Chapter Text
( Monday - 9:00AM )
Nikki pulls into her usual parking spot for the employees at Casell’s music behind the building. Nobody else had gotten there to clock in yet so she had to do it alone. She usually waited for Ian to show up to do it with him but today she just wanted to get the day over with. She had a messy and stressful morning. When she was drinking coffee and writing this morning she had spilt coffee all over her laptop, her writing notebook got wet in the process. Her favorite shirt was now ruined too so she had to wear a white fitted tank top with the music shop's uniform button up over it, which she left unbuttoned like usual and paired it with flared jeans.
Her morning was just terrible.
Nikki unbuckled her seat belt and climbed out of her car. Huffing as she tucked her dark hair behind her ears and walked up to the door. As she opened it, it let out a loud ‘CREEEEEAAAKKK!’. It hadn’t been replaced since the 90s, Nikki was surprised the store was still standing.
She stepped inside looking around to see if her boss, Steve, was in the back, he wasn’t. Probably looking at some keyboards that needed to be fixed. She put her bag on the hook behind the door and walked over to the small table to clock in. The machine they had for clocking in was ancient. It hadn’t been replaced in years and barely worked at this point. She clocked in and then started her shift, walking into the main floor of the store.
She spotted Steve near the cash register looking at the keyboards, as suspected. “Good morning.” Nikki smiled as she walked behind the counter.
He jumped slightly at the sound of Nikki’s voice. “Oh- good morning Nikki. You’re earlier than everyone else today, aren’t yah?” He laughed lowly and turned around to look at her. Adjusting his glasses that used to have a clear frame but they had become a light orange color.
“Yeah. I wanna get today over with. I’m exhausted.” Nikki nodded as she leaned on the glass counter. “Is there anything specific you need me to do or like open in the back?” She gestured her hand to the back of the shop.
“Ah, no. I’ll get Ian or Baron to do it. Don’t want you to break a nail.” Steve joked. It didn’t come off as funny though.
“I think I can handle it.” Nikki’s eyebrows furrowed and scoffed at his sexist joke as she headed to the back of the shop walking into the eerie storage room yet it was a nice place to hide at lunch. “I fucking hate this place..” She groaned to herself as she knelt down to the few new boxes and opened them. They had new release records, she took the stack out and brought it to the front of the shop to organize them in alphabetical order on the shelves.
Nikki headed back to the storage room to open the rest of the boxes but most of them were on high shelves where she couldn’t reach. She looked up at them and just huffed. “As if this day couldn’t get any worse..” She wasn’t short but she wasn’t necessarily tall and she didn’t wanna ask Steve for help so for now she’d need to figure it out.
She looked around the room for a solution.
A chair? But those were from the early 70s and stolen from a school, also probably were disintegrating at this point.
There was a huge box but it seemed too heavy to move and it looked like there were spiders living in it.
Maybe just jumping to reach it would be an easy solution? Playing basketball at 13 might’ve paid off.. or she hoped it did.
She started to jump and reach her arms up for the box. She grunted as she tried to grab it. No luck so far. She jumped again, almost grabbing it.
“Come on.” She said to herself and she jumped up one more time. As she went to land she lost her balance and went to fall backwards before she felt two hands on her waist stabilize her.
“AH!” Nikki screamed and turned around quickly. She was met with Sarah’s face.
Sarah was slightly taller just because the platformed boots she always wore along with the ugly uniform that Steve enforced.
“Jesus, Nikki.” Sarah chuckled.
“Oh my god. I didn’t hear you come in.” Nikki said breathlessly. “When did you get here?”
“Just now.” Sarah shrugged. “Do you need help?” She asked and pointed to the box.
“Yes. Please.” Nikki sighed out of relief. “I’ve had the worst morning possible.” She crossed her arms as she watched Sarah take the box down from the shelf with ease.
“How come?” Sarah asked Nikki as she held the box and walked out of the storage room.
Nikki followed close behind her as she explained. “I spilt my coffee all over my notebook and laptop, I burnt my toast, and after that I came here and Steve made some sexist ass joke.”
“God. That sounds miserable.” Sarah said as she walked behind the counter and set the box next to the register.
“Yeah. I know.” Nikki looked up at Sarah. “Besides my miserable morning and broken laptop, how was your morning?” She said and poked Sarah’s shoulder.
“Repetive, you know?” Sarah hummed, leaning on the counter. “Nothing special. Got rejected from another college, had an energy drink and a waffle” She locked eyes with Nikki.
Nikki felt her heart rate spike at the sudden eye contact. She had been developing feelings for Sarah for the last few weeks but she didn’t want it to interfere with their friendship so she just kept quiet. She was best at hiding the feelings anyway.
“You need to get out of that little repetitive loop.” Nikki teased but had a genuine and serious edge to it.
“Yeah, you always say that.” Sarah rolled her eyes.
“I’m serious. It’s not getting you anywhere.” Nikki leaned her elbow on the counter and rested her hand under her chin. “You need to have some confidence and not let those colleges define you.”
