The Boy With the Thorn In His Side, Ryley

Annie has officially been getting accustomed to this new world for almost two months now. She’s overcome many obstacles such as using the washing machine, making food in a metal box called a microwave, and she even knew how to see some things on the television. She’s certainly come a long way from where she was two months ago, but she still had a lot to learn. She was still so confused about how things worked or why people here went about them the way they did. For instance, it was a beautiful day outside. There were a couple of clouds hanging in the air, but the sun was still shining bright and it wasn’t terribly hot. Annie walked to the center of town from her apartment complex. When she left the building, she waved as her neighbor pulled out of a parking spot and headed down the road in her car. Annie didn’t have a car. She never learned how to drive. Most people didn’t where she grew up, but especially not the women. When Annie made it to the center of town about fifteen minutes later, she noticed her neighbor’s car parked in front of a shop. She didn’t understand why her neighbor hadn’t just walked, but it seemed like a lot of people here preferred to drive than to walk, even if they were just going a short distance.

Annie waved as she passed the flower shop, where she worked most days of the week. She loved her job, but it was yet another thing she had to learn her way around. It was a far cry from baking with her mother or sewing patterns for dresses or manning the fruit stand her family had for a couple of months out of the year, but she enjoyed it. The other women she worked with were friendly and helpful and Annie loved how flowers look and smelled. She loved putting certain flowers together to make an especially fragrant mix or piecing the colors together in a beautiful display. Annie still hadn’t gotten the hand of using the cash register or how the phone worked, so she mostly trimmed and cleaned flowers, making sure they looked fresh and beautiful as ever.

Annie wasn’t working today, though, so she kept walking. She stopped in front of the record store and peeked in. There was a brightly painted instrument in the window that she didn’t recognize at all. The shop interested her, though. She didn’t know a whole lot about music. There were hymns she knew because everyone in her town knew them. Her father would play a couple of things on his viola, but they were neither common in the English world nor were they modern in the slightest. She had heard samples of songs as she walked through town or ducked into shops on other days, but the songs were wretched for the most part. She hoped all English music wasn’t like that.

Bells jingled as Annie pushed open the door to the record shop. She walked in slowly as her eyes took it all in. There was a wall covered in guitars and similar funny looking instruments like the one she say in the window. All the other walls were covered, too. They were covered in shelves of plastic containers or paper sleeves or posters. An uninterested teenage boy was sitting behind the counter looking like he’d rather be anywhere but there. Annie stepped into the store and examined the set of shelves closest to her. Her fingers ran over the plastic covers. She wondered what was inside of them. She assumed it had to do with music, but she had never heard of an instrument that small before. Annie turned around to rows of records. She had no idea what those were, either. She passed them slowly, looking at the names that were sticking up. Her fingers ran over those sleeves, too. She picked up an album at random. The Smiths. Her eyes were fixed on the cover that displayed four boys. Or maybe they were men. She couldn’t tell, but they looked kind of young. Annie pulled the vinyl partially out of the sleeve. It was black and round and it had little grooves on it. She looked at it, confused as ever. How could this possibly be an instrument?

Ryley wasn't sure what to do with his day. He had lived in Evergreen for a couple of years now and still didn't have many spots that he liked to frequent. He was so fixated on just focusing on his career that he paid little attention to just slowing down and relaxing. His personal life seemed to always play second to whatever he thought he was supposed to do with his life. He looked in the mirror of his small apartment and saw the mixed haired man staring back at him. He never thought of himself as attractive but there were multiple times that people said the opposite. It was hard to agree when he didn't put the effort in seeing himself through their eyes. But that wasn't his way of seeing the world at all. He hated to be vain like that. He was more humble than most people so he just shrugged off compliments. He was much happier to just compliment them instead. He liked seeing smiles on peoples faces and thats what really made him feel good at the end of the day. He didn't care about his own ego, it was built around the flattering of others as opposed to himself.

He stroked his chin a bit to notice the same five o clock shadow that always magically appeared when he woke up in the morning. Even the same routine had become a bit shallow for him, and it would be nice to change something for once. He wanted to enjoy life a bit more, but he wasn't sure why. That's why he signed up for the Vow service in the first place. He didn't have a love life to speak of, or even much of a personal life. He didn't think little of himself, he just didn't put himself out there to be noticed. He knew he needed to be a bit more assertive, but it wasn't his nature. He was much more comfortable being the guy in the background, helping those around him shine. But there had to be times that it was different. He had to think of his own feelings and that was where he was hoping his life would lead. He finally shrugged off any negative thoughts, gathered himself together, and got ready to go out. He didn't have a real destination, but having no work today meant that he had to fend for himself.

