What happened?

The question stood in my mind, but I couldn't make myself type it. Instead, with an unbelievable wave of disappointment crashing into me, I said oh ok sure - don't worry about it.

I sent it quickly and then set my phone down. A track of laughter came from the TV, but I barely heard it. Wow. So stupid. I scowled. Surprisingly, I wasn't upset with Forrest; I was upset that I'd gotten so excited. It wasn't a big deal at all, but I turned it into one.

My phone buzzed again, but I didn't bother to check. I shut off the television and decided to head outside. For some reason, I felt the need for fresh air.

The sun was a bit furious today, glaring down more than usual. I remained on my porch, leaning against the railing. I squinted down at my driveway, where a beige Corolla was supposed to be.

Get over it, I reprimanded myself. Sighing, I glanced up at the sky. There wasn't a cloud in sight - the smooth blue stretched on for miles.

"Whatever," I muttered and then straightened up. It was a bit too hot so I turned to head back inside, but the sound of a car approaching made me pause. Much to my annoyance, it was just a light-blue Toyota Yaris . . . which slowed down to a stop right in front of my house.

I frowned, the annoyance being replaced by wariness. The driver's window rolled down and I blinked in the stranger's face. It was a guy - young and plainly good-looking, but not enough to be deemed remarkable. His hair was light brown and slicked back; the effort he must have put in order to get it so neat was evident. I couldn't tell what color his eyes were, but I knew they were focused on me.

"Hey!" he called out, his voice smooth and deep, "Mind telling me how to get to Electric Noise?"

Naturally, a second of hesitation shot through me before I answered. I had two options: lie and say that I didn't know where the music store was, or walk over and give the instructions he needed to get there. Although the last time I'd been to Electric Noise was a couple of months ago, I was still extremely familiar with it. It was an old place with a sort of groovy atmosphere, and the employees were cool. Not only did it offer a wide variety of CDs, it also had a rare selection of vinyl records and cassette tapes. Unfortunately, not many people went there anymore due to how easy it was to download music for free. Even I had to admit that I often preferred saving my money than spending it on some album that cost over fifteen dollars.

After thinking about it, I concluded that there would be no harm in helping so I made my way closer to him. However, I made sure to keep a safe distance between us. Now that I was so near, I was able to see that his eyes were brown - very dark with a slight glimmer. "Well," I cleared my throat, "you have to turn around. Once you reach the end of this street, make a right. Uh, keep going until you see a sign that says Devonne Avenue. Head into there and you'll find this four-way intersection. Make a left and then you'll see a bunch of shops. Electric Noise should be there."

Relief flooded his face as he took in what I said. I noticed that he was wearing a purple shirt, something that showcased how muscular he was. He wasn't heavily built, but anyone could tell that he regularly exercised. "Okay, thanks. I just . . . I'm not from around here so . . ." he trailed off.

I guess this was my cue to act interested. "Oh? Really?" I asked, but to be quite frank, I didn't really care. It was incredibly hot, and I wanted to retreat into the shade. My head was already beginning to gather heat; I'd be sweating in no time.

"Yeah, I'm just visiting my aunt - she moved to this town, like, three weeks ago." Why are you telling me this? "And I've been told that Electric Noise is great if you're into CDs still. Not many people are anymore." He paused and cleared his throat. I honestly didn't have anything to say. Once he realized that I was staying quiet, he finally muttered, "Well, uh, thanks again."

"Sure," I replied easily, "No problem."

He looked like he had more to say, but instead, he tossed me an awkward half-smile and rolled up his window. I turned around, walking back to my house. I didn't glance back, but I could clearly hear his car driving away.

For whatever reason, I began to regret not getting his name.