-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
{ Cassette Tapes and Sneakers }
Created by: Peachdan14
A.k.a Aubrey Lee
All rights reserved
-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

An:

Hello! I am so glad that you found my story! I am somewhat of a new writer so I hope that all of you enjoy my work and that you won't come upon too many mistakes. Each and every chapter I have written, re-written and maybe even re-re-written, trying to make it to the best it can be. So I would appreciate if there were no hate comments or any sort of negativity.

Only good vibes here. I also would like to mention that I hold this book very close to my heart, so I hope that no one will be plagiarizing any part of it. The best writers are always the ones who are original with their work.

----------------------

"The writer lets loose the inner weavings of her mind,

While the reader feels a deep understanding and a sense of not being alone."

- c.j.c

I recite my shopping list in my head as I stroll down the faded blue aisles of the 'Friendly Market', a local grocery store that happened to be a block away from my apartment. It was two in the morning, an obscenely early hour to be shopping for most, but a regular habit for me.

The reason behind such early shopping runs was simple, insomnia. Something I happened to be diagnosed with at fifteen and the very reason why riding my bike to the store at two in the morning was something I found easy.

Not only did shopping so early give me something to do when my body would't let me sleep, it was a distraction that allowed me to forget all my worries and responsibilities that seemed to be chipping away at my soul. Everything that seemed to weigh me down. 

While shopping so early served as a perfect distraction from my own mind, I couldn't deny the fact that sometimes more than not, it could be lonely. The only other option, however, would be to lie in my room and battle the screaming voices in my head as I tried to fall asleep.

While insomnia was something I wouldn't wish upon even the worst of people, It wasn't all bad. You see, when I start to think about everything that is unfair or wrong in my life, I like to play a game that my dad taught me and my brother when we were young.

When things seem to be unfair or like you've been dealt a bad hand, the game is to find a few good things. Once you find a couple, focus on those good things and soon enough, all the bad things don't seem as bad. Without insomnia, as terrible as it is, I never would have realized that the world at such an early hour was so beautiful. The silence, the empty roads, the glow of lights against the darkly painted sky and the ride back home as I sang at the top of my lungs to an audience consisting only of stars. No one to judge me for buying an excessive amount of food, even though I barely have enough money for rent and nobody to remember my tangly hair that hadn't been brushed in days.

Those were just a few of the good things that I've been able to find.

I shake myself out of my thoughts and hop onto the edge of a bright red shopping cart, letting myself glide down the empty aisle of the store. My tired eyes roam the stocked shelves for anything that I would need for the next week. I swiftly hop off as I turn down the breakfast aisle, grabbing the strawberry Pop-tarts off the top shelf and setting them into the cart.

Pop-tarts, check.

The market is quiet and bare, few employees stand around, and even fewer customers shop. The only sound in the market being the soft echo of unrecognizable music drifting from the small speakers hung against the ceiling.

I quickly grab the eggs and milk placing them in the cart before slowly wandering to the register upfront, grabbing a loaf of wheat bread on the way.

I push my cart into lane four and start to set my food across the checkout, pausing briefly to search for a ten-dollar bill that I had stuffed into my back pocket. My eyes glance up to meet the eyes of the cashier, giving him an awkward smile. No matter how sickeningly sweet I was, or how many jokes I cracked, he always had a permanent grimace stuck on his face.

The farthest I ever got was a small twitch. The older man had worked here for years, but because he never wore his name tag I didn't know what to call him.

"Hello, how are you this fine morning?" I ask with a smile. I wait for a reply but am not surprised when all he gives me is a polite nod. "That's good," I remark cheerily, my fingers finally finding the crumpled bill at the bottom of my pocket. I gently pull out the mangled ten dollar bill before letting out a small victory laugh.

I hand the man the money and continue to place all of my items on the black belt before noticing that something was missing.

"Darn it," I mutter to myself before sending the cashier an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry, I'll be right back, I forgot the broccoli."

The cashier looks at me with tired eyes.

"It'll just take a moment, I'll be back in a jiffy." I try, quickly turning and leaving my shopping cart in the lane.

I start to walk down aisle seven, making my way to the produce. This always happened; somehow I always managed to forget at least one thing on my list despite how much I tried to remember.

I glance over my shoulder, quickly peeking at the cashier and meet annoyed eyes. This is so embarrassing, I think to myself as I quicken my steps.

Just as I'm about to turn into another aisle, my foot slips, and I end up tripping over my own feet. My eyes open mid-fall just in time to watch as I tumble into a large, cat food display. Wincing as I land on my butt, the neatly placed tower of cans crash all around me.

I blink before letting out a groan, "Oh, crap."

