memories.

Her phone forces her out of a peaceful slumber at a bright and early seven am. Far too early to be awake, she decides. Dragging herself off the mattress she had casually thrown in a corner of the room, she hops in the shower after setting her music on shuffle.

“Since when did you become so cold,
and such a life-less piece of work?
I can't take the sound of you anymore,
or the thought of you.”

She screams along, rinsing the foamy shampoo out of her hair as she does so.

“Don't worry,
Take what you need,
I left you and your dying breed.
But before we forget,
When the lights burn out,
Don't come home crying to me.
I will,
Surrender myself,
For the better health,
Of someone who really cares.”

Bending over in the steamy shower to shave her legs, she pauses to take a breath at the same time Austin does.

“Why would you throw it away so fast?
It's gotta' get better than this,
Too hard for too long,
I'm holdin' on,
try to go but it just don't feel right.
This light,
Your eyes,
I'm easy.
I should've known better by now,
But you look so,
Damn good.”

She rings out her hair and proceeds to match Austin Carlile word for word.

“I swear to God,
My intentions were gold,
I swear to God,
My intentions were,
Gold.”

She had first heard the band on Myspace, back when it first blew up. She was excited for whenever Carlile would start a new music project, or even if her joined back up with Of Mice & Men. Either or would be perfectly fine with her. That man had too much talent to waste.

Looking at the clock on her phone, she speeds up her process of getting ready, quickly blow drying her hair and brushing her teeth.

Slipping on some black skinny jeans and a Day To Remember T-shirt, she smiles as she thinks about what exactly went on last night. Alan is definitely worth keeping around. If not for a relationship, certainly for friendship.

She grabs a Monster on her way out to work. Sure, they weren’t necessarily the best breakfast, but it would get her through the day. She toys with her keys as she walks to her car, slightly wary of her first day at work. Would she be diving straight in, or would they make her scrub and mop floors?

A little of both it turns out.

Her boss, a slender, tall man lets her dedicate half her day to shop upkeep and the other half to sketching. “It’ll be good practice. Once I can see you won’t lose me a customer if I let you loose with a needle, we’ll change your schedule.”

Fair enough, she decides, quietly taking the broom and dust pan.

The work isn’t too bad. Mostly light cleaning, and best of all, her boss, Cole, plays music in the background. The two have very similar music taste, they discover over lunch break after he plays ‘California’ by Hollywood Undead.

And for only being twenty five, he was also highly successful.

“And so I said,” he pauses, waving his fork in the air for emphasis as he retells his story, “screw you. If you don’t like Motley Crue, you can get out of my shop.” Dakota laughs at his courage.

Cole chuckles with her and the two enjoy the quiet lull in the conversation.

Her phone buzzes on the countertop.

Alan: so we’re still on for tonight? ;)

“Who’s Alan?” Cole teasingly asks, snatching the phone out of her grasp.

“A friend,” she replies, jumping to try and reach her phone.

“Ah, ah, ah,” he playfully scolds, holding the phone out of her reach.

“You have to give me more than that, Sunshine.” Her eyebrow raises at the nickname, her phone momentarily forgotten.

“Sunshine?”

“Because you’re so bouncy. And light. Sunshine fits.” She nods, complacent before jumping up and grabbing her phone out of his grip.

“Hey,” he laughs, pouting. “No fair. I wasn’t paying attention.”

She sticks her tongue out, giggling. “I know.”

Sounds good. What do u wanna do? She replies to Alan, Cole looking over her shoulder. She playfully pushes him away, locking her phone as she does so.

Cole is just one of those guys you immediately click with. He has such a positive vibe that you can’t help but get along with him.

“You gotta give the boy more than that!” He urges and she ignores him, taking a forkful out of her salad.

He groans, leaning against the marble counter. “Take my advice, Sunshine!”

“And why should I?” She doesn’t say it offensively, just matter of factly.

“Because I’ve been in a relationship for the past three years! I know what I’m doing.” He winks as her phone vibrates, signaling Alan’s response.

i was thinking we could hang out at my band practice and get some pizza? let you meet the guys and get some practice in so i can kill two birds with one stone :)

“Oh, he’s in a band?” She nods, slightly annoyed by his pestering.

“Yes, Cole. Now what do I say?”

“Woah there, Sunshine. Just say okay.”

She does as he says, only adding a smiley face.

The bell rings above the shop door and Cole goes to greet the customer, but not before turning around to warn Dakota, “Don’t worry. I’m not through talking to you about this Alan kid.”

Notes

Woooo, long chapter! Well, long for me. Leave me some feedback? :))