The town being so small did bring a few pluses. He was able to walk around without the need of a car. He wasn't a fan of driving and liked the simplicity of walking. He had is old 35mm camera strapped around his neck and was always out for a good picture to take. There was never a bad time to find inspiration, and it came from just about anywhere. There were always moments that he hated missing and thats when he learned to always have a camera by his side. But he didn't have the intention of just taking pictures. He wanted to walk around and just see the town. He rarely just let himself relax. He need to put himself out there and knew that life could come to him that way. Locking himself away in his apartment or working through every moment of the day would just get him nowhere. He would never be completely happy that way. But walking really did have an effect. He noticed beautiful buildings and architecture that he didn't notice rushing by. Eventually he came to a halt at the local music shop. There was somewhere he could thumb through all day long.

He quickly stepped inside and shifted his camera to the side as he shot his eyes around, baffled at where to start. He figured classic rock would be the best place. "Wow, i can finally put my record player to use." He said, knowing there was a thin layer of dust and filth covering that thing. He was always busy, and needed little moments like this. With each row came new opportunities and before long he had a small stack of vinyl gathered in his arm. He continued to shift from record to record as he tried to find just the right music for each occasion. It was exciting and he couldn't deny it a bit. He eventually came to a stop though, a young girl blocking his way. She was stalled at a 'The Smiths' album and he actually let a small smile pass his lips. "Are you a fan?" He asked blindly, actually intrigued by her taste. "They are really good, I think you would like them." He said, just assuming she didn't have a clue who they were. But he was doing his best to make conversation, his voice a bit shaking, letting on that he was nervous even with introductions.

Often times, people decided that Annie was stupid. She had to be if she didn’t know what simple things like a toaster over, electric kettle, or a vinyl record were. The first time he met her fiancée, even if she didn’t know that was who it was at the time, he had to explain to her what the different cup sizes at the coffee shop were and what the radio was. He made the assumption, as many did; that she didn’t listen to the radio anymore because it was becoming a thing of the past, but the truth was that she never really did get the chance to listen to it when it was in its prime. Annie wasn’t stupid. She was actually quite brilliant in her studies, but she had been sheltered for those twenty-odd years in her life. She had been taught within a strict, narrow-minded guideline of lessons and she didn’t know much else because she never had the opportunity to learn about other things. She was a fast learner, though. She knew how to order coffee at the shop now, she knew how to make toast without burning it in that strange machine, and she was getting the hang of washing clothes in the washing machine in her building, too. In the short time she’s lived in Evergreen, she’s learned a lot.

Annie was holding onto the sleeve and vinyl. She ran her fingers over the grooves on the circular disk. It certainly was odd. She couldn’t figure out what it was for. She was in a music shop, so she figured it must have something to do with music, but it didn’t look like a machine and she had no idea how to play it like an instrument. Annie flipped it over and inspected it carefully. She wasn’t paying attention to much else going on in the shop. People probably thought she was crazy, but she was getting used to that kind of thing by now. She looked crazy and she couldn’t keep them from passing judgment. Maybe she was crazy. She had every right to be. She was born and raised into a very strict community and she abided by their rules very closely. She never doubted that that was where she wanted to be, though. She never took her rumspringa because she knew she would just come back anyways. The English world scared her, anyways. Some of the English stopped at their fruit stand in their fancy cars and clothing. They wore big decorative things in their ears and around their necks. She couldn’t understand it. They talked into these boxes as if they were having a conversation with an inanimate toy. THEY were the crazy ones. She had been thrown out of that community, though. It was a lie. Everything that outsider claimed had been a lie and no one took her side, not even her family. Now she was standing in a record store in this strange town, in this strange world, because no one she cared about would defend her.

Annie was pulled out of her thoughts when a man who talked weird asked her a question. Her head snapped up and she blinked in confusion. Wasn’t a fan that thing that made wind? Couldn’t he see that she was a woman, not some machine? She looked back down at the vinyl in her hands in a feeble attempt to mask her confusion. “Them?” She repeated. She flipped the cover over to look at the men on the front of it. She assumed that was who this man was telling her she’d like. How did he know she’d like them, anyways? Everything was just so confusing. “Who are they?” She asked. Obviously, they were the Smiths. “I mean, what—” Now she really did sound like an idiot. “I’m sorry.” She took a deep breath and started over. “Do you know what this is for?” She asked, looking helplessly at the man. She noticed he had several in his arm. Clearly he knew what they were and he was probably going to laugh in her face or walk away at her ridiculous question. It wouldn’t be the first time.