I place my hands on the floor beside my body as I try to hurriedly push myself up and maybe save myself from the embarrassment that was sure to come. Unfortunately, I just end up fumbling on my feet and falling on my butt again.

Confused on how I had managed to slip, I look behind me to see what had caused the problem. There scattered across the aisle was a torn bag of frozen shrimp, the tiny crustaceans splayed across the floor.

What the heck?

I look down at the mess that surrounds me. I really need to get up, I think to myself.

With how loud the crash was, I was sure that someone would rush over to see what had happened, and 'grumpy' the cashier already hated me. If the man had a hit list, I was sure that I was the first name on the list.

Just as I'm about to push myself up from the floor, a hand is held out in front of my face. Startled, I look up into light blue eyes.

My lips part in a soft inhale. The reaction was startling and quite embarrassing. I sort of wanted to smack myself, but in my defense, the guy was stunning, the kind of beauty that almost didn't seem real at first.

My eyes glance down to his 'Friendly Market' uniform and then to his bronze name tag.

Tyler.

My throat suddenly feels very heavy, and my heart is practically beating out of my chest. I push down these unnatural feelings and make myself open my mouth, saying the first thing that comes to mind.

"Um, I don't think now is the time for a handshake, buddy." I choke out before pushing myself off the ground and grabbing ahold of his shoulders to steady my unbalanced feet. He had broad shoulders.

"I was trying to help you up," He says with a small smile.

"Oh," I let out stupidly, awkwardly looking at his shoes as I tried to remember how to talk.

"Are you okay?" He asks with concern before looking down at the mess.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I reassure before trying not to stare at his freckles. I watch as he ignores me and, instead, looks down at the cans of cat food surrounding us, his eyes noticeably shifting at the colossal mess.

When his eyes glance back to me, I look at him awkwardly. "I'm so sorry," I begin. "I can clean it up, I'll just-" but I stop when I see him sigh.

"It's fine. You don't have to clean it up; that's my job."

"Are you sure?" I ask guiltily. "I am so, super sorry."

Tyler hums before grabbing a broom from the end of the aisle. "It's fine. Here I thought the night shift at a small town market would be uneventful." He says, a teasing tone to his voice.

"Are you new in town?" I ask, even though I already knew the answer. I had lived in this town for almost two years now and I would have recognized a face like his.

"Yeah, moved in last week. My names Tyler," He introduces himself, sticking out his hand. "Is now a good time for a handshake?" He asks smugly.

I hold in a laugh and instead settle on a smile as I shake his hand. "I'm Jackson, Audrey Jackson." I introduce myself in James Bond mode, smiling at the end but stop when I realize how stupid I sound.

Why do I even open my mouth?

I'm relieved when all he does is look at me with a grin.

I awkwardly look down at the huge mess, when suddenly an idea hits me like lightning. I grab a few bills from the inside of my jacket pocket, "Here," I breathe before continuing. "As compensation for everything."

Tyler looks down at the three dollars with amusement before looking up at me, a small, ghost-of-a-smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Gee, thanks."

"It's all I have left," I shrug awkwardly.

I hand him the green paper, my heart beating at an unusually fast pace, and for a moment, I wonder if I'm about to have a heart attack. Now would not be the time for a cardiac arrest, I had already embarrassed myself enough.

My heart flutters when I catch him looking my way, "I need to get a few cans anyway," I say, searching for a reason to keep talking to him. I grab two canisters of the cat food, holding them in my arms. I don't stop to think about what I would do with the cat food when I got home, seeing as I didn't have a cat.

Tyler stares down at me with his blue eyes before grinning like an idiot. I look around, making sure he was grinning at me and not someone else. When I don't see anyone I look at him confused.

"What?" I ask. There was no way he was grinning at me because he thought I had a charming personality, it was because of me he has to clean up wet cat food off the floor.

"You have a piece of shrimp stuck in your hair." He suddenly says while lightly touching the top of his head, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"What?" I ask dumbly, watching as his dark eyebrows draw together as he tries to hold back a smile.

"You have shrimp-" He says slowly, "In your hair."

It takes me a moment to register what he said, but my hand quickly reaches to my hair, and sure enough, my hand ends up grabbing a squishy, cold piece of shrimp.

I peel the creature out of my hair and stare at it blankly, a light blush spreading across my cheeks. Just laugh it off, pretend you don't care that you just found a shrimp in your hair.

I laugh awkwardly and hold the shrimp in my hand, looking at its cold beady eyes before gently reaching over and placing him with his brothers on the floor.

Trying not to think about how embarrassing this situation was and not being able to look him in his face, I begin to study the floor.

How interesting. This floor-is looking so floory.

