What If

Letting It All Out

I'm at the mall, Brian thought to himself as he watched Kate walk with Jessie a few feet in front of him. A real live fucking shopping mall. Synyster Gates didn't shop. Clothes were brought to him. He had a personal shopper who picked things up for him and returned anything he didn't want. And if he did have to shop, God forbid, Rodeo  drive was more his speed. He hadn't been in a real mall since his twenties. It was enough to make him want cry...if he did that sort of thing. Only Kat had escaped the trip to shopping hell as she went with Sari to the movies. 

Kate looked back at him with a sympathetic smile. "We're almost done here."

Her expression made Brian feel guilty. She seemed to handle his "falling asleep" the night before in stride. She didn't seem angry or upset. Maybe that was a perk of marriage...unconditional forgiveness.

"Mom," Jessie yanked her hand twice. "You promised...new shoes."

"That's right. Okay, let's make a quick stop at the Kid's Journeys. Ooh..then we can pick up Kat's jacket from Hot Topic, then I'll run into the linen store..."

Brian couldn't help but stop and glare. "Why don't we just go to all the stores?"

Kate in her tracks and looked at Brian with a hint of amusement.

Her expression made his frustration and guilt worse. "Every single store in this god forsaken shopping mall. We can go to them all."

"You know what, Brian. I'll go with Jessie. Why don't you just hangout here in this end of the mall...okay? Guitar Center is over there," she pointed. "Go in and check it out. We'll be back soon."

"Yeah, okay," he agreed. He watched as they turned toward the other end of the mall. Once they were out of sight, he turned and made his way into the guitar store.

He hadn't even walked a few feet through the front door when he saw it hanging on the wall by itself. It was a terrible greenish blue color but it was still beautiful. As if drawn to it, he walked straight to it. Lifting his hand slowly to touch it.

"A Schecter Blackjack Avenger," the store employee said behind him.

"I know," Brian nodded enthusiastically.

"You know Schecter?"

Brian shrugged "I'm a little familiar with them," he laughed and then realized that the employee didn't get his joke.

"Well looks like that one is calling your name," the employee replied. "Want to play it? See how it sounds?"

"Nah," Brian said quickly. "I couldn't."

"Sure you can," the employee reached for the guitar, pulling it gently off the rack and then offering it. "You can plug in over there."

Brian took it gently and nodded. "Oh what the hell."

Almost 40 minutes later, Brian was sitting and tossing out riffs...both familiar and unfamiliar. It felt good to play.

"That sounds amazing," Kate said smiling as she and Jessie walked over.

Brian snapped out of his trance as he took in Jessie looking at him curiously, her tiny head tilted.

"I mean really," Kate continued "Like off the charts amazingly wonderful. You are still the best guitar player in the world. Hands down."

"It's an unbelievable thing. Playing this guitar," Brian said resting his hand over the instrument casually. "It makes me feel like a better person. I think I'm going to buy it."

Kate raised her eyebrows as she leaned over to look at the price tag on the neck. "Brian, its $1600 dollars. Are you out of your mind?"

"She got those shoes," Brian motioned toward his daughter's new black Vans.