Ryley wasn't the easiest to take to new people. It was a shock to even him that he spoke to the girl in the first place. Most times he chickened out and just walked away. He was a nervous wreck around people and ended up being a giant pile of awkward. He wasn't built to be a social butterfly and there were plenty of people who could vouch for that very fact. Growing up, he was more content being on his own than hanging out with friends. He didn't think low of himself, but he found it really hard to relate to other people. Being lost in his own siblings was a big factor in just that. He didn't have many people to relate to and when he did meet someone like minded, one of his brothers would just steal them away from him. He was a charismatic person, and really did have a lot to offer, but he was just too critical of himself to ever really let it all show. His mind thought it funnier to make him shake, mumble, and be a nervous wreck long before having an actual dignified conversation. Let alone a simple thing like getting to meet a new person.

So he looked to her with a hopeful smile. Hidden behind it was a pile of screaming voices telling him to just go. To walk away before someone comes along and overshadows him like usual. It was more frequent than he expected though it rarely actually happened. He was so quick to judge that he never let himself just enjoy what was sitting right in front of him. He was thinking of seventeen different ways to end the conversation before it started. Before she could do something to hurt him and before he was rejected even as a friend. He wasn't expecting anything from here but he was just so damn scared that it made him irritating even to himself. When she spoke, it baffled him. She had a genuinely bewildered expression on her face and it made him feel a bit at ease. Maybe she was nervous too? That was impossible but it was something he could grasp to. Maybe he wasn't the only one out there who was a bit worried about first impressions. They were far from his best asset. He was lucky to go without bolting in the first five minutes of conversation.

"Ohh, them. Thats 'The Smiths'." He said, pointing to the people on the front of the album. He just looked over her features and there was nothing there telling him that she was playing with him. She was genuinely concerned and curious. He didn't know what kind of help he could be but there was no hurting trying. "You don't know them? Its good music." He said, giving her a small, nervous smile. He was doing his best to keep himself from being a wreck, but found that explaining it to her was more worth his time than wondering what she may think against him "You mean the vinyl? It has music recorded on it. You use it with one of those. (points to record player) and it plays the music for you." He said. He hoped she wouldn't think he was treating her like a child. He just took her questions seriously and did his best to answer them. There was nothing else he could really do well than just answering. He tended to take things literally so it really seemed like it was going in that direction. He didn't know what else he could say otherwise.

"If you want, I could just show you?" He said with a bit of a stutter. He didn't know why he was being so easily talkative with her but there was nothing wrong with that was there? He just nodded as he lifted another vinyl by the same band and took it out of its sleeve. "We can go right over here and I could show you how it works. And we could listen to it." He finally finished, waiting to see her respond before actually walking over to it and trying it. he didn't want to assume and he was already a bit out of his comfort zone. He was normally gone at this point or had given up hope of actually having worth while conversation. He was just winging it at this pint but was genuinely enjoying their conversation thus far.

Annie never thought of herself as having trouble making friends. Back home, everyone was friendly enough. Everyone was family, in a sense, and they loved everyone. They weren’t allowed to hate, to envy, or to hold grudges. There were the women who gossiped, even though they weren’t supposed, but Annie never took part in such shenanigans. She was kind to everyone who was kind to her, and even to those who weren’t. She formed her own opinion of people, which wasn’t even really much of an opinion, instead of deciding if they were good or bad based on what she heard from someone else. A person wasn’t entirely good or entirely bad, anyways. No one was perfect. People made mistakes. Annie’s biggest downfall right now was being upset with her family, her community, and her faith for abandoning her. She didn’t want to be bitter about it, but there were times she simply could not believe it.

Making friends was a completely different thing in this world. Annie was learning that she couldn’t be so trusting with people here. The people here usually saw her as an opportunity to get something. They took advantage of her naivety and walked all over her. She fell for it every single time. She always saw the best in people. The only time she ever saw the worst was when they showed it to her, but even then she found a silver lining. It was true that hurt people, hurt people. She was an easy target. She didn’t want that to happen, but she wasn’t exactly the best at stopping it from happening, either. She was sweet, maybe too sweet. It was a good thing she didn’t have a lot of prized possessions or anything of value, really. It wouldn’t have lasted long in this world if she did.

