The Book Shop

Shock Through the Heart

I saw him in the shop before he even noticed me. He was reading a Steinbeck. Should of expected he'd appreciate a baby killing author. My hatred for one of America's most famous authors is immeasurable. I'm surprised he'd choose Grapes of Wrath, the only one worse than that is the Pearl. Stupid Steinbeck. Stupid Adam. The real question was how did he find my book store? My sanctuary? My place? This was my precious area of calm and now he's going to invade.
I looked out the main window and saw a damn green motor bike in the parking lot. Mother fucker cost me twenty bucks and suffering a thousand 'told you so's' from Stan. Rolling my eyes I move to the back since he's in my chair. One of the meaner girls that works here gives me a smirk and nods at the douche bag; I glare. In my favorite isle I find Fight Club and sit on the floor. After about an hour, I'm interrupted by my phone's shrill ringer and I recognize the tone for one specific contact. "Sexy and I know it" was the key signal for Stan calling me. Obviously he picked it himself and forcefully put it in my phone. The worker immediately reprimanded me and I rolled my eyes answering the phone.
"I am going to slay you." I seethe into my phone as I go and purchase my book. Adam's gaze burns through my back.
"This is a serious situation Lala." Stan's worried voice asserts.
"What's going on?" Immediately putting away my annoyance.
"I can't decide between blue or green for my shirt to wear for my date."
"You already have another date! Damn you work fast." I say with a smirk and he chuckles.
"Yes I do. I'm quite charming."
"I've noticed. Go with green, it'll highlight your skin tone. I'll talk to you later, I'm about to be murdered by a bitchy bookseller." The girl glares at me and I hear Adam chuckle. She hands me my bag and I leave the store. When I'm outside I peer in and see Adam laughing at the girl as she waves her arms, probably to emphasize her point in her rant about me. Then I see him lean in and smirk at her, probably saying something flirty. She blushes and writes on an old recite. Wow, he used my rudeness to get a girl's number. Well played, Adam, well played. The poor girl, she probably thought she had a chance with him. Just by looking, I knew he wasn't interested in anything serious. Without another glance, I drove off to work with goods from its competitor.
**********
"He's gonna be in school with us?" I asked with raised eyebrows. I could have sworn he was at least nineteen.
"Yeah, he's a senior. He repeated sophomore year." Pipes responded angrily. She was still pissed about her room and the other shit he's pulled. Apparently that girl at the bookstore left their house at three in the morning. Piper heard them for hours since the walls were thin, and I guess even when she went to watch a movie in the basement. I wrinkled my nose in disgust. My poor best friend.
"You can stay with me whenever." I assure her, but she isn't convinced.
"You sure you're not too preoccupied with a certain football player?" I roll my eyes.
"No. Dude come on, you know it's not like that."
"Your mom told mine he's stayed over. More than once." She raised an eyebrow and I blushed extremely uncomfortable with the hidden meaning.
"That's impossible my mother couldn't possibly know that. She's never home."
"You're not denying it!"I blush and dread telling her.
"He has, but I swear nothing's going on. We're just friends, it's like a slumber party." Her eyes widen and just as she's about to ask more questions someone blinds me with their hands.
"Guess who??"
"Stanley get the hell off me!" I laugh and he smirks. Piper just stares, along with everyone in our grade. I hope no one heard our conversation. My hope was futile, since rumors spread that I was a whore and was letting him sleep with me every night. Not the innocent type of sleeping we've been doing either. Stan got word of it and squashed most speculation by threatening guys and girls he was "friends" with. When we were walking to lunch, I noticed Adam glaring at me and Stan. My body heated and I noticed every girl was doing this as well. Then I noticed some weird looks athletic guys were giving me. Stan wrapped his arm around me protectively and I just breathed slowly. Piper was talking with some girls at my table. But when I got closer I realized she was yelling at them.
"So next time, you snotty little shits, stay the fuck away from me and Layla. Stay in your fucking lane bitches." They looked at her in horror, stunned by the fact that someone not popular addressed high status people that way. I smiled at my loyal friend. She noticed me and ran over, crushing me in a hug.
"How have you been? Classes okay?"
