless. I pace my apartment for a while until I remember I had wanted go to the record store sometime soon. I grab my things and head towards my door. I then see that I'm not in regular clothes.
Oh my fucking god how did I gap this out when helping him. He saw me in my fucking pjs. I'm actually going to crawl in a hole and die.

I quick run to my room throwing on the first thing I see which is a black dress with roses. I toss a coat over it and run back to my kitchen to grab my bag for the second time today. I then turn the door knob and walk out into the hallway. I close it and once again he is out in the hallway. I can't escape from him.

"Aww I liked your Disney pajamas" he says grinning at me.

"I'm so sorry you saw me in them I didn't even realize-" I start but he cuts me off.

"No no it's fine could have been way worse" he assures while giggling slightly. I give him an awkward smile and then before I can even think the stupidest thing I ever said comes flying out of my mouth.

"So I'm going on a walk, care to keep me company" I blurt. My face quickly heats up and flashes a bright crimson like the roses on my dress. He laughs again and adjusts his jacket a little.

"Sure why not" he affirms. I nod my head and turn towards the stairway just 4 apartments down. He walks beside me and we let silence fill the empty air. It wasn't awkward like it should have been. Instead it was actually nice I had someone with me, but instead of having weird conversations we just enjoyed each other's presence.
When we are out of the apartment complex though that silence is broken by him asking "So are we going somewhere specific or...?"

"Uh I have this record shop that I love and I kinda wanted to peek in there if that's okay" I reply.

"Oh shoot yeah that fine, I wanted to kinda explore the downtown area anyways" he says looking at me. I take in the fact that he now has thin round metal glass that frame his face. I wonder if they were real but I don't ask instead I stay quiet.

•••

As we approach the record store I can't help but smile, it been here forever and I was probably one of the only people that came anymore, but I think that made me love it more.
"This is it" I say reaching for the door handle. I open it and we walk inside. I watch his eyes carefully take in everything. A smile begins to spread on his face and he starts to wander the unfamiliar place.
I head to the records bin and sift through. Some of the ones I had spotted yesterday were still here so I grab two of them and then head over to the restocked cd section. I completely forgot the restocked on Sundays.
I quickly flip through them and find one that I had been looking for I pick it up and head over to the boy that I had invited.

I approach him and stand next to him letting him admire all of the records that were lined on the wall.
"This place is beautiful" he mumbles in captivated by lights and decorations that lined the store.
"I know, I have been coming here for over 3 years" I whisper trying to not disrupt the peace that filled the small place.

His head turns away from the wall and he smiles before maneuvering his way to the back off the store. I follow him and watch as he picks out a few cds. He then looks through the record bins. His face lights up as he finds a goo goo dolls vinyl. I smile at him which only makes him grin more. He finishes up searching through the other containers and we then head to pay for our things.

Once we are out the store I hear him sigh and then he asks. "So you hungry or is it just me" I think for a second and realize I'm actually hungry as well.
"Not just you, I'm a little hungry too" I say.

"Okay well since you have lived here for however long and I have only been here for 4 days care to show me a good place to eat?" He questions raising his eyebrow in a teasing manner.
"I think I can do that" I answer giggling and swinging my bag of things slightly.

As we walk to the place I had picked I ask him a few questions. "So why did you decide to move here?" Was the one that had fallen out of my mouth first.
"Uh well after my parents sold their house in Montana and they only bought a one bedroom house, so I took that as I sign to move out and I found out my grandma was moving to Canada. I then asked her if her apartment was still open for someone to move into and she said yes, so yeah" He explains cutting himself off.

"Oh okay" I say not really sure of how to reply.

"You lived here for how long" he questions.

"My whole life actually, Florida has always been my home" I reply lightheartedly. He nods and now since we are on a question train I decide to ask another one.
"How old are you?"

I'm 19 but in December I'll be 20. What about you?"

"I'm 19 also but I just had my birthday in June" I reply laughing a little.

"Oh cool what day in June?"

"The 14th. What day in December is your birthday"

"The 5th"

"Are you serious, you share a birthday with my grandpa" I remark. He smiles but doesn't say anything to continue our conversation.

•••

We reach the place I had picked about 5 minutes later.
We run to the doors and swing them open. I had chosen an old ice cream place that my mom had shown me when I was little.

  I miss her she died when I was 12 and my dad was a piece of shit. He actually kicked me out when I was 15.

I hadn't come here in a while so when we walked in the familiar scent caused a wave of nostalgia.
I stop in my tracks for a second a before getting in line with Taylor.

As we wait in line I accidentally bump his arm. "Sorry" I mumble trying not to flush a bright red like earlier.
"It's okay" he replies casually not bothered by arm hitting his.

We are the next ones up to order so I quickly begin to decide on a flavor. I browse over the menu behind the counter and right as I pick out what I'm getting we are asked what we want.
"Cookies and cream" we say at the same time.
The worker tries not to slip up and laugh but fails as a faint one escapes before she can ask if we are sharing one or having a separate cup.

I tell her separate cups was fine and lead the bright boy that I had brought with to sit down at a booth as we wait for our ice cream.
I take a seat on one of the black seats and he takes one across from me. Once comfortable I make eye contact with him and I swear his face tints with pink but my eyes could be playing tricks on me.

We wait for our ice cream in silence and I try not to be rude so I ignore the temptation to take out my phone.

Our bowls of ice cream come and I pay the girl. That was the one weird thing about this place it was set up like a fast food place and you paid after you got your stuff.
"I could have paid" the boy across from me mumbles quietly.
"You could've however I brought you with there for I paid" I say. His face has a little bit of shock written on it and in that moment is when I can see that he has been hurt by someone before.

I know that face a little too well but I don't say anything. Instead I take bite of my ice cream and let everything go...

An: wrote this later at night so sorry if there are any mistakes. Also just a heads up if you are reading my other book summer there are updates coming soon, like in the next week or 2 :)