Annie was weary that this man was talking to her. That was how it always started. She was usually confused about something, some nice person came up and helped her, but then they usually ended up leading her astray or leaving feel like she was as useless as today’s trash. He really did seem nice, though. She wanted to believe that he was and she found herself doing just that. He seemed nervous, too. She was nervous. She was always nervous that she was doing something wrong or embarrassing herself because most of the time: she was.

Annie’s eyes were drawn back to the cover picture. The Smiths. She wondered how they got that name. Maybe they were born with it. It would be kind of funny if four guys were born with the same name and just happened to make music together. Annie’s nerves exploded when he asked if she knew him. Here it was. Here was when he was going to make fun of her for not knowing what, with her luck, would probably end up being one of the most popular bands in the country. She hoped he wouldn’t, though. She didn’t know if she could take the jokes or teasing anymore. Sure, it was harmless, but after a while it got old and it made her feel awful. There were things about this world that she would be learning about forever. Common knowledge was lost on her.

Annie relaxed when he didn’t tease her about not knowing who the band was. He didn’t even tease her about not knowing what the disk was for. Maybe this man was nice after all. Annie wondered if they could be friends over time. She had just met him, but already he was a lot nicer than most people. She didn’t have any friends yet. Not since she left them all behind and moved out of the community. Or rather, they all turned their backs on her and kicked her out. Details.

Annie shook her head. “No. I haven’t heard of them.” She said because it sounded a lot better than ‘I don’t know a thing about this kind of music, but perhaps you could point me towards the old german church hymns?’ Annie’s brow furrowed. “There’s music? On that?” She repeated. She couldn’t see anything but lines and grooves in the vinyl. She wondered how it worked, but she figured that was something she could look up on her own. It seemed like magic and she kind of liked to believe it was. “Wow. Thank you. That would—” Annie started nervously. “That would be really nice of you, but I wouldn’t want to be a bother.” She said. She was always worried that she was bothering someone or keeping them from something a lot more important. “I’m sure you’re busy.” After all, everyone in this world usually was busy. It moved so fast.

She started to get nervous again. He probably thought she was weird. Or psychotic. She hoped he didn’t, but he probably did. “I’m not crazy.” She blurted out, just to make sure he knew. “I mean—” She wasn’t really helping out her case, so she kept on rambling. “We never had anything like this where I grew up, is all.” She muttered, her eyes dropping to the floor. She considered putting the record back and excusing herself before she embarrassed herself even more.

Ryley had never made an honest effort to make friends back home. Aside from losing them from siblings, he considered his family to be enough. His brothers and sisters weren't horrible people at all. He wouldn't have been the person he was today without being raised in a fantastic atmosphere. He was just good at fading back. He liked helping more than than being helped. He was always the one to listen and do what he could until his fingers bled. It wasn't a problem for him and he didn't even second guess himself. It was just natural to him and it was always satisfying to see a happy face when he got a thank you. It was probably the closest thing to conceited that existed in this man. Otherwise he was almost annoyingly humble. He couldn't imagine asking for anything in return for a good deed. His parents taught him helping should be for anything but reward. But he felt guilty for even enjoying helping. For feeling gratitude from the people he helped. So how could he even imagine getting anything more. He was a sap for even the smallest tokens of appreciation. He just had to be odd compared to the people around him.

While he spoke, he could hear his Irish accent seeping through. It was impossible to hide it, considering just how thick it was. He just did his best to talk slowly so that she could at least understand the things that he was saying. He had already been told on several occasions that his accent can get too think and that it sounds like a bunch of moans and mumbling. But its mostly because he gets nervous so easily. Its impossible sometimes but for now he seemed relaxed enough to at least keep from becoming useless to her. It was just baffling to him to see how little she knew about records. Alone from that, she seemed to be confused by almost everything around her. But he never judged. It wasn't his place. People had their faults and there was certainly nothing to be ashamed about for not knowing about records. She might be young and never had seen one. Or was isolated and just never learned of them. So he just kept his reservations to himself and just focused on being as helpful as he could. It was one of the only things he could actually feel confident in doing well.

