Count on Me

Chapter One The bells over the Vinyl Crocodile's door jangled musically as Meg Pryor walked in, leaving the crisp late September air behind. The Saturday sky outside was as gray as lead, and everyone seemed to be wearing heavy coats of the same drab color. Meg could feel winter in the air, and soon there would be snow, turning the streets white for a few hours, then dirty gray.A trumpet blared over the record store's hi-fi, and thanks to her ex-boyfriend Luke Foley's informal music appreciation lessons, Meg could tell that she was listening to Dave Brubeck. Meg had never liked jazz or folk music, Luke's two greatest musical passions, before she met Luke -- or, more accurately, she hadn't known anything about jazz or folk before he told her about them. But now, through the records he had given her, as well as the discussions they'd had after she'd listened to them, Meg found it all interesting, if not the kind of music she'd rush out and buy. Just from hearing the music on the stereo in the store, Meg knew instantly that Mr. Greenwood, who owned the store and employed both Luke and Meg's best friend, Roxanne Bojarski, wasn't in. Mr. Greenwood never let Luke play jazz or folk when he was around. "That's not what the customers want," he'd yell. "They want to buy rock and roll, so let them hear rock and roll!" Luke would roll his eyes behind his thick Buddy Holly-style glasses, tug at his unruly dark hair, and nod. Then, the minute Mr. Greenwood would step out, the needle would come off Manfred Mann's "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" record, or some other rock tune that was burning up the charts in 1964, and the cool piano of Thelonious Monk would fill the store.Meg paused at the door, taking in the whole of the record shop. She knew every inch of it. She could list what was in the racks practically by heart. The smell of the cardboard record jackets and the paper sleeves around the vinyl was as familiar to her as her father's aftershave.Luke stood behind the counter, peering intently through his glasses at a bunch of papers spread out before him. He was cute, there was no doubt about it. And there'd been a time when all Luke had to do was look at her out of the corner of his eye, a knowing glance just between them, that made her feel like some special and private unspoken communication had passed between them, something only the two of them could understand. Butterflies would tickle her stomach, and her knees would go a little weak. Once upon a time.Meg walked over to him, and leaned over the counter, twisting her body so she could look up into his eyes. "Hi there," she said. "What's the style at the Crocodile?""I'll tell you in a while, I've got it on file," Luke rhymed back, as was their custom, his voice flat.Familiar patterns. From the weather outside, to the Vinyl Crocodile and its music, sights, and smells, to the way she and Luke said hello. Meg sighed, and turned around to face the store, leaning back on the counter. She'd spent all sixteen of her years in Philadelphia, and it felt like some parts of her life never, ever changed.What about Drew? she reminded herself.Meg had to smile at this thought. Drew was a big change in her life, and a good one. She had never dated anybody like Drew Mandel before. She hadn't dated many people before Drew -- just her former dance partner at American Bandstand, Jimmy Riley, kind of, sort of, and then Luke.Why her relationship with Luke had ended was still something of a mystery to Meg. They had simply seemed to be moving further and further apart from each other. It was as if they had been standing side-by-side, then the floor slowly started to move under their feet, forcing Meg one way and Luke the other. And when she finally noticed it happening, they were miles apart. They had stopped dating, but it had been a surprisingly easy break-up. Her idea of break-ups had been shaped by teen magazines, movies, and stories told tBeechen, Adam is the author of 'Count on Me', published 2004 under ISBN 9780689871702 and ISBN 0689871708.