A/N: Check out the song in the banner! It's a good one and it's playing in the background of this scene. Enjoy and please stay safe.

The muted jingle of the door carried through Rodeo Drive as I entered. It was about a half-hour before the place officially opened, but Max usually had the doors open early.

I couldn't find anyone in the front of the place. Light jazz played on the record player near the window. The same evergreen smell enveloped me as I walked through the aisles mentally bookmarking records and CDs to come back to.

"Max, where are you?" I hollered unable to find him throughout the entire store.

Somewhere from the back as heard a faint yell, "Coming, just a minute!"

I grabbed as something from the G's that I knew would quicken his pace. I slipped the record from the cardboard case and gently lifted the pin, sneakily replacing the vinyl.

And just like that, I heard approaching footsteps. I could hear Max before I saw him. "Don't tell me," he began humming along, "...I'll give a little bit, I'll give a little bit of my love to you," dramatically clutching his heart with his eyes closed as he sang "See the man with the lonely eyes..."

He opened his eyes then and exclaimed, "The Goo Goo Dolls, Give a Little Bit!"

I laughed as he danced over to me singing loudly. "You got it!" I cheered as he pulled me into a hug.

"Of course I did Rosie. I may be old, but not old enough to forget this favorite," he said giving me and pointed look, winking as he mussed my hair.

"Old, pssh," I giggled, swatting his hand away. "Still looking sharp Sir," I winked, "Hollywood heartthrob." He chuckled saying, "Now let me get a good look at you?"

Despite the many years, Max never seemed to age. His hair was peppered black and grey and his mouth and eyes surrounded by the faintest lines, from the smiles that he permanently possessed, but those were the only signs that time had passed.

"It hasn't been very long," I teased "Miss me already Max?"

"Can't get enough of my Rosie, now can I?" he said smiling wide.

"Can't argue with that," said a voice from the back. My gaze quickly shifted to the back wall, but I already knew who it was. He slowly walked down the steps, his green eyes locked on mine. He was wearing a deep green hoodie and jeans, his hair disheveled as he pulled his hand through it. His signature smirk that I had grown accustomed to was instead replaced with a nervous smile.

He was watching me closely, cautious of me. I would never admit it, but in his shiftiness, his hands never sat idly, making me forget all the tension from the past few weeks because, in that moment, he seemed awkward and innocent, cute even. I reminded myself, starting new, as I let myself smile back.

"What are you doing here Ryder?" I questioned. His smile faltered when I didn't say "Ry," but I wasn't quite there yet. Ryder tried to not let me notice as he said putting an arm around Max, "Just wanted to catch-up with Max. It feels like it's been forever since I've been in Rodeo Drive."

In my mind, I could feel myself snap a little thinking that's because you left, but I told myself, play nice, move on, and I smiled back, nodding. 

Now I was being awkward and Ryder seemed to notice, his signature smirk reappearing as Max chuckled and messed his hair the same as mine. "I feel like it's been forever since I saw you both together," Max began.

Too much truth to that, but Ryder didn't seem to dwell on it. How he let go and moved on so easily was beyond me, but it was my idea to forget...

Max began recounting, "Do you remember when y'all were, I think about 10 years old and you both tried to spend the night here..."  

I remember that day exactly. Ryder seemed to remember too as he gave me the side-eye winking, as I mouthed stop it, quickly hiding my smile.

Ryder had convinced me that if we successfully snuck into Rodeo Drive for the night, we could play all the instruments as loud as we wanted for as long as we wanted. Hindsight is 20/20- that probably was a flawed plan, when likely at 2 AM, Hannah Montana songs (Ryder resisted for a while, but after a few episodes he was sold) echoed through the town center and Max knew exactly who it was, but we didn't really get that far.

We were running a sugar high right after school when we got to Rodeo Drive. Cookies in tow, we were raced down the aisles as fast as our little legs would carry us. We pulled a bunch of pranks on Max, mostly engineered by Ryder. We rearranged all the small instruments, made trails of guitar pics leading to nowhere, and kept changing the music playing throughout the store.

The last one was courtesy of me, replacing the vinyl every few seconds and running behind a shelf as Max searched for the culprit. It only got funnier around closing time when Max turned off the music and every time he did, I was quick to place a new record under the needle.

We were whispering behind the bean bags when we heard slight footsteps approach the fort we had built in the back corner. "I think he's coming," I said my heart thumping. It was beating so fast I swore that it would give us away.

"Shhh, Rosie. You're so loud, close your big mouth," Ryder teased, covering my face with his hand. I smacked him away, giving a good pinch as he yelped.

"Shh, Ry," I mocked. "Just be quiet and trust me- get under here and close your eyes."

~**

"Thick as thieves you two," Max pointed to the teal bean bags in the corner of the store, "I found you two hiding behind there curled up in a couple of blankets pretending to be asleep. "

Guess he knew all along. "Pshhh, that wasn't us," I said feigning nonchalance.

"I think you got it wrong Max," Ryder began as he put his arm around my shoulders, "I mean look at us, completely innocent." He grinned extra-wide, looking a little crazy. I felt myself get nervous at his touch, the friendliness of today so starkly different from every emotion I felt yesterday. I snuck a look at his face, wondering if he felt it too, but all I saw was a smile and sparkling green eyes.

I felt at ease and let go, matching his crazed smile, playing my part in our little charade- partners in crime.

Max shrugged his shoulders, "Must've been some other little rascals who got chocolate and cookie crumbs all over the record cases that day, huh?"

