Danielle walked down the street just outside her high school.
"Danielle, you won congratulations," someone said to her as she walked by. The sun was setting. A cool breeze brushed past her face. The area seemed deserted now, except for a passing car. Danielle turned at the corner to the school student store that was open to the public. Inside were a few tables and racks filled with merchandise.
"Hi Wes." – Danielle greeted the guy behind the counter.
"Hey, congratulations, you won the featured single. You were the first picked of the five," he said as he handed her a CD.
"Oh really? But what I sent in sucked." – Danielle
"Oh shut up and stop being modest." – Wes. Danielle smiled in embarrassment. For as long as she could remember music was her life.
"Whose single am I on?" Danielle asked as she turned the CD to the front. "Who is John Beckham?" - Danielle
"I have no idea." – Wes. Danielle looked at the things on the front desk. She picked up an ‘N Sync single and Reeces Peanut Butter Cups.
"Here I’ll buy this. I have to go meet Kit outside. I’ll be right back." – Danielle
"What for?" Wes said as he rang up the items. She put the money on the counter.
"I don’t know she just told me to meet her outside. How long do you work today?" – Danielle. Wes glanced at his watch.
"Till 5:30." – Wes
"Ok. Well I’ll see you later then." – Danielle
"Ok." Wes smiled, "Bye." – Wes
"So long," she said walking out the door. Danielle sat at a table outside and waited for Kit. A picture of John Bekham hung in the window along with other singles that the store was selling. In the lower right corner of the poster it read, "Featuring Brand New Artist: Danielle Bradley." And there was a small picture of her just below it. Just then a black jeep pulled up and out stood a man. He looked like he was in his 20’s, maybe even younger. Then Kit ran across the street and screamed Danielle’s name.
"Danielle!!!" – Kit. The man looked startled as his eyes jumped from the poster to Danielle. He was wearing a backward baseball cap and sunglasses. He walked in the store and took off his sunglasses. Danielle and Kit walked in after him. Danielle sat down at one of the tables while Kit went to the front desk to buy ice cream. She bought two and returned to the table. Kit handed on ice cream to Danielle.
"Hey Kit, isn’t that guy cute?" she whispered, motioning to the man who had walked in before them.
"Oh my god he is." – Kit. Kit and Danielle exchanged glances of agreement.
"Doesn’t he look like-" – Danielle. Just then ‘N Sync’s "It’s Gonna Be Me" came over the radio.
"JC," Kit finished the sentence in a low voice.
"It couldn’t be – I mean what would he be doing at some local high school? Right? " – Danielle
"I don’t’ know." – Kit. The man was flipping through CDs. He picked up the John Beckham single and looked at it. He put it on the front counter along two other CDs, a magazine and a pack of gum. Wes looked at the CD then at the man and finally at Danielle and smiled. He rang up the items and told him his total. The man paid and looked at Danielle one last time before he put his sunglasses back on and left.
"That guy was checking you out, Danielle. " Wes said from behind the counter.
"He was," Kit agreed.
"Shut up, no he wasn’t." – Danielle