Window Shopping

Allen woke up feeling lighter than usual, the weight of uncertainty that had plagued him for weeks finally lifted. The sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow across his room, and as he stretched, he couldn't help but smile. His song was doing better than he ever imagined. With 30,000 streams on Botify, the momentum was growing, and now he had something else on his mind—money.

He hadn't checked how much his streams had earned him yet. After all the excitement, he had avoided the number to prevent disappointment in case it wasn't as much as he hoped. But now, with the system awarding him showbiz points for success, he felt confident enough to face reality. Besides, it was time to figure out what kind of paycheck his art was bringing in.

Grabbing his phone from the nightstand, Allen opened the Botify app and navigated to the artist's dashboard. His heart raced a bit—this was the moment of truth. He'd heard stories of how streaming revenue wasn't great, but still, it felt like something significant was about to happen.

The dashboard loaded slowly, testing his patience, but finally, the number popped up: $450.

"Four hundred and fifty bucks?" he muttered aloud. It wasn't a life-changing amount, but for a guy who'd spent most of his time playing gigs for little to no money, it felt like a fortune. And the streams were still climbing—this was just the beginning.

He stood up, stretched again, and felt a surge of energy. He was already doing the math in his head: half of the earnings would go to the producer, but that still left him with $225. Not too shabby for his first real taste of music income. And there was something else: he had been promising himself a break, something fun, and he knew just the person to spend the day with.

Scrolling through his contacts, he found Sarah's name and tapped on it, sending her a quick text.

"Hey, I was thinking of going to the mall later today. Wanna come with me? My treat!"

A few minutes passed, and he got her reply. "Sure! I could use a break from studying. When are you thinking?"

Allen smiled and replied, "How about in an hour?"

"Perfect! See you then," she wrote back, adding a smiley face.

Allen looked at his reflection in the bathroom mirror as he brushed his teeth. He still wasn't sure what was going on between him and Sarah, but there was something undeniably comfortable about being around her. They had known each other long enough that the pressure of first impressions was gone, but lately, he'd started noticing little things about her—the way she laughed at his dumb jokes, or how she always seemed to check in on him at just the right moments.

He tried not to overthink it. After all, they were just going to the mall. He didn't need to put labels on anything.

After a quick shower and some indecision over which T-shirt to wear, Allen settled on a plain navy shirt and jeans, grabbed his jacket, and headed out the door. As he made his way to Sarah's place, he felt an odd mix of excitement and calm. Maybe today would be the day he figured out what was going on between them.

When he pulled up to Sarah's apartment, she was already waiting outside, leaning against the doorframe. She wore a light green sundress and white sneakers, her hair pulled back into a casual ponytail. She smiled brightly when she saw him.

"Hey, ready to blow some of that music money?" she teased as she slid into the passenger seat.

"You know it," Allen replied, grinning. "I checked this morning—looks like Botify is finally paying off."

They drove to the mall, talking about everything from music to Sarah's classes. Allen felt more at ease with her than he did with almost anyone else, and as they pulled into the parking lot, he realized how much he'd missed these simple moments.

The mall was bustling, filled with families, teenagers, and the usual array of shoppers milling around. As they walked in, Sarah linked her arm through his, a casual gesture that made Allen's heart race a little. He hoped she didn't notice.

"So, where to first?" Sarah asked, her eyes scanning the directory. "Are we going for something specific, or are we just here to window-shop?"

Allen shrugged. "Honestly, I didn't have anything specific in mind. I figured we could just wander around and see if anything catches our eye. I've been cooped up in the studio for so long that I forgot what it's like to just, you know, do normal stuff."

Sarah smiled. "Normal stuff sounds great. Let's go!"

Their first stop was a music store, naturally. Allen gravitated toward the guitars while Sarah browsed through the vinyl section. He picked up a sleek acoustic model and strummed a few chords, feeling the rich tones vibrate through his fingertips.

"This one's calling my name," he joked, though there was a part of him that genuinely considered buying it. But at $800, it was way out of his budget for now.

Sarah laughed. "You've already got a guitar. Don't get greedy."

"Hey, a musician can never have too many instruments," Allen countered, putting the guitar back on the rack. "But yeah, you're right. I should probably save that money for more important things—like food."

They spent the next hour wandering through the mall, stopping at random stores to try on clothes or check out gadgets. In one store, Sarah grabbed a ridiculous oversized hat and plopped it on Allen's head.

"You look like a 90s boy band reject," she teased, stifling a laugh.

Allen gave her a dramatic pose. "Are you telling me I'm not cool enough to pull this off?"

Sarah burst into laughter. "Definitely not."

The easy banter between them made the day fly by. It wasn't until they were sitting in the food court with milkshakes that Allen realized how much fun he was having. It had been so long since he'd just relaxed without thinking about music, streams, or his next big move.

"So," Sarah said, breaking him out of his thoughts. "Have you thought about what's next for you? I mean, after the song and everything?"

Allen paused, stirring his milkshake with his straw. "Honestly, I don't know. I mean, the song is doing great, and I've got some momentum, but I'm still figuring things out. Part of me wants to keep pushing and see where this can go, but the other part of me is terrified of screwing it all up."

Sarah nodded thoughtfully. "That's totally normal. I think anyone in your position would feel the same way. But you've got talent, Allen. You're going to make it. I know it."

Allen looked at her, the sincerity in her eyes making his chest tighten a little. "Thanks," he said quietly. "That means a lot, coming from you."

She smiled softly, and for a moment, neither of them said anything. It wasn't awkward, though. It was one of those comfortable silences where words didn't seem necessary.

After a few more hours of wandering around the mall and picking up a couple of small items (Allen bought Sarah a necklace she had been eyeing, despite her protests), they finally decided to head home.

As they walked to the car, Allen couldn't help but think about how much things had changed. Just a few weeks ago, he was grinding away in obscurity, unsure if his music would ever reach anyone. Now, he had 30,000 streams, money in his pocket, and—perhaps most surprisingly—he had Sarah by his side.

He glanced over at her as they reached the car. She was scrolling through her phone, completely unaware of the thoughts running through his mind.

"Hey," he said suddenly, making her look up. "Thanks for coming with me today. I needed this."

Sarah smiled. "Of course. I had fun. We should do it again sometime."

Allen nodded, feeling a warmth spread through him that had nothing to do with the sun setting behind them. Maybe things weren't so uncertain after all. With his music taking off and the right people around him, the future didn't seem so scary anymore.

As they drove back to Sarah's place, Allen found himself thinking that this day might have been the best one he'd had in a long time. And maybe, just maybe, there were even better days ahead.