He just shook his head at the fact that she seemed to think she was a bother. If anyone was it would be him. That was always the case in his mind. But he was enjoying talking to her and was hoping to show her the music. It would be nice to enjoy company for a change. "Of course there is music on it." He said, nodding and smiling. He took his fingers close to the ridges. "Its sorta complicated. But there are tiny ridges and such that are etched into this disk, that can be read on a player, which go through it and produce sound." He said, knowing he probably butchered that explanation. He wasn't the greatest at this sort of thing and knew that he was probably just confusing. "But I'm sorry if I just confused you, I'm not that great at explaining." He continued, trying to actually work past his own incompatibilities and just focus on things that he could do well. "And I really don't mind showing you. I have free time and was looking forward to it." He said, mindlessly grabbing her hand to lead her over to the player.

He quickly let go of her hand, blushing as he absent-mindedly did so. He shook his head a bit, trying to hid it as he took the vinyl and placed it on the player. "What you do is put this needle here and gently set it on the outside of the vinyl. And push this button here." He finished, hoping that he had finally distracted her. He pushed the play button and watched the vinyl start to play and the music started going. It was quiet, giving them enough volume to still talk comfortably. "See? Pretty easy huh?" He finished. He just watched her, hoping that he had done okay and wasn't pushing things too far. He just stood back a bit knowing that he might have invaded her space, knowing that he was still nervous like always. It was hard. He just wanted things to work okay.

Annie could feel the heat rising to her cheeks and the tips of her ears. Of course there was music on there. Duh. Stupid Annie! She embarrassed herself with how little she knew. She didn’t have the street smarts that most people seemed to have. The first time she came to a crosswalk, she nearly died stepping out into oncoming traffic because she had no idea what those funny lights in the sky meant. She was a bookworm, but the books she had access to growing up were limited. The first time she stepped into a library, she didn’t leave for hours. She was amazing by how many books there were and there were so many more out there in the world. She couldn’t wait to get her hands on them. Some of the books were shocking for her poor innocence, but some were amazing. She had even read a story about a community similar to hers, but some of the details were weird and unrealistic. She didn’t like that one too much, but there were other stories she loved. It gave her insight into this crazy world she had been thrown into.

Annie listened as he explained how there was possibly music on that little disk, but she got lost almost instantly. Annie was easily confused, it wasn’t his fault. She still didn’t understand all the mechanics or how it really worked, and she didn’t think she would be able to right this moment. She wasn’t going to ask him to explain it even more because she knew that could get annoying. She didn’t want to be annoying, especially not towards this kind man. “It seems kind of like magic.” Annie decided. She never really learned about magic before she came into this new world. Books she read were filled with stories of fairies granting wishes and magical spells that made things happen. Maybe this record was like that. You put it in a machine that magically played its music. “You don’t have to apologize. I’m so new to all of this. I’m usually confused, it has nothing to do with you.” Annie admitted. She didn’t want him to feel bad for helping her out. “Thank you. For your help. It really does help.” She said. Every little bit of information gave her some kind of clue how this world worked.

Annie’s eyes grew wide when he grabbed her hand. She was a bit of a traditionalist, but that was how she was raised and now a man who wasn’t her betrothed was grabbing her. It was a shock at first, but she had to remind herself that things were different here and just because he grabbed her, it didn’t mean his intentions were impure. She looked down at her hand even after he released it, still kind of shocked that that had happened. She looked around nervously to see if anyone noticed, but no one seemed to care. Right. People were different here. Back home, that kind of news would have made it’s way across town in a matter of moments.

Annie shook her head and cleared her thoughts. There were many things she was still getting used to around here. She watched as he demonstrated how to use the machine. “That does seem easy.” Annie said, grinning. It was always about pushing buttons in this world. There were so many buttons and they all did different things. Annie listened as the music flowed out. It was a lot different than the upbeat bubblegum music that played through most of the shop stores and it was a lot different than anything she had heard back at home. “I like it.” She said, beaming again. He was right, she did like them. The Smiths. “Do a lot of people have these machines, then?” They must have. How else could they listen to these songs? “Can you listen to other kinds of music on here, too?” The store seemed to be filled with vinyl records, but she had no idea what was on the. “I’m sorry I’m asking so many questions. You don’t have to answer them all. I’m just curious.” She was like a kid in a candy shop now that he had helped her discover this new wonder.

