Disclaimer: Monkees = not mine. Yay.

Claimer: The OC is mine, though. Obviously... hm.


Monday.

It wasn't their usual shopping day (which was actually Saturdays), but the Monkees were out and about anyway, picking up things they desperately needed for the week.

Mike directed Peter to the refrigerated section, asking him to run and pick up the milk while Micky and Davy discussed which two cereals to get this time.
Peter grinned, his dimples showing cutely. He saluted and turned on his heel before (literally) marching off.

He easily found the refrigerators and stopped in front of the ones that contained the jugs and cartons of milk.
Peter stepped back and looked at all the possible choices, full of thought. He swooped his hair out of his face and remembered what they always got. He figured it would be best not to experiment this week.

"On a mission for milk too?"

Peter looked over and smiled. "Yep!" 'Mission for milk.' He liked that.

"I was hoping I'd run into you again." it was the same girl from the bus stop only a few days ago.

"Me too, actually." he replied. He watched her as she stepped forward to open the door and pull out a carton of milk.

"Know what you're looking for?" she said, placing the carton into her shopping basket and letting the door slowly shut on it's own.

Peter nodded, "I do." and got the usual gallon jug of whole milk. He then smiled and voiced his thought about not experimenting with it this week and the girl laughed.

"That's very true." she said. "It's probably best to save that for another time."
With a sigh, she smiled at him once more. "Well I'd better go finish this shopping and get home. Thanks again for what you did the other day. It was incredibly kind of you."

"Not a problem." Peter returned the smile, "See you around." and turned to find the guys in the cereal aisle again.

He could hear her footsteps retreating and he suddenly turned back around. "Hey, um..."

She turned to face him, steadying her basket. "...yeah?"

"Do you like music?"

"Do I like music?" the girl smiled.

Peter nodded.

"I absolutely adore music. All kinds." she grinned. "It's very nearly my life."

"Me too."

"Yeah?"

He nodded once more, that smile still lighting up his face. "I'm actually in a band with my friends."

"Really?" her eyebrows shot up. "That's pretty groovy, man."

"It is... hey, do you think you'd ever like to see us play? You know... maybe?" he asked. "We have a couple of gigs this week."

She nodded, saying that she'd love to and Peter turned to leave once more, happy that she agreed.

"Wait, you didn't tell me when and where."

Peter chuckled at himself. "Sorry. It's at that new place, uh..." he scraped his mind for the name of it - something cute and catchy with- "Be-Bop-A-Lulu's, that's it. Um, Wednesday to Saturday starting at 6... or we have to be there at 6, I can't remember."

"Huh... well, I could get there somewhere around 6 or 7 just to be safe."

"I'm actually here with my friends... I could ask."

"Yeah, maybe you should ask and get back to me on it."

"Right."

"Do you want my number or... well, I don't have anything with me to write on." she sighed and looked down at the floor as she thought. "We could meet at the door if you want?"

Peter nodded, "Sounds good."

"Good." she slowly started to turn away. "I'll just finish this up and meet you there." After he nodded in understanding, she waved to him and left. Peter glanced back down at the milk, having noticed how cold it was making his hands, and set off.

The group got through the check-out in no time and Peter saw the girl waiting by the front door with a few bags in her hand.

He trotted ahead of the others to get to her. "Hey!"

She looked up and gave a small smile as he approached. "Hi there."

"Okay, Mike said that we have to be there at 6, so you can get there at 7... but I don't know if you have to be home by a certain time so-"

She chuckled a little, assuring him that 7 would be completely fine and handed him a piece of paper. "Just in case anything comes up, I guess." she shrugged. "Thanks, uh...?"

"Peter." Peter glanced at the number and read the writing under it; 'Lottie, that girl at the bus stop.'

"Peter, right."
The other Monkees were coming up behind them as she said good-bye and headed out the front doors, into the May sunshine.

"Who's the cute redhead you were talking to, Pete?" Davy asked curiously.

"Did you just get her number." Micky reached for the slip of paper but Peter swiped it from his reach.

"The girl from the bus stop." Peter answered his shorter friend, not seeming to have heard the other.

The other three "ohh"d in unison. The infamous bus stop girl... alright.

"Her name is Lottie."