A goodbye shaking hand and a pat to the back had the new guy out of the store and the owner finally could close the door; not forgetting this time to hang the "CLOSED" sign.
Every time he said goodbye to a client, there was a chance of never meeting them again, but on some occasions like this one, the scene repeated itself over and over again until it became a routine.
Every other day, when there was no one left, the same crooked smile made its way back inside, along with pleading apologetic eyes just about closing time. It was inevitable for the owner not to star feeling sad for the lonely instrument suffering at the inexperienced hands of the guy that kept coming back for new strings.
His music soul had AJ thinking of all the scenarios that could justify a guitar losing its strings on a regular basis.
"You've gotta be kidding me!" AJ smiled behind the counter, already reaching for the familiar box with strings of all sizes. "I had a feeling you would come soon, but you were here just yesterday; this is too much even for you, don't you think?"
The young client shrugged while flashing his white teeth in a sheepish smile. As always, he was dressed in his signature style of loose clothes and a brown leather bag with its strap crossed over his chest. Everything on him screamed college boy with an alternative retro hippie vibe running down on him that, for some reason, seemed to work too good for him.
"What can I say? I try too hard…," mumbled, reaching for the little bag with the correct string for him that AJ was offering him.
"And what are you're trying to do, exactly?" The cash register bell echoed in the store, distracting the boy for a couple of seconds. His eyes glued a little too long on the other's inks, decorating his arm with dark lines and shapes. "Be honest. What are you up to?"
AJ's defiant look threw the client off balance, and nervousness settled on his features. Quickly, his fingers hooked around the strap and blinked twice, as if trying to reel his thoughts. He had been caught for sure; the idea had been to be as discreet as possible, yet there he was calling him on his bluff. Now what?
"I… just…," AJ was fascinated watching him squirm and turn a cute pink color on his cheeks, "… I was… tunning it?" His last word was barely a whisper that sounded more like a question than an actual answer, but it made the store owner laugh out loud.
There was no way someone could ruin so many strings just trying to tunning it. Well, if you don't know what you're doing, yes, it's possible; but he would expect that after so many failed attempts, he would have caught up to it already or at least understand how tight is too tight.
Right in the middle of all the fun that had both guys laughing, something caught AJ's eyes at the back of the store. The far corner, where all accessories were hanging from several pegs.
There was nothing particularly odd, except the store was already closed—despite the CLOSED sign not being on the door as it should. He couldn't exactly chase away the new customer.
I have to start hanging that damned thing on!
A quick look over the new guy, however, set the alarms on. AJ was already too familiar with this particular behavior. The little rascals like him showed up from time to time, waiting for the right time when he was too busy to pay extra attention to what was happening in the back.
One would think that there was nothing good to steal at a music store, especially around this neighborhood. It's not like you could come out with a guitar under your arm and start running. Those things were a little heavier that people usually think. But that didn't stop them from trying for some adrenaline, regardless of the actual booty they could muster.
To be fair, the store was an easy target compared to a supermarket with guards, security, and alarms. But that didn't make this any less annoying. In fact, this was the only part of the job AJ hated. He was sick of those little rascals coming into the store playing it cool, just so they could run off with whatever they could get their hands on.
Seeing this new character, dressed all in black with loose sport clothes that had to be at least a couple of sizes bigger, sent his mood to the pit. He left the crooked smile guy at the counter and glided between the instruments to get a closer look. The rest of his outfit didn't help, a cap covering all of his hair and a black face mask that hid his features perfectly; and on top of everything, he had his hoodie over the cap.
Nothing could have warned the hoodie guy that AJ was right beside him. The shock from the sudden realization sent him flying back after twisting so fast he lost his balance. He tried desperately to put some distance between them, but he only managed to get tangled with the pegs behind him. Several accessories fell loudly on the floor, creating more ruckus than any of them expected.
What the hell? He's not exactly the smoother of thieves.
"What do you think you're doing?" His coarse voice just added to his 1.80 m of height and wide shoulders that made him tower over the shaky boy.
To his surprise, the little culprit did nothing to run. The door was still open and would have been an easy run, but he stayed there, eyes locked on his. He had the crazy look of a trapped wounded animal ready to start squealing at the first sign of danger.
Even when his intention was never to scare the guy to death, he knew how shocking his image could be. Usually, people didn't look kindly to his tattooed arm, a piercing on lips and another on his left eyebrow, not to mention the ones on his ears.
The plan of putting the little rascal in his place went down the drain when he not only stayed there petrified, but his eyes welled as his barely visible eyebrows knitted together. The perfect image of a trapped, scared victim.
Really? Let's try a new approach.
"Can I help you with anything?" AJ made his best to soften his voice, but judging by the reaction of terror on the other, he was doing a lousy job.
At least he was no longer petrified, but he was now searching the place with wild eyes, as if trying to find the exit, missing the open door completely.
For a moment, the idea of this being a distraction crossed AJ's mind, and he immediately turned around to see if there was anyone else in the store, but came up empty. Setting his eyes back to the little guy, he saw him clutching the clothes over his chest and slouching shoulders; there was nowhere to run.
Clearly, coming into the store had been a mistake. He shouldn't have done it. Now he was trapped there with no exit and that angry tall man not giving him an inch of space or a chance to just leave. His eyes were so intense over he feared he would burst into flame at any minute. He had just come to see a few things, nothing more; yet it had turned so bad so quick that now his mind was running on empty and leaving him entirely at his mercy.
Patience didn't seem to be in his repertoire. The tattooed guy was fisting his hands in a tense stance that had him ready to pounce at the first movement. Waiting was doing nothing to calm his nerves. The man was obviously pissed that he had come inside, but he had yet to chase him out. He was begging for the last ounce of luck and hoped he didn't try to touch him, but having him standing in front of him, studying him as if he was prey, was proving to be almost as bad.
AJ finally let out a tired sigh after several attempts to talk with the guy, but he seemed to be lost in thoughts. If the kid was not cooperating, there was no other choice than to drag him out of the store. No actual harm done, so he would just push him a little to show him the exit.
"Don't!! He's with me! Don't touch him!" In a matter of seconds, a new body was covering the shaking boy and running interference for him with hands up as if trying to stop an attack.
What the hell?
His regular customer with the crooked smile cut the whole interaction short, wrapping himself around the little rascal as if he was the most precious thing and couldn't stand him coming into any harm. The guy was shorter than him and still he looked like an older brother next to the other one that was now holding onto him like a lifeline, his hands clutching the clothes at his back and burying his face in his chest.
It was impossible to get a good read on the little guy through all the layers of clothes and accessories he was wearing, but it was likely he was younger than both of them.
Silence lasted a few awkward minutes that AJ took to study the taller guy taking care of his partner with tender caresses to his face and whispering soothing words meant only for him. Little by little, the panic that had kept him immobilized reseeded and his muscles started to relax under the other overwhelming attention. He was safe next to his guardian, there was no doubt about it.
Did I just bully a kid? He could have said something. How was I supposed to know?