Silly String {Open to first poster only}

Abi had been cursing since she entered her car in Felicity's with her guitar attached to her hand. This never happened to Abi. NEVER. Now, suddenly it was alright for her string to break when she wasn't even touching it. Abi was furious, it would cost her an arm to get the string replaced, not that she minded it was her guitar but Abi didn't even know who broke it! It was sitting there happily, as she was sat in the classroom, chatter surrounding her and as soon as she looks back it's replaced with a snapped string hanging out miserably. Abi had ran out of the room, almost crying, almost because Abi didn't want to spoil her eye makeup and of course cry in front of everyone.

It was early in the midday, not even lunch time, Abi had only been awake for a few hours, her guitar sitting next to her bed, untouched. She had taken it down with her after her first lesson to get in some practice in her break. Abi had set it down on the side and then spotted some of her friends in the year below, she knew that was the only point that someone could have reached her guitar without her knowing. Abi was disappointed that in her break and probably breaking into her next lesson, resulting in her first late of the year that she was dressed in something that no one would get to see until the evening. It was absolutely pointless, Abi concluded. Wearing clothes that none of your friends would get to see and compliment you on, when you were out without them, having to fix something that no one should have touched in the first place.

Her dearly beloved guitar lay broken on the back seat, as she drove as fast within the speed limit as she could to the only place Abi hoped had plenty of stocks of the string she needed. The Treble Cleff Music Makers shop was in sight, Abi slowed her car down, relieved to have made it so soon. Pushing open her car door, Abi moved as quickly as she could to her guitar, and entered the shop. They would have to have something to fix her guitar, and she certainly didn't want it to stay overnight. Abi spotted a sales assistant walking in front of her, down towards the back of the small shop. "Excuse me!" Abi said loudly, gently clutching the guitar in both hands. "I hope you sell guitar strings, it's an emergency!" The sales assistant, although surprised at her outburst as she caught their attention, they looked at the guitar and then around the shop.

Hopefully searching for the same thing Abi was.

Gerard had spent his lazy morning browsing in the small shop that had backrooms that held treasures. His favourite was room 6, the one that held those ancient wooden clarinets, and was where all the reeds and mouthpieces were kept. As a backroom it was rather large and Gerard had a tendency of keeping himself company. Therefore, he'd spent most of the morning there, before finding himself pawing lightly through the boxes of clarinet music, half of which he'd been itching to either buy or try out for months. He had to be honest though, all the music was incredibly expensive.

He lept almost three feet into the air in surprise when someone had rushed in, he recognised the girl from around Felicity's. Her voice was obnoxiously loud in the quiet and almost musty air, which clung around like a cloak as several other musicians in store shook their heads disapprovingly. Deciding to do two things:
1. Not appear to be an old fogey; and
2. Not get on the wrong side of this girl;
Gerard simply gave the girl a look and snorted a little in disbelief. Of course this shop would have guitar strings. Then a thrill ran over him as he noticed the beauty of the patterns on the guitar. He noticed the grain of the wood and the general beauty of it. He was a sucker for instruments, narrating his entire life through two mediums had made sure of this. The music had given the appreciation of a good instrument and the writing had made him a sucker for beauty of any kind. Speaking of which...

His glance slid up and down the girl's body and the corners of his mouth twitched with appreciation. She looked good and wasn't too mainstream for his tastes. In fact, she was about right, but of course, it was impossible not to be 'about right' if you were pretty and female. Gerard turned back to the music, and let out a sigh, covering his eyes with his right hand. He really had to work on this problem.

"Look, guitar strings in this corner. All sorts and types and whatever you want."

Gerard waved the girl over to the stand beside the boxes of music. He spent far too much time in the damn shop, and should really just get a job as an assistant. It would make sense, getting paid for flicking through music and getting employee discounts on pretty much everything, from reeds to mouthpieces to strings and guitar picks.

"I'm so glad my day is pretty much empty. No lessons until the end of the day, and even then we're doing free assignments. Otherwise I wouldn't be here to assist a pretty lady like you."

Gerard was turning on the charm, sure, and was maybe a little desperate. Well, when comfort eating with Kay didn't cut it... He gave a light smile and turned to the racks of strings, before picking out a brand that he'd often heard being recommended by the owners of the shop to people with guitars like the one the girl held in her hands, and held out the packet.

"I'm Gerard. You?"

Abi was a little confused when the person supposed to be helping her only snorted at her?! She held her guitar tightly, Abi had no ides what this guy's problem was. "Guitar strings! Perfect!" Abi quickly walked off towards the corner he was waving her over to. She decided to ignore the rude gesture, and proceeded to search through the strings trying to find the one that matched her guitar.

He started making conversation, Abi only half-listening as she picked up a packet holding a string similar to the one she was looking for and placed it back, while her guitar lay leaning against the wall. Directly in her eyeline. She was looking all over at the boxes, when "Otherwise I wouldn't be here to assist a pretty lady like you." Abi rolled her eyes, "You must not see a lot of pretty ladies then" She muttered to herself, all she was looking for was a guitar string to replace the one that had broken so she could carry on playing.