Ryley was doing everything in his power to keep his cool. He really was being a real trooper while talking to this girl like he was. She was essentially a complete stranger to him, and yet he was able to talk to her for longer than five minutes and not feel his flight reflex kick in. Was he really getting better with this sort of thing? That would have certainly made him feel better about being around other people. Maybe it was finally a change for the better. But there was always something to send him back in the opposite direction. For now he seemed to keep himself going but there was always a chance that he would have that one thought that would make him want to run. Knowing that she would hate him if he stuck around. But it was obvious that he was passed that point by now. He would feel guilty if he left her alone at this point. He wanted to get to know her and even if he was scared it would be nice to make a friend finally. He had very few of them in the states and he hoped that he was finally making a change.

She seemed honestly interested in what he had to say. Despite the completely confused look on her face it was obvious that she at least wanted to know. There must have been a lot that she wasn't used to seeing and he was quick to just pass the sort of stuff by. He was so used to being around it that it was nothing to him and he was never really caring that it was there in the first place now. He just nodded at her words and at least didn't feel quite as bad about babbling like he was. "Well, it could be magic, but its really just technology. Things that really smart people were able to figure out. Too complicated for even me." He let out an awkward laugh. He really didn't know how to explain its functionality. He just used the stuff. He didn't build anything himself. He was used to having it around for his benefit and just looked at manuals if something confused him. He took it all for granted for sure. Little moments like this made all the difference. "I'm glad to help. It makes me appreciate all these things I'm so used to."

He continued to talk and then sorta cut himself off as he took her hand and still felt a bit ill about having done it in the first place. His heart was still racing as the traces of blush still plastered all over his face. But he didn't let it scare him away as he played the music. He just smiled looking over at her enjoying the music. Her eyes seemed to have a light glow as she listened and it made him feel a bit more at ease yet again. There was no reason to be nervous around her. She just wanted to learn and be curious and he was glad to be there to help. "It is petty easy. It works with any records like this." He said, taking the record off after the song ended. "There is so much music to choose from." He finally stopped talking and let her look around. He just wanted to give her a moment to explore and absorb what she had already learned. But there was a thought that slowly developed in his head and he let it fully sink in before his ignorant self settled on just what it was,

"Ohh my god. Im so sorry. I haven't told you my name. I'm Ryley Mackenzie." He said, holding his hand out to shake hers in greeting. His accent was now fully projected as he was proud of his name, and just talking in this fashion. He just smiled and hoped that she was willing to shake his hand but he didn't know what to expect with her. "Ohh? Where exactly are you from. I'm from Ireland myself." He said to just keep conversation going. He just looked at her once more while saying one more thing and shutting up. [b]"How about you find a record you think youd like and you can try and play it this time hmm?"{/b] He said with a small grin. He was having a decent amount of fun and hoped that it could last like this. It was out of character for him to seem so eager but he liked the feeling. It was nice and he didn't have to feel like he was constantly doing something wrong. At least for now.

There were so few people that had actually been accepting in this world, that it was a relief to come across someone who was. As awkward and shy and confused as Annie was, she was also comforted by the fact that this man was nice and helpful instead of rude and taunting. Von was the same way. Before he even knew he was supposed to be marrying her he had been so nice and helpful. Acceptance was a hard thing to come by here, so when she got it she took it and ran with it. Annie really hoped that she wasn’t keeping him from anything and that he wasn’t just sticking around and helping her because it was the polite thing to do. She did enjoy the company and learning new things. It was turning out to be a really great day.

Annie found technology somewhat fascinating, but mostly terrifying. She got along just fine without it for those twenty-one years of her life and now all it did was confuse her and make things a lot more complicated than they needed to be. She liked this record player, though. It was simple and she liked the music it was playing. Annie loved music. She used to sing her baby brother to sleep when she was crying or cranky. That was a long time ago, but she remembered it like it was yesterday. The thought made her realize how much she missed her sister, and her family as a whole. While they had technically thrown her to the wolves, she understood their reasons. She just wished it didn’t have to be so hard. Annie smiled at him. He was a very good teacher and she was trying her best to learn as much as she could. Maybe she could even impress Von with all of the things she learned, not that she needed to prove herself to him or anything.

Annie looked around at all of the records in the store. Some of them looked old and tattered, but there were so many. There was no way she’d ever be able to listen to every single one, even though she now wanted to.

