• Tomorrow Will Be Different • {J.C} (P.1)

• Chapter One •

"You alright?" Albert so kindly asked after dropping a thick, empty crate next to her.

Erin's eyes shot open, barely registering what had just happened. She blinked away the dryness of her eyes, failing to rid the scratchiness due to intense exhaustion—or maybe from the excessive crying... perhaps a little of both.

"Yeah... I'm good." She rubbed her eyes, taking the crate to the other side of the counter where the vinyls waited to be alphabetized and labeled by genre.

Erin had somehow managed to doze off—sitting at the backless stool, using her arms as pillows next to the register. It was just her and Albert working today, which Erin was grateful for.

"What's going on with you? You're usually working circles around me." Albert chuckled softly, moving a stack of autobiographies from the floor to the counter.

"Didn't get much sleep last night." Erin admitted, being sure to spare him the details. The less Albert knew, the better.

Erin had been friends with Albert for a little over a year. She had met Al through her boyfriend, Michael, when he attended school at the New York Film Academy. Albert had gotten her a job at the record store as a favor to Michael.

Though Michael and Albert were still friends, Albert had become closer to Erin during her time working with him at Kim's Underground.

"Got any plans tonight?" Al questioned, eyeing Erin skeptically. He could tell that there was something wrong; but he didn't want to appear to be meddling in her business too much.

Erin was a private person; she was the type of person that disclosed as little information as possible without making it a lie. He often had to press to extract information out of her. It was as if the girl lived inside her own mind most of the time—as if she didn't want to burden others with her thoughts.

Albert would never tell Erin, but he didn't care too much for Michael. Though they had once been friends, they barely associated with one another now. Al didn't like the way Michael kept tabs on Erin—pushing him for Erin's daily routine—his desperate need to know her every move and whereabouts.

Al had disclosed Michael's insecurities to Erin, confessing to her about what her boyfriend was doing. Erin simply brushed it off; she didn't care because she wasn't doing anything wrong, so it didn't matter. Al tried explaining to Erin that it wasn't his point; Michael's behavior was not only creepy, it was also concerning.

"Probably sleep. What about you?"

"We got a gig tonight."

"Oh nice! Where at?"

"Luna, right off Ludlow?"

"Oh yeah, I've been there before." Erin's brows furrowed, suddenly looking at Albert confusingly. "How the hell did you manage to get booked there?"

"I'm a salesman at heart." He gleamed proudly. "Come on Erin, you know this."

She laughed quietly, shaking her head. "Are you guys any good?"

"The best in the city."

"I need more convincing, I'm not buying your pitch." Erin teased.

"You should come out tonight—you be the judge of that."

"I'll think about it." Erin forced a smile, already deciding that she wouldn't be there.