The next few hours pass by quickly as no one really comes in. I meet a few new people, though. Most of the people are already decked out in tattoos, while others look like they're getting their first. The contrast is genuinely shocking. My shift ends, and I’m left sitting there. I'm supposed to help close the shop up, but he’s not done with the last client of the day. I scroll my phone until I hear the jingle of the door.

“Hey, sorry we’re closed,” I look up from my phone and see a girl with sandy blonde hair, with dark brown eyes. Her hair framed her face and came down to her shoulders. Her sweater was oversized and fell past her hands. She wore sweatpants that were a little too baggy. Her mascara was smudged on her eyes like she had been rubbing them all day but never the less she was pretty. She looked around my age but a little older. I couldn’t tell. I hear stomping from the next room.

“Hey Chris, what do you need?” he says as he takes off his gloves and pumps hand sanitizer. Chris, have I heard that before?

“Hey Papa, I was wondering when mom is coming home,” she says ignoring me and walking to the back of the salon. 

“Her business trip-” Tye gets cut off by the sound of the door closing. Only silence remains as I lean back in my chair and sigh a laugh. Ah, that makes sense. I didn’t know they had a daughter. I start to play my music higher and lean back in the chair. 

“Sunsets

I wanna hear your voice,

A love that nobody could destroy

Took photographs like” Hellllooooo a faint voice says, I ignore it, were closed anyway so it’s not like anyone is here besides Tye and his daughter… OH SHIT! My eyes fly open to meet hers. 

“Uh hi?” I greet waving my hand awkwardly in the air. She rolls her eyes, at me.

“Can you, like, go home, dad doesn’t want you here,” she says and turns on her phone and starts scrolling. Tsk. Just like Sydney. Tye shouts from the other room.

“That’s not what I meant, I just don't need help closing today but I will tomorrow,” I gather my stuff and put on my headphones. 

“Oh no worries, I’ll be on my way,” I wave them goodbye and head out the door. Putting my headphones on, I rush to fine my bike. I look at the time, it’s barely after four and I don’t want to go home. I ride my bike to the woods to our old clubhouse. It looks worse since the last time we were here like the paint faded and the wood was rotting. I go inside a little afraid the wind might blow it over.

I lay on the floor and I started to relax, my eyes closed for a while

 BAM!!

A loud noise jolts me and I stand up. Looking around I search for the culprit. The back wall to the clubhouse feels off leaving a gaping hole in the back. This place needs to be fixed up. Another loud BAM from behind me. Like urgently. I scratch my head. I guess the car will have to wait. I sigh and cover the place with tarps that were left outside, they were left here when this place was built. I searched that night for plywood and white paint.

—--------------

 three days until Laura gets back

The next day at the shop wasn’t so bad until one hour before closing, Chris came to the shop again. She was wearing heavy makeup almost gothy with a long flowy dress that went past her shoes and slid across the floor. She sat on a chair in the main lobby, a few chairs down from the front desk. 

“Hey, Chris,” no response. “How umm was your day?” I cringe at my attempt at small talk. I huff a puff of air and fall back in my chair. Staring at the ceiling, I'm tempted to put my headphones in my ear. 

“....my day was fine, thanks for asking,” she says relatively quiet but loud enough for me to hear her.

“No need to thank me, just trying to be friendly,” I sit up in my chair and look at her. She's staring into the distance somewhere like she's looking for answers in the room. None seem to come as she sighs and asks, “How is your day?” she turns to look at me.

“My day was alright I’ve been here pretty much the whole time, trying to keep myself busy, but there's nothing much to do here besides to stare at the beautiful drawings. Like that one over there.”

I point to beautifully painted Lilly made out of vibrant, neon colors. The colors look splattered on and the delicately painted flower looks slightly messed up but it also looks intentional as if saying ‘I might be ruined but I'm still beautiful’.

“You like it? I painted that, it’s not my best work but it is what it is,” she shrugs as she looks at the painting.

“Are you sure we are looking at the same painting because the one I'm talking about is beautiful and gorgeous? In fact, it’s so beautiful that I'm surprised it’s not in some museum somewhere or in a rich person's home,” I blabbered a little bit but it is what it is. The silence stretches for a little bit.

“...thanks,” she says, and a red-tinted blush forms on her cheeks.

I got to speak again but I’m interrupted by Tye.

“Alright, that was my last client, it’s time to clean up.” 

The rest of the time I spend talking to Chris and cleaning the whole place. Sometimes she would respond and other times I was met with silence. Which was fine because at least I had someone to talk to.

—------ 

The next couple of days were pretty smooth going and before I knew it Laura was coming home in a day!!!!