"I'm fine. One class that was all jocks, girls and guys, was particularly awful but everything else was fine. For the most part teachers took control and yelled at them." I faked an assuring smile. She only nodded then glared at Stanley.
"You do realize she wouldn't be getting this shit if you hadn't forced yourself into her life." I glared at her, none of this was his fault. He looked down guiltily and let go of my waist. I looked up at him and poked his stomach. Or lack of one.
"Hey, mister you are not at fault here. This is not a time for blaming. I need my friends to be on my sides for this. Okay!" I barked at them and they nodded. We sat and ate lunch talking about books I'd read in the past day. Suddenly someone tapped my shoulder and dread filled me.
"This seat taken?" Then without my response Adam sat himself down at our table receiving a glare and a smirk from my friends. You can guess who sent what.
"He's fineee" Stan whispered in my ear in a stereotypical girl voice. I giggled in response and shook my head. Adam raised his eyebrows at us and held his hand out to Stan.
"Adam."
"Stan." They shook and I knew Stan was holding back an outburst of laughter. I silently smirked at them.
"So, you guys serious?" Adam asked waving his hand between us. We looked at each other and laughed.
"We're not together." I said politely, with a blush.
"Didn't peg you for a fuck buddy Layla." I choked and turned tomato red, coughing up my French fries. Stanley cracked up and hit my back to help me.
"We're just friends dude." He said with an amused smile. Adam only rolled his eyes and nodded, muttering 'lame.' I just glared at him.
Later that day, I was getting my keys from my backpack when someone tapped me. I looked up and found a blond girl.
"Can I help you!" I said, not rudely to Dara, a bitchy girl in my grade.
"Listen well cause I'm not going to repeat myself fatass. You're ugly ass isn't going to keep Stan Gibson for long. He's hot, and you're nothing. Just remember that." She glared and shoved me. I fell back completely stunned. No one, I mean no one, has ever been that mean to me before. I may have been ignored, but never ever bullied or out rightly accosted. My entire body shook and I started to sweat. Still on the ground, someone came up behind me and pulled me up.
"What did she say to you?" I'm met with a familiar pair of green eyes and I immediately smiled at my friend's crush.
"Nothing important." I lied and he saw right through it.
"Jeremy right?" I smiled and he nodded.
"Yeah, you're Layla right?" I nodded and hugged him.
"You make my friend very happy." He blushes cutely and smiles.
"He makes me very happy." I nod and look him over properly. Man, my friend has good taste in boys.
"Thank you, by the way, for taking all the shit while Stan's adjusting. I'm sorry people have been so mean."
"It's okay. I imagine it'd be worse if you were the first person to "date" Stan, just cause the team guys would probably be dicks about it." He nods and pales.
"Well if you need anyone to talk to, Stan has my number."
"Thanks. Same goes, you know, if the jocks get jerky and you can't explain it to Stan." Jer beams at me and I smile. He gives me another hug then rushed off the practice. When I'm putting my shit in my car, I feel hands around my waist.
"So you have two guys? Wow Lay, I really underestimated you." I shove Adam away and glare.
"I don't 'have' anyone. I'm friends with two boys, why the fuck does that make me a fucking whore. I haven't fucking done anything." I exploded, hurt by his and Dara's words. Tears of frustration spring into my eyes and my fists ball. Adam steps back in alarm, shocked by my outburst. He holds his hands up in surrender. "I was kidding."
"Don't." I glare at him and move to get in my car. He grabs me and searches my eyes quickly. I struggle to get away. He only holds tighter.
"Can I have a ride?"
"What?"
"Piper left me. Her dad forced us to carpool so that we could 'bond' and I found the car gone." I sigh and just nod. When he gets in I blast the Script and ignore him altogether. When we reach his house, he looks at me intently.
"Wanna come hang out?"
"No."
"Why not."
"gotta work." He nods, speculative.
"I'll see you later." He tells me firmly and I just roll my eyes. I ended up being twenty minutes late to work, forcing me to close up as punishment. Stupid Adam.
When I got home at nine, my mother was waiting at the dinner table. Immediately I rushed over, "what's wrong? Who was it? Nana? Frank? Are Nathan and Reagan okay?"
