When Doves Cry + The Lost Boys

Chapter Three

I slipped the record back into the sleeve. Silence cascading the music shop for a few moments as I picked out a new record to play.

"Taking suggestions?" I turned around to meet the pair of dark eyes that I met last night.

"Depends if you like good music," I smirked at Dwayne.

"I liked the album," he refereed to the Violent Femmes record he bought.

"Yeah? That new wave shit isn't too bad, is it?" 

"Not at all," he said with a small smile. I could feel his eyes on every move I made, pulling the record from the sleeve, placing it on the turn table, and putting the needle down.

"Can I help you with something?" I smirked at him. He chuckled lowly, knowing I caught him looking at me.

Dwayne looked puzzled for a moment before figuring out what he was going to say. "Actually, what time do you get off tonight?"

I raised an eyebrow at him, "Closing."

Dwayne sighed, "Well, do you want to do something?"

"I don't know," I muttered.

"Why are you scared," he smirked at me, "I didn't pin you down to be one to pass up a good time."

I rolled my eyes at him, "Fine what do you want to do?"

"Well, the boardwalk will be closed, so you can hang out with my friends and I back at our place," he suggested.

I laughed at his naive suggestion. "You want me to hang out with your friends? Those creeps with the bikes?"

Dwayne's smile turned into a frown, "You've met them?"

I nodded, "They tried to get me to hang out with them last night. They got rejected."

"Good," Dwayne smiled, "I wouldn't want you hanging out with them without me. It'd be boring."

"I still don't want to go to your little boy club house," I told him, "Think of something else to do."

"But..."

"I have to get back to work," I told him, "See you at closing."

Dwayne shot me a smile before leaving the record store. I followed his dark clothing and hair as he walked down the sidewalk, out of sight. I wondered how we got mixed up with those guys he called friends. He was so nice, but his friends were creeps, all of them.

"Who was that?" Todd asked, peeking out from the backroom.

"Just a friend," I muttered.

"Be careful," Todd sighed, "I know about him and his friends, they cause a lot of trouble. I don't want to see you getting mixed in with the wrong crowd, Raylen."

+++++

The clocked mocked me. It was like we were having a show off, and it was winning. With each passing second, it felt like eternity. My nerves were getting the best of me, I knew Dwayne was out there on the boardwalk, hopefully waiting for me to join him. 

The store was nearly closed, with only a few customers browsing and socializing with one another about the hottest music. Todd sat on a stool behind the counter, flipping through a Rolling Stone Magazine. Even David Lee Roth mocked me from the front of the cover.

"You can go if you want," Todd muttered to me, "I can feel your nerves from here."

"You sure?" I asked him.

Todd waved me off, "You're still a kid. Enjoy your kid stuff."

"You're not the much older than me," I laughed.