"Does this one look good?"  A dark-skinned boy, who appeared to be age nine or ten, held up an acoustic guitar.  It was a pale red color and rounded at the end.  It was plain, and the tone of the kid's voice proved that he thought this, too.

Andy took the guitar from the boy, flipping it over to examine it.  He pulled the strap over his shoulder and strung a few chords. 

"A bit plain, don't you think?"  He removed the guitar from his body and placed it back into the stand.  He stared at the boy for a moment, then smiled.  "I think I know the perfect one for you.  Just a second."  Andy stuck his index finger in the air to imply that he'd only be gone a moment.

Andy headed to the back of the store.  Several guitars that were not on display were stored there, already enclosed in their own cases.  He searched for the one guitar that he had admired ever since it had appeared into the stock, and then he brought it back to the child. 

"Hey buddy, check this one out."  Andy opened the case, watching the boy's mouth drop open in a gasp as he saw the beauty.  It was a brighter, more vivid red, with a more profound shape.  It was outlined in a golden yellow. 

"It's...amazing," he said.  Andy smiled, then picked up the guitar and handed it to the boy.

"Yeah, I thought so," he told him.  "Me and this thing...it was love at first sight."  The kid stroked the strings.  He pulled one of them, playing a C.

"How much is it?"  The child's face twisted like he had just eaten a sour lemon as he dreaded hearing Andy's reply.

"Seventy-five dollars."  The boy frowned and stared at the guitar, filled with sorrow.  Of course it was more than the five dollars in his pocket.  Of course it was.

"Oh."  He pulled the five dollar bill out and looked at it, then began to stuff it back into his pocket.  Andy grabbed his wrist.

"Hey," he said.  "It's only seventy bucks, right?"  The boy frowned, opening his mouth to interject.  "We can get seventy bucks, no problem."  Andy interrupted the boy.  "I can't just give you seventy dollars, but, when I'm not working, I can help you earn it, no problem."

The kid seemed uncertain.

"Hey, man, what's your name?"

"Eli."

"I'm Andy.  Have you ever made lemonade before?  What about tea?  You should set up a stand.  Right out here."  Andy pointed outside.  "What do you say"

Eli finally agreed, smiling and nodding his head vigorously.

"Here."  Andy pulled out a fifty dollar bill, then a notepad and a pen.  "You need money to start off, to go with your five, and a shopping list."

Eli smiled wide, growing excited.  "Let's see, you need lemons, sugar, tea bags, more sugar.  Hmmm...ice.  Containters to put them in."  Eli scribbled the list onto the notepad as quickly as possible.  "Is that it?  Get as many of all of it as possible, so we can make and sell more!  I'll bring the table and chairs.  I'm off tomorrow.  Maybe we could meet here at...eight?  Tommorrow is Saturday, no school, so that sounds great."

Eli said, "yes!  I'll be here!"  He ran out of the store after giving one last look at the guitar.  Andy closed the case, giving a chuckle. 

That was all of his cash.

-

"...DON'T LET ME DROWN!!!!"  Adia, along with several of her friends, screamed song lyrics.  Sara tried to keep up, but she didn't know any of the lyrics, except for those four words. 

They continued to sing the song, with Sara humming, trying to guess words.  Then the line came back around.

"DON'T LET ME DROWN!"  She screamed it, although it was a false alarm.  "Oops."  She made a face.  "Well I have to go.  Time for another boring weekend of nothing but Netflix."

Everyone waved goodbye as Sara climbed into her car and rode away.  Then the line came, and everyone screamed it.