Finally silence ensued, if only for a moment, resulting in him finally helping her. Abi was shocked when he handed her the one that was perfect for her type of guitar, she turned her head from him to the boxes. How on Earth. "I'm Gerard. You?" Abi held out her hand for the packet holding the vital piece for her guitar, "Abi. Have I seen you around Felicitys?" Abi asked. Now she wasn't concentrating on her guitar, she recognised him from around the school.

Gerard smirked slightly at her look of shock, and pressed the packet into her hands.

"Yeah. I'm a Junior, Literature. Oh, and music too, but, you know. Also, you might want to stock up on those strings. Good quality and these guys aren't always open. I mean, the manager here keeps odd hours, and tends to spend a lot of time on eBay, looking for all those bargain instruments that are still somehow high quality."

He bent down and adjusted the black leg warmers around his ankles, so they looked right again. Finally, he pulled himself straight up and gave a last touch to the box of Clarinet music, before pulling out the piece he had been contemplating on buying for a while. Rummaging in his pocket, he frowned and pulled out a packet of chewing gum from the day before.

"Want one? Because, as the saying goes, sharing is caring, right?"

He pushed one of the two remaining minty sweets into his mouth, smiling at Abi and holding the packet out to her. Making his way over to the counter, he paused a moment before ringing the bell on the desk.

"Can I have some more Vandoren Reeds, please? A box of 10, strength... 3.5 for Clarinet."

He pulled out the wallet and grimaced at the suspiciously light feel of it, before he checked and blanched. He was short two dollars.

"On second thoughts, forget the music, I'll be fine with the reeds."

He let out a light sigh and put his head down on the glass counter, staring at the rows of merchandise below, more than a little annoyed that he didn't have enough.

"Yeah. I'm a Junior, Literature. He studied Literature. Abi was impressed, he was into literature and music? It was a strange combination as he mentioned she might want to stock up on those strings. Abi grabbed a few more from the place he had taken them from, getting a couple of each note just in case. She opened her bag, and retrieved her purse, realising it would be alot of money even if it was for a dozen new sets of strings. It was important.

"Thanks" Abi said slowly, taking a piece of gum and popping it in her mouth. Abi flicked back her hair, watching Gerard carefully as she walked over to the till and dropped the strings on the counter. He asked for a box of reeds and held some music in his hands. "On second thoughts, forget the music, I'll be fine with the reeds." Abi frowned, she had just received her monthly allowance, of $300. "Take the music" She took out a couple of dollars and waited for Gerard to stand back up from the glass counter and accept the money she was giving him.

It was of course the least she could do, after he helped save her guitar. "Thanks for the help" Abi smiled. She wondered how much the strings would cost though, it would be covered, but how deep into her allowance would it go?

Gerard smiled at Abi, and gratefully took the dollars nodding at the guy behind the till. Scrawling down a number on the back of the card that was set on the counter, he smiled and handed it to the guy.

"Give a discount to the lady, not me. That's gonna be expensive to buy. And as promised, there's the number for that supplier I told you about. He'll kill me when he finds out I gave you the number, but cheapest and best valve oil for miles around. And some of the greatest key work for trumpets."

Turning to face Abi again, he flashed another little smile.

"You helped me out paying for this, so I'm going to get you this discount. That's a lot of money to spend at any one time. I'd offer you cookies too, but I really cannot bake."

Gerard laughed slightly, and pushed the card closer to the guy at the desk, pulling the bag with the music and reeds in towards himself.

Abi smiled as Gerard asked the man to give her a discount. After telling him about a supplier from some previous conversation - clearly he came into the shop alot. "Thanks" She said to Gerard as he turned to face her. Abi placed the strings gently on the counter, "Cookies? Nah, it's ok!" Gerard had helped her so much, and cookies? She loved cookies, but of course only the best - that Audie could make. Abi was so pleased to be buying something that could fix her guitar. She was still furious with whoever had broken it in the first place, but there was a tiny part of her that was calm. Just a bit.

As the man clearly said the amount for all the strings, her eyes nearly popped out of her head. And that was with the discount! Abi opened her purse, sifting through for the correct amount, pulling out a couple of notes and handing them over. It was worth it. Anything for her guitar! The man put the strings in a bag branded 'Treble Cleff Music Makers' on the front and back, he handed it to her and she quickly accepted it along with the receipt. "Thanks" Abi muttered, turning away from the register, holding her guitar in one hand and the bag in the other"Bye Gerard!" She smiled, and gave a wave as she walked towards the door. "I'll see you around sometime!?" Abi exited the shop, quickly walking to her car, slowly putting her guitar in the passenger seat, leaning across from the drivers seat. Abi reached behind her, laying the strings on the floor of her car.

The keys in her hand connected with the ignition, starting the engine, Abi began driving back to Felicity's. A whole lot happier than when she had arrived.