Finally, after the embarrassment wears off, I glance up at him. Taking a moment to really look ar him. Tyler's face was an oval shape, his eyes slender, and his eyebrows thick—his hair curls at the top, the light, chestnut brown color reminding me of coffee.

"You know who you look like?" I blurt out without thinking. Not liking the awkward silence. When he doesn't answer, I smile, "Han Solo."

He looks at me with a questionable gaze before frowning adorably. He actually looked nothing like Han solo other than the fact that they were both hot, but I couldn't tell him that.

"Who is Han so low?"

I look at him blankly before letting out a laugh. When he doesn't laugh along, I stare at him in utter shock. "You don't know who Han Solo is?"

"Is he some singer?" He asks, a small frown on his lips.

"What? Of course not," I snort before smiling. "Harrison Ford plays him in Star-Wars, you know, the greatest movie series of all time."

I wait for him to come to the realization, but I watch as he looks at me blankly, "Never seen it."

My mouth hangs open before I gasp, "what kind of awful life do you live?" I ask dramatically, but when he just sends me a confused half-smile, I quickly retrace my steps. "I'm just joking, I mean, Star-Wars is great, but just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean you're completely awful! I just meant that you've been missing out."

When he doesn't answer, I scratch my arm awkwardly, "You should see it," I say. "Star Wars, I mean."

"Okay," He says, his lips picking up at the corners. "I'll look it up."

No, Audrey. I think as my mouth begins to open. Don't say it, I beg, but it's too late. The words have already tumbled out of my mouth.

"If you want, we could watch it together," I say hopefully, shooting my shot like an off-brand Michael Jordan.

"I don't even know you," He says, giving me a grin. "You could be a serial killer for all I know."

"True enough," I laugh. "but the same goes for me. I don't know you either, we could both be serial killers plotting to murder each-other."

"I'm not a serial killer," He says cockily.

"Good, neither am I." I smile.

"That sounds like something a serial killer would say." He states, raising an eyebrow.

I let out a laugh before looking over to Tyler, who was still smiling, his stiff posture now more relaxed. My heart races as a thought crosses my mind.

"Can I borrow your pen?" I ask, pointing towards the pen clipped onto his shirt pocket.

"Sure," He says, looking at me suspiciously.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to stab you with it."

"I wasn't worried about that until now," He says, licking his lips before grinning.

I snort, trying not to look at his lips, before quickly uncapping it, searching for something to write on. "May I?" I ask, reaching for his hand.

He holds it up, and I gently take it in mine, beginning to write in my sloppy handwriting.

"What are you doing?" Tyler asks, bending his head down to try to see, his face only inches from mine.

"Relax," I say more to myself than to him. "The worst thing you can get is ink poisoning."

"That's not what I meant," He smiles, why are you writing on my hand?"

"I'm writing down my number," I say, not looking anywhere other than his hands—a burning blush coating my cheeks.

"Who said I wanted your number, Shrimp girl?" He asks, amusement clear in his voice.

I blink up at him before letting out a laugh, "Wow, Solo, Didn't know we were already on to the nicknames stage of this relationship."

He raises an eyebrow, and I blush an even darker red, "Relationship?" he questions.

Crap. I should not have opened my mouth. I actually need to be locked in a hospital for how crazy I sound.

"I meant friendship! You know, um- friends." I stumble. Way to be subtle and not creepy, Audrey. I inwardly cringe and set a reminder to fling myself in front of a moving vehicle when I leave. "Anyways," I say, trying to change the subject. "Now if you decide you want to watch Star Wars, we can do it together." I say before flashing him a crooked smile.

Tyler's eyes narrow in amusement and I quickly blurt out. "You know, like a marathon!" I say. "As friends."

"Okay," Tyler smiles. "I might take you up on that offer, I need to know now if I really look like this Han-rolo person."

"Han Solo," I laugh, finishing scribbling my number on his hand before placing the cap on the pen and handing it back to him, blushing when our hands brush against each other.

"Whatever," he smiles before suddenly looking down at me with interest.

"What?" I ask.

"Are you high?" He asks out of nowhere.

"What?" I ask, completely taken aback. "Of course I'm not high! I don't do drugs!" I stumble.

Tyler looks at me warily before shaking his head with a wide smile, "Yeah, okay."

He sends me a glance before he begins to walk away, "Well, I gotta go clean this mess up that you made." Tyler says, his hand running through his messy hair.

"Okay," I say before smiling, watching as he starts to turn around. "See you later then."

"Sure," I hear him say, his eyes rolling in amusement before he sends me a short wave.

I turn around, pushing my cart once again to the checkout, grabbing a piece of broccoli on the way. Grumpy from lane four glares at me.

"Sorry," I sheepishly smile.

Next time I'm just going to use the self check out.

----------------------