Annie’s heart sank when she realized her biggest mistake. She was raised better than to be so rude. “Oh, I am so sorry!” She said instantly. “I should have introduced myself earlier. I am Annie Wittmer.” She said, offering him a smile and accepting his hand. Ryley was a pretty name. She had never heard it before. She did notice he had an accent and it sounded European, but she had no idea where it was from. She thought it would be rude of her to ask, so she hadn’t. She was curious and she was secretly excited that he told her. Ireland. She had heard a lot about the green country. Well, she read a lot about it. It sounded like a pretty neat place filled with mountains and meadows and castles. Maybe one day she could visit it. That was the plus side to being free from the reigns of the brethren. She could travel to all the places she read about in those books. “I’m from Shipshewana up near Bristol in Northern Indiana.” Annie said, realizing she made that a lot more complicated than she needed to. She should have just settled on saying ‘Northern Indiana’. “It’s erm—an Amish community.” She was nervous about telling people she was Amish, but he seemed nice so far. Besides, maybe it would help explain why she was so ignorant of some things.

“Ireland, eh?” She said, swiftly switching the topic of conversation back to him. “What brings you all the way over here?” She asked as she wandered over to some nearby records, hoping she wasn’t being too rude. She didn’t mean to pry. She was genuinely curious and she also secretly hoping to distract the conversation away from herself. She didn’t like talking about herself, although if asked she would probably share. Annie began flipping through. She pulled a cover out at random. “This will do.” She said, not wanting to seem like she was still so clueless. She knew nothing about bands and musicians. The album cover didn’t have anyone on it, but it did say ‘Lamb of God’ in big letters. At least that was something she was familiar with. She held the cover up and shrugged. She slipped the vinyl out of the cover and put it on the record player, carefully placing the needle on the edge and pushing the button just like he showed her.

Annie had not been expecting to hear the sounds that started playing. The music was loud and angry. Her eyes grew wide and the blood drained from her face. It sounded awful, like someone was jumping around and banging things together. It didn’t sound like music at all. She looked to him like a deer in the headlights. She was frozen in shock.

Ryley liked feeling as though he could appreciate technology for a change. Explaining things to Annie like he was was making him honestly feel a bit more humbled than usual. He wasn't big on really using it that often but it was nice when it was around. He had a tv, as well as stereo and may other things at his apartment that he didn't use unless he really wanted to. He wasn't that big a fan of anything that came on tv, and commercials really just made him impatient. It was much easier to just sit outside and enjoy nature. He preferred being outside to being stuffed up in his room with nothing to do. There was nothing really worth sitting boxed up on a computer, or stuffing his face on his phone. He only had a cell phone because he knew people had to get in touch with him somehow. Aside from that he knew he could go without it. But in honesty there really was something that he couldn't live without. A piece of technology that made him squirm at night if it wasn't near.

That was his camera. He loved photography and its really what made life worth living if it wasn't for the satisfaction of helping other people. Now was no different. He felt the 35mm wrapped around his neck and it made him feel that much more secure. Sure, it was going okay talking with Annie, but knowing that he had a way out if need be was nice as well. He just smiled at every little reaction she had to what he said. It really was baffling to see just how interested she was in things that were outdated by decades. There were things that could hold every record in this place and play its music. That was mind blowing. But there was no sense in telling her something like that.

"Its great to meet you Annie, I love that name." He replied with a warm smile, shaking her hand in return. He nodded and shook his head and spoke again. "Its really okay, we were just talking. I just wanted to give you a name to go with my face." He said with a small laugh. He liked that she was focusing on the music. She seemed to enjoy it and he was glad that thing were going okay. He was nervous that she would want to pull away and just run away from him. He didn't think he was a scary guy but the same time he was always expecting the worst. He watched her talk and nodded at what she said about where she came from. "Woah, really? Amish country, thats amazing." He said with a big grin. He was always curious of things and it was astonishing to know that she was willing to enter the real world like this. "So this really is all new to ya huh?" He continued. He at least felt relieved to know why she seemed so confused by everything.

He smiled, nodding again at her comments. He wasn't worried any longer. It seemed like their conversation was more than relaxing enough to keep him from freaking out. "Yeah, well things were a bit mundane back home, I came here for a fresh start and new experiences ya know?" He replied. He wanted to explain it clearly to her but there was nothing interesting about that story. He came here to be a photographer but ended up becoming a waiter and hasn't broken out of the gig yet. "But its great being here, so much different than life back home." He said, his accent bleeding through. It was obvious that things were much different for her.

