Left Behind | ONGOING |

Chapter Four: Good On Paper

L E V I

I shifted on my feet, leaning against the wall with my hands stuffed in the pockets of my uniform. Finally, the bell rang, and elementary schoolers began to file out of their classrooms. I scanned the faces until I spotted my younger brother. Eli was exiting a classroom, walking with a group of people laughing about one thing or another. As they got closer, I began to make out their conversation. 

One of his friends groaned. "You're so lucky you don't have any - mine are so annoying."

"I know right? Sometimes my sister just yells at me for no reason," said another. "What about you Elijah? I see your brother dropping you off sometimes." 

Eli shrugged. "Lev's great," he said simply. He looked up, catching sight of me."Speaking of, there he is. See you guys tomorrow." Eli waved goodbye to his friends and walked over to where I was standing. 

I pushed off of the wall, my lips stretching into a mocking smile. 

"I'm great, huh?" I cackled, ruffling his hair. "I appreciate the compliment."  

Eli scowled, smacking away my hand. 

"It's- whatever," he muttered. 

I smiled to myself as we began walking along the sidewalk. A soft breeze blew through the air, and when I looked up, I noticed the bright blue sky above was mostly clear. In the horizon, however, I could make out dark gray clouds gathering and stretching across the space. 

It doesn't seem like it was coming anytime soon, but a storm was definitely brewing. 

~*~

Entering Good On Paper, I took a quick glance around the workplace. The bookstore was as busy as always - it was a popular place for college students. Patrons were scanning shelves for certain books, lining up at the cashier, or, as the majority were doing, sitting at one of the many tables on the second floor. 

The smell of coffee was strong in the air as many had ordered coffee from the café connected to bookstore. The café is walk-in only, which brings in a horde of people looking for somewhere to work and have their drinks. Good On Paper somehow managed to look modern and feel comfortable at the same time, with its sleek gray tile floors, dim lighting, and general warmth. 

Eli came in through the door behind me, and I shooed him upstairs as I went to clock in. He always came with me to work, since his school didn't offer an afterschool program - you couldn't stay after hours unless you did extracurriculars. It all worked out anyway, since he could do his homework while I worked. 

Once I got into the backroom, I waved to my supervisor, and went into the bathroom to change into my normal clothes. I pulled off my blazer and tie, but kept my plain shirt and pants. Putting on an old brown hoodie, I stuffed the rest of my clothes in my bag and left the bathroom. There weren't any uniforms that we were required to wear at work, just a name tag that said the classic 'Hello my name is..'  on our chests. 

I started by grabbing a box of new arrivals, carrying it over to where the rest of them sat on display. I put on the mask of a cheery employee, while on the inside, I was running through a shopping list. I've gotten pretty good at putting on various acts over the months, years even; the skill is pretty useful for lying to someone's face. I finished setting the last book on the shelf, and opened the next box to unload. As I was setting the last book of that set on a shelf, a voice from behind me interrupted my thought process.