“I know. We’ve had the same conversation for the last three weeks, Nikki.” Sarah laughed lightheartedly.
“I just don’t want all the college letters to overwhelm you.” Nikki shrugged.
“They aren’t, don’t worry.” Sarah smiled at Nikki. “Uh. You wanna go through these records?” She asked Nikki.
“Do we even have a choice?” Nikki joked and raised her eyebrow.
Sarah laughed at Nikki’s joke. “I guess not.. I’ll bring it over to the shelves for us.”
“No, I got it.” Nikki went to grab the box and Sarah’s hands rested over Nikki’s.
“I got it, I swear.” Sarah reassured her and her cheeks turned a light shade of pink at the accidental contact.
Nikki pulled her hands away quickly. “Oh, okay.” Nikki nodded, slightly flustered. “Let’s get to work then, yeah?” She gestured her head in the direction of the record shelves.
Sarah nodded her head and they both walked over. Organizing each album and laughing together every few seconds. They were organizing in silence for 15 minutes or so, Baron and Ian arrived eventually and talked at the register.
Sarah broke the silence after a couple of minutes and held up a record to Nikki. “Ohh.. Ethel Cain, love her.” She said.
Nikki looked at Sarah with a wide smile. “You like Ethel Cain?”
“Who doesn’t?” Sarah snorted and put the album on the shelf.
Nikki giggled with her. “True.” She smiled and continued to organize records. “Half of these albums are outdated. Who even listens to Elvis anymore?” She holds up the Elvis ‘Christmas special’ record.
“I do not know.” Sarah shrugged. “Some oldies shop here, I guess.”
“The creepy ones who give us suspicious tips?” Nikki cackled.
“Okay- okay not them.” Sarah laughed with her and put her hand on Nikki’s shoulder as she laughed. After their laughter faded Sarah clarified her response. “The nice ones, likeeee.. Sharon? The short old lady?”
“Awhh, she’s sweet. Don’t you give her piano lessons?” Nikki asked.
“Yeah. She said she wanted to play her whole life but never got the chance. I felt bad and gave it to her for free.” Sarah smiled as they finished up putting the records away.
Nikki’s stomach fluttered at Sarah’s kindness. “That’s so sweet of you.”
“Oh stop.” Sarah laughed and looked away.
“Seriously.” Nikki said genuinely and smiled at Sarah.
Sarah looked back at her. “Thanks. Uh.. I’m gonna go say hi to Bear and Ian but I’ll meet you in the storage room at lunch, okay?” Sarah asked.
“That’s cool with me. I’m gonna mess around with the guitars.” Nikki hummed. “See you at lunchhh.” She wiggled her fingers at Sarah.
Sarah did the same back and walked away to the register. “See youu..”
( Monday - 12:00PM )
It was now lunch time.
Nikki had snuck off into the storage room already, she was sitting on an old box and eating a Cesar salad that she had ordered for dinner last night. Slowly eating while waiting for Sarah. Sarah was probably flirting with Bear or something, it made her slightly jealous. Whenever Bear got close to Sarah or grazed her arm it made her grasp whatever she was holding tightly between her fingers.
She shook her head. “God.”
Sarah was consuming every thought she had today, and the day before that. She really was falling for Sarah.
“Nikki!” Sarah called out and walked over to her with a sandwich baggie in her hand and a bag of chips in the other.
Sarah’s sudden voice snapped Nikki out of her thoughts. “Oh, hey Sarah.” Nikki smiled. “How was Ian and Bear?”
Sarah shrugged. “Annoying.” She chuckled. “How was the corner with the guitars?” Sarah asked and sat on the floor in front of Nikki.
“Decent. Everything is good. Nothing needs to be restrung- yet.” Nikki said and took a bite of her salad off her fork.
“Yet?” Sarah laughed, opening her chip bag and taking a chip into her mouth.
“Yeah. Stringing guitars is weirdly calming.” Nikki said.
“You should teach me one day.” Sarah smiled.
“Really?” Nikki asked, taking a forkful of salad into her mouth.
“Yeah. Why not? It’ll be fun.” Sarah said as she ate another chip. “In payment I will..” She tapped her chin, covering up that she was hesitating to say what she was gonna say next. “Take you out to dinner.” She finally spat out.
Nikki’s eyes widened a bit, Sarah wanted to take her out to dinner? Nikki then cleared her throat, tried to play it off as she was not nervous. “You know I can’t say no to free dinner.” Nikki said.
“Is tonight fine?” Sarah asked with a sheepish smile across her face.
“Uh. Yeah. That’s cool with me.” Nikki nodded. “Are we going straight from work?” She looked up at Sarah.
“Uh.. if you want.” Sarah said.
“I’ll do that.” A smile spread across Nikki’s face and her eyes twinkled in the storage rooms dim lights.
“Cool.. cool.” Sarah said and looked down at her chips and ate another one.