The Record Store- Ryden

12

I wake again in a pool of sweat. Another nightmare. Or stress dream. It's getting increasingly hard to tell the difference. One night I'm dreaming about being with Keltie, the next, I'm dreaming about the concert tomorrow. I haven't been out of my house for three days now. Spencer's texted me, but I didn't reply. He asked if I wanted to go round to his and have dinner with him and Linda. That was on Sunday. It is now Tuesday.
I ought to go into the Record Store, see Jon, maybe. I could definately use his weed, thtat's for sure.
My phone beeps- speak of the devil- it's from Jon.
hey, dude, we're clearing out some shit from the store, if you want any of it you should pass by
Great.
At least that means I've got something to do today.
I crawl out of my purple hoodie and pull on a shirt and vest. I look kind of stupid, but they're the only clothes that don't reek of booze and depression.
I silently hope that Brendon will be there. I need to let him know that things are fine between us.

~~~~~

I begin the ten minute walk to the store just as it starts to rain- again. It's been raining on and off all week.
I remember Keltie and I used to sit and watch the rain from her apartment balcony. It was so peaceful- neither of us said anything. We didn't have to. We just sat, enjoying eachother's company and the soft pattering of the rain.
This, however, is nothing like that, and I'm actually starting to get semi-soaked. Since when was the walk this long?
The roads are completely empty, apart from a black van that's been driving steadily behind me for a few blocks now. Wait. My paranoia kicks in and I am suddenly aware of how unprotected I am. There is no one around to hear me scream- hypothetically, obviously.
I begin to worry more. There's a turning up ahead of me- I'll take that and see if the van follows me. Then if it does... fuck I didn't think that far ahead. Too late now- I turn the corner and, to my dismay, the van does too. It's visibly speeding up. This is it- I am going to die here.
The van is parallel to me now, the tinted windows at eye-height. I get ready to run- if I need to. The pattering of the rain is really very off putting- I never realised before.
The van is rolling it's window down. Fuckfuckfuck.
"Hey, Ryan, is it?" Calls someone from inside.
I look and- oh my God it's Dallon. From Brendon's band.
"Dude!" I cry, "you scared the living shit out of me!"
"That was the point!"
"Get in, man," come two more voices from inside the van as the back door is pulled open.
I climb into the dark van and am greeted by two men sitting on the tattered seat of the van, laughing at their 'joke'.
"Ryan, this is Pete and Patrick. I don't think you guys met on Friday," says Dallon from the front seat.
One of the guys holds his hand out for me to shake. He seems kind of short with brown-ginger hair. He's wearing a fedora..? Seriously who wears a fedora?
"Patrick," he says, "drummer."
Pete just gives me a small wave. His black hair almost covers both his eyes- it's making me uneasy. Maybe it's just the fact that he's the one that took Keltie from me that's making me uneasy.
"I've heard all about you," he grins. Oh, you have, have you?
"Really?" I fake a smile.
"Yeah, from that clingy bitch... Kelsie was it?"
"Keltie," I correct him, my faux smile fading, "she talked about me?"
The other guy, Patrick, seems to sense that I'm uncomfortable.