"Must've been, gotta tighten up security Max," I laughed as Ryder and I exchanged a sneaky smile.

"Missed you two together," Max chuckled walking back to the counter. "Been too long." 

His words broke me out my reverie as I pulled away from Ryder. It was only yesterday that we decided to start anew, maybe be friends again, and it felt easy today, the tension lifting replaced with an air of familiarity. As a mischievous glint danced in Ryder's eyes, I was surprised by how much of the past he seemed to remember. Everything seemed so easy, like the past two years of pain hadn't happened, instead only remembering the good. I didn't know how to respond and I didn't dare look back at Ryder's face, not wanting to know what he was thinking. Us together... I wasn't expecting to start over to happen so fast.

"So, what can I help you with Rosie, or are you just here for the company?" Max asked from the back.

I quickly walked away from Ryder, directing my attention to Max, "Always love the company, but here on business." I uncased my guitar and placed it on the counter, "I snapped my D-string this morning playing, can I get a new one?"

Max was already pulling a new string out as he said, "I thought we just switched them out a few weeks ago. Strumming pretty hard?" he teased.

"Something like that," I admitted remembering that it was Ryder's song that I was playing when the string snapped.

"Figured out what you're playing for the bonfire?" Max asked his gaze focused past me. I looked back to see him and Ryder shake each other look before Max smiled back at me, "I know Cas didn't give you too much of a heads up."

"Mhhm, sounds like you and Cas have had something up your sleeve for while now," I said as Max smiled back guiltily.

"It's alright. I've made my peace with it," I said dramatically, deciding to cut Max some slack. He meant well. "Still haven't decided yet..." I admitted, realizing that I hadn't thought much about the bonfire or what I was playing in everything that had been happening and changing in the past few weeks.

Broken Windshields was proving to be an unavoidable distraction in more ways than one.

"You'll find something perfect. You always do," Max said and I really hoped he was right. "Anyway, do you want me to switch out the string for you, or-" he began and before I could say anything, his voice interrupted, for the second time.

"I got it Max, don't worry about it." Max dutifully handed Ryder the string as he began loosening the pins.

"No it's okay, I got it-" I said, placing my hand firmly against the face of my guitar. I looked him square in the eye as he stared back at me.

Sincerity and desperation filled his gaze as the childhood memories from before that cast a smile across his lips had transformed into a somber line. "Please Rosie, just let me do this for you." His hand rested on top of mine as I loosened my grip, giving him a chance.

Max not-so subtly coughed, as he said, "Okay then, if you two crazy kids are good, then I'm gonna go finish inventory. Ry bud, when do you wanna talk about-"

"Later," Ry quickly said, cutting Max off. "I'll stop by later," Ryder mumbled, avoiding my gaze.

Max held a knowing smile and said, "Later it is. Okay, you two let yourselves out when you're done."

I nodded back thanking Max as Ryder waved goodbye. The two exchanged another knowing look like before, attempting to have some sort of secret exchange as I stood there uncomfortably. I honestly didn't even want to know.

 Max turned back and continued singing along to The Goo Goo Dolls, as his figure disappeared.

I slipped some cash into the tip jar as Ryder coiled the string around the post. We were both silent as he continued to work. Just this morning I snapped my string because of Ryder's song and hours later, he was fixing that same string. The universe liked to come full circle too often, I thought chuckling to myself.

Ryder was tightening the pegs, and after a few full turns I held my hands out expecting him to hand my guitar back, but instead, he tightened some more. "Ryder, I think that's good..." I began.

"Needs to be a little tighter Rosie, otherwise there won't be enough tension, and then you won't be able to strum," Ryder explained to me.

"I know that I do play the guitar you know? But you're overtightening it," I retorted, my irritation growing. The string was pulled taut, shaking as he tried to push the peg further.

"I think I know what I'm doing," he muttered with a determined look.

"Ryder!" I said smacking his hand, "It's gonna snap!"

"It'll be fine, just trust me," he said calmly, pulling the instrument to his chest.

"If you break anything, you're buying me a new guitar," I declared arms crossed.

He rolled his eyes as he pushed a spare string into my guitar case. "Just in case," he teased, "But you won't need it," he said as he strummed a few chords before he began playing the melody to the "Give a Little Bit."

I rolled my eyes as he continued playing. His hair flopped as he bobbed his head up and down the music. His figures quickly scaled down the stem of the guitar as he added a loud trill to the end of the song. "THANK YOU NEW YORK!" he hollered faking the cries of a nonexistent audience.

I laughed at his antics as I pulled the guitar from him. "Show off."

"You loved it, don't lie," Ryder said, smirking.

I packed up my guitar mumbling "Mhhhm, sure," as I bit my lip trying my hardest to hide my grin.

"A thank you will do," he teased.

I pulled the case off the counter and looked him square in the eyes. His green eyes were sparkling as I looked back at him. Ryder Blake Daniels, my old high school crush, was standing in front of me, and without saying much of anything, I could feel the old feelings flutter back.

A slight giddiness erupted in the pit of my stomach, as I said "Thank you," and his smile widened.

Shaking my head as I walked out the door and his smooth voice reached my ears, barely a whisper, "Now was that so hard...."

...

I was halfway down the block when I heard quick thumping from behind me.

"Rosie!"

"Ryd-" I questioned as his green hoodie came closer into view, until he was standing in front of me.

"Now you owe me."

A/N: Let me know what you think! Are y'all excited for Ro and Ryder to be friends? Do we trust him? Stay safe, livindaybyday <3