The Heart of The Spine - Scarlett Johansson

Bookklempt

Chapter two: Bookklempt

A/N

Hi! Here's chapter two, hopefully, it'll answer some questions. I hope you like it!

Y/N's POV

I could feel the cool fall air hit me as the door opened. I see a woman rush in, she's wearing a Yankees hat and a large pair of sunglasses. She doesn't come up to the counter but stands quietly by the door looking around. She looks really upset.

"Hey," I say as I walk up to where she is. Now that I'm closer it's clear that she's having some sort of panic attack, her hands are shaking and grasping at her chest, and she's having trouble breathing. "Are you alright? Would you like to sit down somewhere?" I ask, walking up close, offering a smile.

"Hi," she talks quietly. "I uh, I'm sorry for rushing in like that. I'm fine, really. I promise, I just, sometimes I get anxious over the smallest things, it's nothing. Really." Her gaze falters and lifts up to me, "but, uh, yeah. I guess sitting might help." She offers up a soft, sort of half-smile.

"Tea or coffee?" I smile back.

"Tea please," she says.

I show her to an armchair in the corner of the shop by the windows. She sits down comfortably and looks at me again, "thank you, uh, heh," she giggles, "I don't know your name."

"Y/N. My name's Y/N," I responded.

"I'm Lizzie," she winks and smiles, this time for real.

There's something different about her. Despite just meeting her I feel like I just want to make her happy and help her feel better, and there's something else as well. She seems familiar, maybe in the way she talks or smiles. Trying to ignore this feeling I walk back to the counter and begin to make her a black tea.

"Hey Abby," I walk over and place my arm around the girl sitting behind the counter. She smiles and looks at me mischievously and I know it only means one thing.

"So...." she starts.

"Yes, Abby?" I look at her amusingly.

"IkindawentonyourphonecauseyourpasswordisonlypasswordwhichyoureallyneedtochangeandImayhavedownloadedtinderandsetyouuponadatewithhisgirlnamedsarahcauseyourelonelyandyouhaventhadsexinliketenthousandyears."

I stare at her blankly after she finishes her rant. "Uh Abbs," I laugh, "slower please." She chuckles lightly.

She stares down bashfully at her lap and whispers, "I kinda went on your phone cause your password is only password, which you really need to change, and I may have downloaded tinder and set you up on a date with this girl named Sarah cause you're lonely and you haven't had sex in like ten thousand years." She glances up when she stops talking, both delight and fear in her eyes. It takes me a minute to register what she's said.

"WHAT" I yell a little too loudly.

A few customers glance my way and I send them a quick apologetic smile.

"You did what?!?" I whisper-yell at her.

"Well it's just been forever," she begins, "and I know how alone you are. Like you know how there's that random noise at the bottom of the ocean that like makes the blip or bloop noise and they think it's an animal making the noise, and that it's calling for another of its species but it has never found it, and they think it's the loneliest animal on the planet?"

"Yes," I answer tentatively.

"Well imagine how lonely that animal is, I mean it's so alone it probably doesn't even remember what other of its kind looks like."

"Abby, where is this going?" I say more confused than ever.

"Ok well," she looks at me with a grin, "imagine that animal five times more lonely than it already is, that's you! That's how lonely you are, and I just thought I'd be a good friend and help. Plus your sex life is sad."

I stare, gaping at her like a fish.

"Excuse me," I say, my voice going an octave higher. "I am, ugh, well, I-." She looks at me with a smirk.

"Ok fine! So sometimes I am lonely," I continue. "But first of all, who said I don't like being alone, second what do you even know about my sex life! You're like twelve!" I playfully glare at her and laugh.

"So by twelve you mean twenty-two, and I know all about it because during the week you work and then go home to your couch, and on your weekends you're with me." She looks back at me.

"I-, ugh." I give up. She's not wrong, I'm not sure I appreciate a tinder date, but maybe she's right about me needing to get out there again. I start making Lizzie's tea while thinking about everything that could go wrong on this surprise date.

As I begin to bring it over the tea I turn to Abby and sigh, "What time and when?" She spins around excitedly, "Does that mean you'll go!!! Eeeeee! Oh! I'm so excited! Ok, it's tomorrow at six and she'll meet you outside the shop. Oh, I can't wait." She hugs me tightly, nearly spilling the tea. I smile back at her. She's like a little sister to me and it's nice to see her happy, even if it's at the cost of my sanity. Oh god. What have I agreed to?

I walk through the coffee shop, but I hear a squeal so I quickly rush over to see what's wrong.

As I get to where Lizzie's sitting I sigh and relax. She's standing up and hopping around Lokitty who is currently sitting on her table.

"Euuuuuuuuu, ohmygoshitssocuteeeeeewhatsitsname!!!!" She gushes.

I place her tea down on the table and pick up Lolo. I hand him to her and I'm pretty sure when I do, she looks like she's about to faint or die. Or both.

"This is Lokitty," I say, reaching over to pet his head, making him let out a low purr. "He also responds to Lolo as well, it's his nickname. We have other cats here too. They used to be strays but now they live here in the shop. Here, I'll grab two I think you'll like"

I find Piglet and Toulouse browsing the bookshelves and bring them over to her as well. She puts Lolo back down on the table and sets the other two on her lap. She begins to pet them and coo at their cuteness. I almost coo myself as I see the image of Lizzie and the cats. I still can't place why she seems so familiar, but I brush it off and just laugh at the adorable scene in front of me.

I go to head back to the counter but I feel a hand pull me down into the seat opposite of her. She looks at me grinning. "So," she places her hands under her chin as she leans on the table, "tell me more about yourself Y/N."

"Only if you do the same," I reply.

"Twenty questions?" She suggests and I nod. This is going to be interesting.

Bookklempt: when one finishes a book series but is not mentally prepared to begin another.

A/N  -  I hope you liked it! Don't forget to comment!!!