Staged Relationships

Chapter 4

At twelve-thirty Paige ordered coffee from the cafe and looked around for a table. Fen was sitting at one of the tables with his biology textbooks. She pulled out the chair opposite him.

"Your hot date didn't turn up," she said.

"It wasn't a date," he muttered.

She punched him in the arm lightly. Every person in the cafe had given Fen sympathetic looks over the past thirty minutes. Two boys had offered him some form of consolation. One of the said boys gave him a wolf-whistle once Paige sat down. Fen raised a hand in acknowledgement without taking his head off the table. Paige made a particularly rude gesture towards the boys.

A crisp white piece of paper was pushed under Fen's arms. 'Errand List' it read in her large scrawl. Leaning against the table was a black guitar case.

Music store was the first thing on his side of the list. Paige was calmly sipping her drink. She looked in no hurry and rushing her would prove no use. It never had.

It hit one o'clock then Paige wanted to move.

He took the guitar case as Paige headed off to collect the tickets from the printers. Fen walked out of the store carrying a guitar case with a large sticker which read ROXANNE. Considering her character had originally been a male it seemed ironic. Fen flipped the case over. He found it impossible to carry the case and not look like a wanker.

When the ding of the shop bell went off, everyone turned and looked at the blonde boy who was carrying the guitar case.

The two sales assistants greeted him and went back to the computer. Fen pushed his shoulders back and pushed past a child who was looking at a toy piano.

"Ukuleles are only for people who can't play a guitar," one said.

"Guitars are only for people that can't play another instrument," the other said.

A pink ukulele sat on the bench top with a broken string.

"Excuse me I need to replace a guitar string," Fen said.

The two boys looked away from the computer. "It'll be done in a couple of minutes," one said.

Fen doubted that his name was actually Morrissey but trusted his judgement on the guitar. The other guy picked up the ukulele and offered it to Fen. "If you want you can take this ukulele and beat up that pile of boy band CDs," he said.

"Do people really play ukuleles?" Fen asked.

"Apparently so."

Fen drummed his fingers against the bench. The carpet needed to be replaced and the skirting boards needed to be cleaned. Where was Paige to make a scene when you needed her.

The shop assistant came out. Fen had to pay him the money. Roxanne better pay him back. Or Paige whoever was in charge. A pash would suffice.

"Hey Char can you break a fifty." A voice shook Fen out of his slightly sexual reverie. The fact that the girl was fairly attractive didn't help the situation.

"Sure," the shop assistant said.

"Dude your coworker said you had exact change," Paige said, coming up behind Fen making the situation all the more awkward.

"You can never be too prepared," she said.

"I guess she's right," Fen said.

"Why do you always get flustered around pretty girls?" Paige said.

"Why don't I get flustered around you?" Fen said.

"Three words. Fat. Audrey. Hepburn."

"You've turned into an aggressive Rosalind Russell now."