Euronymous

Chapter Seven

I watched as Krista pushed the door open. We'd been to three stores already, this was our fourth stop. She wasn't looking for anything in particular, nor was I - but I especially loved Op shops like this one. More often than not, I'd manage to find something cool, whether it was a record, shirt, jewellery.
She grabbed a purple beanie and pulled it over her blonde hair. It looked hand knit, like one my grandmother had made for me as a child.
The spontaneous memory of my grandmother made me uncomfortable. Not because of her directly - I missed her dearly since her passing when I was 10. She was my maternal grandmother, and thoughts of her brought back thoughts of my mother.

"Cute." I said, skimming through the vinyls, pushing away the unwanted memories.
"Ooh, what about this?" She still had the beanie on, and she slid on a pair of large sunglasses. Their neon green rims were thick and the lenses black. I smirked.
"Truly inspirational." I muttered, giving up looking through the records. She handed me a pair of glasses, similar to the ones she wore, but neon pink. I put them on, looking at our reflections in the tall mirror.
"I can totally pull these off." I stated confidently.
"Oh, wait! This." She handed me a hat. It was a black top hat. Without hesitation, I fit it on my head. It was much too big, but I positioned it so it sat well enough.
"Sexy." His husky voice was amused, taking us both by surprise. I turned, finding Øystein smirking at us - at me. I pursed my lips as Krista laughed.
"Hey, Euronymous." Her voice draped with a teasing tone at his chosen name. She took the glasses and beanie off. I followed, running a hand through my hair.
"What're you doing here?" I asked. Krista gave me a side glance and made herself busy close by. I knew she was still listening, and I imagine Øystein did too, since he'd stepped closer. He shrugged.
"Saw you in here. Looking for something?" He asked, raising an eyebrow, gesturing over to the records. I shook my head.
"Nothing good in there."
"I'm gonna open my own store one day, you know." He said it with such confidence, and I smiled.
"That would be sick." He nodded, taking a quick glance at Krista before taking another step toward me.
"Are you coming Saturday?" He asked.
"What's this Saturday?" I teased. He knew I knew and rolled his eyes, but smiled.
"Want me to beg you? 'Cause I don't beg." He spoke in a low voice, his voice was husky and his hair hung over his face, icy blue eyes looking down on me. I was a little surprised by his confidence, but I liked it.
"Maybe." I shrugged. I knew I'd be there, and I think he knew it too.
"You'll be there." He smirked, devilishly.
"Will I, now?" I mused, raising an eyebrow. He nodded as he backed away, turning to leave.
"Yeah, you will." He was confident and assertive, but his voice was soft. Our eyes met briefly as he smiled wider, teeth showing. I laughed, looking away.

He left and Krista looked at me, astonished, mouth gaping.
"Did Øystein Aarseth just ask you out?"
I scoffed. "Hardly..." I knew it was implied, but I wished he had actually asked.
If I was one thing, it was an over-thinker. Unless I knew 100% it was a date, I wouldn't treat it as one. Assumptions only lead to disappointment. Something my mother had taught me.

We finished up. Krista had found a skirt that she insisted on wearing this weekend. I wasn't going alone to this gig. At least Krista had enough confidence for the both of us. I hated crowds. Though, I knew I would be fine after a couple drinks.
We walked across the street to the Kebab Shop. It was my day off but this was where everyone tended to hang out. Plus I got a discount. Hammed smiled at us as we walked in, despite them looking like they were in the middle of a rush. I felt bad, but knew they would ask for help if they needed it.
As we sat, I noticed Øystein and the band at another table. Erik was with them. Pelle flashed me a big grin, jumping up and sitting at our table.
"You're coming?" He exclaimed.
"Yeah, of course. I wouldn't miss your big debut." I grinned back.
"Else!" I looked up at Hammed, who was holding the phone against his ear and shoulder. He hung it up. "Can you work the close tonight?" He pleaded. "Anders has called in sick." I sighed
"Yeah, I'll be there in a sec."