"Who is the boy? Since when are you a whore?" I still and feel as if I'd been slapped. My own mother? That was the final straw. I stormed away, feeling the screams in my chest dying to explode out. My phone constantly went off as I packed. I knew I'd regret doing this. He'd find out and sue, then he'd get me again. But for now I didn't care. I turned my phone on airplane mode, and threw my bag over my shoulder. I would never do this, ever. I've always been so cautious and hesitant. But pain, rage, frustration and exhaustion had taken over. I didn't care anymore.
Thirty minutes later, I knocked on the door and Adam opened it. I had hoped it would be Piper. He stood their with a frown and I barged right in, shoving him aside. I went up to Pipers new room and came in unannounced; she jumped and immediately hugged me. Within seconds I was in tears. I filled her in on everything, my friendship with Stanley, his sexual preference, our sleep overs, the calls i got from my dad the disappearing act my mom does, then today and all that happened. I was sobbing and it took about two hours to fit every detail. She gave me tissues, refrained from interrupting and brought me chocolate.
"Tell me I can't go to Florida and that it'll make everything worse. Tell me I can just stay here for a few days until my mom goes back on one of her trips."
"If you get on a plane your dad will find out. Then he'll get custody again, and obviously we don't want that. Wait til they come home. Nathan can beat the shit out of kids, and scare the dumb bitches off. You should tell Stanley."
"No he has enough to worry about. He already feels bad."
"If he was being bullied you'd want to know right?"
"Yeah."
"That's what I thought. Let me see your wrist."
"You don't need to."
"Yes I do."
"Pipe-"
"Dammit Layla."
"I'm sorry." I whispered, ashamed. She only shook her head and held me close. I cried again, and we eventually fell asleep. Another snow day came and we found ourselves trapped with Adam. I was decked in my favorite Georgetown Sweatshirt and blue flannel pajama pants while making chocolate chip pancakes. Piper was still asleep and I was humming Dream by Priscilla Ann when Adam rushed in. He came right up to me, so close our noses could have touched. His blue eyes pierced though my hazel ones and he searched my face. I stared at him blankly. He had an intense expression and suddenly his lips were on mine. I stumbled back almost igniting myself on fire, but I wouldn't have noticed, since the kiss made me feel that way. It was like a lightning bolt hit straight through me. I responded after a seconds hesitation and we kissed for a while. I broke away to flip the pancakes and when I turned back around he was gone. I traced my lips with my fingers in pure wonder.
**********
I stayed at Pipers for a week, in which Adam and I avoided each other at all costs. I was still in shock and embarrassment. He wouldn't even look at me. I doubted myself immediately. Was I a bad kisser? Or was it just one of his impulses that he regretted. Piper was oblivious so we had fun, while I tried to forget about the random encounter. Piper and I watched a shit load of movies, talked about her current crush (an asshole football player) and just hung out. We bonded and I forgot how much I valued my friend. Stanley only saw me at school, he was really distant and I was worried. Jeremy also didn't respond to my texts, so maybe they're having issues. On the next Sunday someone banged on Pipers front door. Since she was in the shower and Adam was obviously missing I answered. Man, I wish i hadn't. My brother, the six foot three hulk, stood raging in the doorway. His face was red, his hands shook, and his jaw was clenched. I gulped and crossed my arms over my chest, immediately playing defense.
"You fucking ran away? do you know what could happen Layla?! Do you?"
"Last time I checked, you're not my parent."
"He's going to come back. What if he found what I found? An empty house and millions of empty bottles."
"It's all mom."
"I know, but she's unfortunately the better option." His tone softened and his eyes bore into mine worriedly.
"I can't let you get hurt again." I swallow and fight back repressed memories of my father. I silently nod and retrieve my stuff. As I'm zipping up my bag, Adam appears.
"Who's the angry guy?"
"My brother." I say with a dead tone.
"Oh. Are you leaving?"
"Obviously." I refuse to look at him and make my way to Nate. He's on the phone when I get to him, pacing. Adam stands behind me and I see his hands hover over my hips, then retract. When Nate hangs up the phone, I stare at him in expectation of an explanation.
"That was dad. He's coming back." My eyes widen and I fall.