Chapter 1: New in town

The tire shop was empty, calm, so as Finn took his sit behind the counter of the shop, he let his mind rumble through his memories. It wasn't been to long since Rachel broke up whit him, so it still felt unreal, like it was just a nightmare. He couldn't stop blame himself for let her go and push her away so long. He should just marry her and then they would go to New York together. He felt stupid, and it hurts.

He buried his head in his hands to try fighting the tears that threaten with fall from his eyes. His life was sinking. He had failed in everything he wanted and now he had lost Rachel to. This couldn't be worse, he thought

She was wandering around, trying to find a place where she could ask for help. Her stupid car has stopped without a reason, and she couldn't make it start again. Frustrated, she went out of the car and start walking up the street.

She was arrived to Lima, Ohio just two days ago and she didn't know where to find a tire shop.

When she had walked about three or four streets, she saw the signboard that puts "Hummel Tires & Lube" across the street. With a sigh of relief, she headed to the place, hoping there would be someone who could help her with the car.

The place was nearly empty, except for the guy sitting at the other side of the counter. He seemed distracted; his head on his hands and it was like he didn't notice that she had entered in the shop. Hesitantly, she approach to the counter and greeted him shyly.

"Good morning?", - the shy of a girl voice brought him back to the tire shop.

Finn lifted his head from his palms and look up at owner of the voice. His eyes found a girl looking down at him. She wasn't very tall, no more than 5' and 2.99". Her skin was tan. Her reddish brown hair fell in long curls to the middle of her torso. Her lips were curved in a coy smile. But were her eyes what call his attention the most: they were big and brown, with a slight glow.

He stared at her for a few seconds in bewilderment. It seems like he wasn't able to look away from those eyes. Then she raised an eyebrow at him, her expression questioningly, and that snap him to the reality again.

"Good… good morning." – Finn stammered at the girl. Then he cleared his throat and then continued to talking. – "What can I do for you?"

"My car died a few streets from here". – She answered, shyly smiling again and continued to explain the situation with a voice slightly embarrassed. – "I don't know the first about cars, and I swear I filled the tank. I was walking, looking for someone who might help me when I came across this place. Do you think you could do something about it?"

Finn looked at her and gave her a wide, amused smile. She was pretty, and seemed nice. The kind of girl that he would like to know better. But for some reason, he couldn't think of a girl in that way, at least not. The only girl she was still thinking of was Rachel.

He shook his head to clear it and answered:

"Sure, let's go see that car."

A sound of relief got out of her lips. This guy seemed nice, and he was going to try and help her. He was also kind of cute, she thought.

As they walk back to her car for him to check on it, she studied him a little closer. Tall, brown hair, honey colored eyes, that half grin extending to his right cheek. He was handsome, she decided. The kind of boy she would fall for if she wasn't still heartbroken.

When they reach the car, she opened the hood for him to examine the engine. While he inspected the motor, she sat in the driver spot and let her mind wandered. Two years, she thought. It has been two year since her boyfriend broke up with her, and she couldn't believe that it still hurts. It hurts too much, that after graduating from high school she decided take a sabbatical for rethink what she wanted to do with her life. That was the reason that brought her to Lima: get away from home and be in somewhere else to decide what to do without anyone to put pressure on her shoulders.

Her future was once tied to his boyfriend's, she would go to the state where he was to be with him and follow her dream of being an actress or a singer at the same time. But go to where he was didn't make sense anymore, it would only be just too painful and she couldn't bear it. She wasn't heard about him in such a long time, and she didn't know if he has a new girlfriend by now. It hurts her even more think that he has moved on.

The voice of the guy from the tire shop snaps her back to the car and to the reality.

"Is not too complicated." - Finn said. – "discharged battery, that´s all. We can go back to tire shop and put it to charge. It'll be ready in a couple of hour though."

Finn couldn't help but notice, by the way she shook her head like she was trying to focus, that the sound of his voice has pulled her out of a kind of daydream. She smiled at him and nodded slightly.

"Ok," - she answered. – "I don't have other option but wait, right?."

Finn watched as she slip out of the car and lock the doors. When she reached his side, they both started walking back to the shop.

He offered her a chair in front of the counter. She took her seat while he put the battery to charge. After take care of the battery, he went to the back side of the shop and pull out two bottles of soda form the fridge and the return to sit in front of her across the counter.

Finn opened one of the bottles and then handed it to her. When he saw her expression of disbelief and her hesitation, he gave her an encouraging smile.

"Thanks." – She muttered as she took the bottle from his hand, giving him a polite nod. – "How much for the soda?"

"Nothing," - he answered, grinning at her. - "It's on the house."

She nodded again, her cheeks blushing slightly.

Then it hit him: he doesn't even knew this girl's name. Finn felt like an idiot for not have asking before.

Coyly, she took a sip from the bottle of soda. She was amazed that this guy was so nice to her when they have met just about 10 minutes ago. He didn't even know her name, yet he gave her a soda bottle. She was perplexed by his actions. Back home nobody was that nice with a stranger. The sound of him clearing his throat brought her back from his thoughts.

"I think is the first time I've seen you." – He asked. – "are you new in town?"

"Yes," - she answered looking up at him – "I just got here two days ago."

"I see." – He remained silent for a moment before adding – "What's your name?"

"How rude of me!" – She practically shout when realized that she hadn't introduced herself earlier – "where are my manners? I'm Alexa." – She said grinning at him and held out her hand for him to shake.

"Nice to meet you Alexa, I'm Finn." – He shook her and smiled at her in return. – "What brought you to Lima? Did you come here to finish high school?"

"Hmmm… I'm already graduated, actually." – She explained, looking downwards. – "I'm here taking a sabbatical. I need to think what I want to do whit my life. That´s why I came here, to think about it without my parents or anybody else pushing me."

Alexa saw Finn nodding in understanding. He didn't push the subject any further, so she thought that her pain and nostalgia should be reflected her face a little.

They expend the next two hours making small talk. Then Finn went to look for the battery and they headed back to car. As they walked, she checked her watch. It was two and a half in the afternoon. Her stomach roared and she realized that she was hungry. She looked over at Finn. He didn't seem have heard her roaring guts and she sigh in relief.

Once Finn put the battery back in the car and she handed him the money for the service and said goodbye, she turn around and start to walk to the driver seat, but his voice stopped her.

"Since you´re new in town and don´t know many places, would you like if I show you some?" – he asked, somewhat nervous

"I would love to." – She smiled at him and slip into her car.

Once inside, she handed him a piece of paper with her cell number. Finn grinned at her, and Alexa nodded her goodbye. Then she started the car and drove straight home.