"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."
Ally stared at the tall dark haired, blue-eyed boy who had just spoken to her and laughed nervously.
"W-what?"
"You'll have to forgive her. She's a little nervous." Trish said. "I-I mean I would be too if I had just encountered the cutest boy I'd ever seen!"
"Trish!"
Dez and Austin laughed. "Wow, way to be subtle, Trish!"
"No problem." The boy said. "I mean, I'm flattered but I probably don't deserve it."
"Of course you do." Ally said, unable to take her eyes off of him.
"Well thanks. That's very nice of you."
"Can we help you?" Austin finally asked. "I mean, you must have come in here for a reason."
"Right... I did. Do you carry these?"
He held up a broken guitar pick, causing Ally to laugh.
"Well of course we do! I mean, this is a music store!"
"Great."
"But ours aren't broken. You weren't looking for a broken one were you?"
"Um... No..."
Austin turned to Dez and Trish and lowered his voice. "Wow, she's really got it bad for him!"
"Well then, let me show you our collection! They're right over-."
She looked around in confusion, until Austin literally turned her body in the right direction.
"Over there."
"Oh, right... Over here."
"Thanks." The boy said, following Ally to the guitar section. "Wow... you really do have guitar picks!" he said looking up and down at the massive array of picks that hung from metal pegs on the wall.
"Yep... We sure do! Maybe we should change our name to 'Picks R Us!"
When the boy laughed, Ally's face turned a deep shade of crimson.
"That's funny!" The boy said. "But I like the name Sonic Boom. It's cool! You should keep it."
"Really? I'm so relieved because my parents would kill me if I changed the name without asking them."
"Then it's probably wise not to! I'm Tyler by the way."
Ally shook his hand. "I-I'm..."
Trish came up behind her and put her hands on Ally's shoulders. "This is Ally. Her parents own this music store and no, she doesn't have a boyfriend!"