Anything Goes

Chapter One

Emma pushed open her apartment door, attempting to not drop the overflowing grocery bags in her arms as she fumbled with the key ring. Dumping the bags on the kitchen counter, she leaned back against the cabinets lining the wall.

The day Emma had had was long and stressful. Her walk to work had been delayed by construction, and when she arrived late, her boss had been furious. Emma was surprised she was able to keep her job. The record shop she worked at was close to going out of business. the slow trickle of teenage hipsters and old men and women got it by on the bare minimum.

Emma liked it there though; the place had a sense of home. It was right next to a tiny coffee shop where she would spend her breaks drinking strange concoctions of coffee that her friend Peter, the barista, would make her. Peter was almost always at The Split Bean, and since Emma was often at Spin City, they would tend to spend their breaks at each other's shops.

Emma sighed and began putting her groceries away. Thinking of Peter would remind her of their plan to try and save the record shop, and that only added to her stress. Closing the fridge, she put a kettle on the stove and made herself a hot mug of green tea. Emma pulled her dark hair into a bun, changed into pajamas, and headed to bed.

chik. chik. chik.

Emma awoke with a gasp when she heard a strange noise. It almost sounded like something pelting her window. She scrambled out of bed, her thoughts spiraling with possibilities.
Hail.
Heavy rain.
A ghost.
A murderer.

The noise came again, this time followed by a shout.

chik.
"Kate! Kate! It's me!"
chik.
chik.
"Kate!"
chik.
"Open up!"

Emma glanced at the clock. It was one in the morning. What the hell was some random person doing outside her apartment at this ungodly hour and who the hell was Kate?! She threw open her window and ducked to avoid a flying rock. The rock sailed over her head and smacked against the wall, leaving a dent.

"Kate?"

Emma stuck her head out the window to see a blonde head of hair.

"Wrong apartment, Romeo," she yelled down at him.

The "him" in question looked up and in the dim light, she could see that attached to the blonde hair were blue eyes, a crooked smile, and a jaw that looked capable of cutting glass. In one hand was a bunch of rocks picked from the garden in the back of the apartment building, and the other hand held a half full beer bottle. At his feet was a full six pack.

Emma could only imagine it wasn't his first.

"You're not Kate," he dropped the rocks, confused.

"You're drunk."

"No I'm not," Looking up threw him off balance and he stumbled to the side.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to win my ex back, isn't it obvious," his confusion gave way to an arrogant grin.

"Are you this annoying all the time or is that the beer talking?"

"I happen to be very charming all the time."

"Go home!"

"If I could remember where that is." A long pause ensued. "Come down here, not-Kate."

"No. I don't even know you!"

"Pleeaassee?" his voice took on a childish tone and he pouted his lips.