He just took the free moment of watching her look and listen to the music to lift his camera and snap a few pictures. He liked the way she was so entertained by it and it looked like a beautiful chance to enjoy himself. He just made sure to wait for the perfect image, and snapped them while waiting for her to choose. "I hope you don't mind me taking your picture. You just seemed to match the perfect moment." He said, knowing it really didn't make much sense. He watched her pick up a vinyl, not paying attention to the cover as she put it on and it started playing. His eyes opened wide, knowing it probably shocked her. He felt her step back, and he held her shoulders so that she wouldn't fall over. {b]"Are you okay Annie?"[/b] he said with a worried gaze. He just let her get over the shock as he stopped the music from playing. He wasn't sure what to expect. "I think we should go with something a bit more mild huh?" He said.

He laughed, stepping back once she felt a bit more at ease, finding a Beatles album that would be much more subdued. He placed it on the player and let it start spinning. "I hope this is a bit better." He finally blushed a small bit, nervous that things might turn out for the worse. It was making him feel a bit flighty, but knew that he had to wait and see what happens rather than just running off. She was still there so there was only time to kill until something actually happened to change his mind.

Annie didn’t even know that kind of music existed. How did people even listen to it? Did someone wake up one morning with all the rage, grab a microphone, and then decide they were just going to be angry and yell all the time? It seemed like a funny concept, but maybe it just wasn’t her style. As she looked around the store she noticed more posters with skulls and angry images on them. She wondered if those images were covers of bands with the same kind of music. She wondered what happened to those artists that made them so angry. There were awful things in this world and she was being exposed to what more of those things were all of the time, but hate was not an emotion she held on to. She was taught how to love, not how to hate. She was only human and there were times when she was angry at someone or at people who betrayed her, but she was always able to pull herself back up. No matter how angry she was, her anger wouldn’t solve anything.

“Thank you.” Annie said as she blushed madly. She shook his hand, but her grip wasn’t much. She didn’t want to break this poor man’s hand or anything. “Ryley. I like that name. I haven’t heard it before, but it’s nice. A good, strong name.” She decided. There were so many unusual names in this world. There were some names that were very common and some that she could hardly get out of her mouth. It was a lot different back home. People more or less had the same names. Names were passed down from generation to generation. There were loads of other Annie’s in her community, including her own mother.

“It is very new.” Annie said. She was relieved that he hadn’t scrunched up his nose or laughed in her face or fired a million questions about not having toilets or cars or anything. “A bit scary, sometimes, but I’m learning a lot. Thanks to people like you who are willing to help me out.” She said, smiling at him. She was so grateful for his help. People could be so cruel and it was a nice change that he wasn’t. He was pleasant and kind and handsome. He probably didn’t have any trouble with the ladies.

“I hear that.” Annie offered. She had been forced out of her community, but she chose Evergreen. As different as it was, there were some similarities in the tight-knit community and the arranged marriage services. It wasn’t much, but any tiny bit of familiarity was welcome on her end. “I like it here, too. It’s different, but nice. It seems quiet.” Annie had to travel through a city at one point and she thought she wasn’t going to make it out alive. It was so fast paced and crowded she wondered how everyone didn’t suffocate from being in the same place like that.

Annie’s head shot up after she heard the click of the camera. She looked around, confused, before her eyes landed on the camera he had. Her cheeks turned red immediately. She had this annoying habit of blushing constantly and she couldn’t ever stop it. “Oh.” She was surprised. No one had ever taken her picture. At least, not that she knew. “Right. Yeah, it’s fine. I don’t think I’ve ever had my picture taken before.” She admitted. She wondered what he was going to do with that picture, but she didn’t know if it was rude to ask and she didn’t want to seem rude. Not now when she was having a good time with this new friend.

“I’m fine.” Annie said hurriedly. “I wasn’t expecting that.” She said. The color returned to her face and she brought herself back to reality. “Do people really listen to that? Willingly?” She didn’t think she’d be able to listen to more than ten seconds of it, let alone an entire album. She nodded and stepped back, letting him choose the music this time. Annie waited as he adjusted the record on the player and braced herself for when the music started playing. She didn’t know what to expect. It seemed that there were so many types of music out there that she didn’t know about. She relaxed when the music started playing. It was nothing like that harsh sounds from the record she chose. It was nice. Calming. “Oh, that’s much better. What is it? I mean—er—who?”