It was nearly dawn as I stepped foot into the destination that I selected spontaneously. I had never heard of the city and wanted to venture out of my comfort zone. A rose painted horizon scraped the top of buildings as neon signs began to illuminate in the windows of stores. I followed the stream of bacon leading me to a diner. "Good morning," A girl dressed in an apron greeted me as I walked into the diner. I sat down in the red leather booth then proceeded to look over the menu.
"Coffee?" The waitress asked as I browsed through the breakfast items on the menu. "Water," I replied, shaking my head. "I can't say I've met you before. You new 'round here?" She asked as she poured my drink. "Just arrived this morning," My eyes wandered around the room, "I love the whole 50s set up this place, quite nostalgic." The waitress gave me a look like I must have moved in from a country halfway across the world. "Right." She said after a minute of searching for a response. "Anyways, I'll take two eggs and toast." I said, intervening the awkward silence. "Coming right up." She chirped, making her way back to the counter to place the order.
After breakfast, I walked around the town to get a feel of the environment. The diversity within the city was prominent to say the least. I stood in front of a post with a map titled "directory". I traced my finger along the streets. "New girl," An unfamiliar figure leaned against the directory. "Oh, me?" I questioned as I looked over to my right. "Yeah, you. Rumor has it, there's a new girl in town and it's you." She proceeded to explain. "Word travels that fast?" I asked in astonishment. "We like to welcome new people." The ash brown haired girl shrugged.
I felt as if I were in a cliche movie about a first day at a new school that was bound to go wrong. "So, how is the Electric City treating you?" She asked. "I haven't done much exploring. Maybe you could suggest somewhere for me to check out." I said as I scanned over the map. "How about I show you around," She suggested with excitement, "I forgot to mention, my name is Minerva." "Like the Roman goddess?" I added. She nodded and chuckled, "What should I call you?" "Friday," I replied. "Like the day of the week?" Minerva continued to laugh.
Vivid colors painted the sides of buildings, showcasing the vibrant sole of the town. Children skipped along the pavement as if there weren't a problem in the world. A faint euphonious sound echoed down the sidewalks, leading to a record store. We walked along a narrow staircase, lined in crinkled concert posters, directing us to the entrance. "This is one of my favorite places," Minerva said as I followed, "You can find pretty much any record." "You guys really are into the whole vintage themed ambience." I commented as I recalled the diner from this morning.
She disregarded my comment as she filed through a stack of vinyls. "The Smiths, check them out." "Or," A voice lurked around the corner, "You could go for something more up my alley, something like a little rock n' roll." "Mike," Minerva groaned as she placed the record back on the shelf. "At your service, Minerva Grey." The lanky raven haired boy winked as Minerva flashed a fake smile. I watched as Minerva's eyes shot like daggers. "And who is your friend?" The notorious Mike asked as he propped his arm on a precarious shelf of records. "Her name's Friday, she's new here."
"Anyways, Friday, your best option is something like Metallica or Nirvana." He said as he directed me to another section of the store. I nodded as I followed him like a lost puppy.
"So, where exactly are you from?" He asked, handing me two albums. "Small town in Florida," I answered as I examined the artwork on one of the albums. "We will see you later." Minerva said as she took the records from my hands and hid them behind some others.
"You must really dislike those bands." I mentioned once we got outside. "Hm, no, I just don't care for Mike." Minerva answered sternly. "He's sort of cute." I shrugged. "No, no, no, no," She snickered, "Listen, Friday, I'm giving you some advice before you become the talk of the town by hanging with Mike. He's bad news. The guy comes into my life and acts like I'm some kind of Juliet Capulet then does that to literally every single living thing that comes his way." "Did you love him?" I attempted to catch up as she increased her speed. "Certainly not, his taste in music is rubbish." She said as she tossed her hair.
YOU ARE READING
Electric City
Short Story"Life will either flash before your eyes or feel like a million black and white photos." 2016 Julia Taylor