The feeling of loneliness can often be subsequent to the feeling of longingness.
Hallie Jones has always been forced to rely on herself due to past experiences and trust issues. This led to building walls that protected her from
the world in which...
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The familiar street meant that I was only minutes away upon reaching the bookstore and I could not help but feel a little excited. So I quickened my pace and forgot about Sam carrying a steaming cup of coffee while eating her cookie.
"Hey flash hold up a minute will you I'm trying to enjoy my cookie by actually tasting it and not just swallowing it directly." Sam said with a mouth full of cookie.
"I can't hear you, but if you can't walk fast enough just sit on one of those benches and meet me inside if your done savoring the cookie." I said mockingly while picking up the pace.
"Ha.Ha.Ha. good one Hal, fine I'll meet you there. Don't go running off with someone without me!"
"Not a chance mom!" I yelled and she stuck out her tongue at me in which I returned the favor.
I kept speed walking until at last I have finally arrived. As always the store has no costumers for miss Lane to fend for. I often feel for her, she doesn't really show how sad she is about the situation but I just know it gets to her sometimes. Miss Lane is around her forties and she usually dresses with very colorful cardigans accompanied by her huge glasses.
"Ah there she is, my regular and best costumer to ever walk in! How are you my dear, it's your favorite season all over again."
"Hey miss Lane, I'm absolutely great. How About you?"
"I'm fine deary, all's well." she said with a sigh.
I looked at her and for a moment she had a look of disappointment in her eyes. So I asked her the inevitable question, that sooner or later has to be brought to the table.
"How's the store holding up miss Lane?" I said with the utmost concern.
"Well I don't want to lose the store deary but you know reality always gets the best of us." She said while arranging some of the books that were piled on her desk.
"But let's not think about that right now okay? Take a look around the store for the books you're looking for and just bring them up when you're ready." she said with joy finally back in her eyes. I gave her an empathetic hug to hopefully cheer her up a little.
As I walk around the store I just can't help but think about losing this store. It breaks my heart just thinking about it. I don't want that to happen and I don't want to see miss Lane crying at all. Then suddenly my train of thoughts were broken when the bell right on top of the door rung and as if it were on cue it was accompanied by miss Lane's cheery voice.
"Hello deary, welcome to the Talking Pages what genre are you looking forward to talk to?"
"Um Hi, I was wondering if you have any classics laying around the place?"
I hurriedly peeked through one of the bookshelf to see who the stranger was. As I did I saw who it was. I didn't recognize him at first because he was wearing a black leather jacket with a plain white shirt underneath it along with a pair of levis and black shoes. To top the look off he was also wearing a grey beanie that covers most of his curly dark brown hair. I can't believe it, it's the Hero James. The guy who has a notorious dating history with a voice of an angel that can sweep you off of your feet if your naïve enough to be fooled by the whole façade. What was he even doing here? I thought he has this busy schedule and is he supposed to be touring around the world as of the moment? Instead I am here staring at him behind a bookshelf which is strange if you give it much thought. I decided to back up the bookshelf that was hiding me from them but instead my clumsiness got the best of me and I bumped into the bookshelf at my back and I don't know how many books fell off the shelf. This blew my cover and then suddenly I hear miss Lane calling my name with concern in her tone.
"Damn it Hal, being clumsy is really your forte" I said to myself while mentally hitting myself.
"Oh dear, are you alright? Here, let me help you up." miss Lane offered me her hand and I held onto it and steadied myself.
"Is everything alright back here?"
"Well no if you can't clearly tell" I said nonchalantly but then I was hit by a sudden realization of who I was talking to.
"Ah Hal, this is Hero. Hal is a regular costumer of mine who comes by often. He's looking for some good classics, would you mind showing him where those books are located?" miss Lane said with a hint of malice in her voice. I felt like she was trying to set us up together. This was entirely impossible considering the fact that he is an A-list celebrity and has a ton of girls pining over him. Not that I was thinking about it this early but I mean miss Lane was the one who placed the idea in my head.
I busied myself with putting back the books that fell on the floor without even taking a glance at the two of them. I was so ashamed of the fact that I had a bad first impression by bad mouthing him when he was clearly concerned if we were alright.
"Hal, deary would you help Hero?" miss Lane said while taking the books I was holding and placing them on the shelf. I slightly moved my head to the side, just enough for miss Lane to see my pleading face. Instead she just wriggled her eyebrow at me accompanied by a smirk which indicated that I needed to comply. I bumped my head on the bookshelf in front of me in defeat.
"Um, sure. Right this way." I said without taking my gaze away from miss Lane's face.
I led Hero to the shelf where the classics are without even looking back if he was even following me at all. I stopped just in front of the shelf and I finally mustered the courage to turn around and face him.
"These are the classics that miss Lane has as of the moment. Feel free to browse the shelves." I said without making direct eye contact. I couldn't move from where I was standing, so I stood there awkwardly awaiting for his response. His eyes scanned the entire shelf as if looking for something valuable and then he stopped looking and directed his gaze towards me. I froze not knowing what to do nor say.
"Hmmmm, I've read all of them." he said, finally breaking the eerie silence between us. His voice has this deep and slow pace rhythm to it accompanied by his thick British accent. He is still looking at me and I had no clue on what to say.
"Well...I...Um..." I stuttered while raking my brain for a coherent sentence.
"Do you reckon recommending me some of your favorite books? Since you're a regular here, you might've read most of the books in stock." He said without breaking eye contact. I looked at him stunned by his proposition and I saw how serious he was. Was he really asking me for my favorite books to read?
"Well the books I read might not be up your alley sir." Did I actually called him sir? Hallie you are such a dummy!
He laughed at my statement considering the fact I called him sir.
"Don't call me "sir", it makes me feel like I'm some old retired man. Call me Hero instead." He extended his hand for me to shake. It took me awhile to actually grasp on the idea that he was doing a kind gesture by letting me shake his hand. When I came back to my senses I took his hand in mine and lightly shook it. While doing so I looked up at him and saw something in his eyes that was making me want to explore them even more.
Like they said, the eyes are the windows to the soul, and I was looking at his.
