Striking Lies

Chapter Twelve: Letting someone in.

Chapter Twelve:

 “Okay, so what do you do here?” Tanner asked me as he hopped onto the counter of the clerk’s desk in the library. I meandered around behind my desk before throwing the few books in my hands in the return bin. Thinking, the night shift girl can sort these out.

“Why you want to know?” I asked him, pushing his shoe off the papers I was filling out.

“I want to see what you do on Saturdays.” He tells me, picking up his foot and setting it back down once I retrieved my papers.

I sighed, shuffling in the desk to find a pen that would actually work for me.

"Well it's pretty simple, I just take the books and put them on shelves and sometimes I direct people in the right direction of their books." I tell him as I watch him as I scribble on a piece of paper. My eyes flick up to him, moving to sturdy himself on the counter.

“You know if my boss came in here right now, I would be fired.” I said clicking the pen like Mrs. Mayfield does. His eyes narrowed as he caught on to my repetitive clicking.

“Ph-lease, I can just sweet talk your boss out of firing you any day.” He says in a naïve way, running his hand through his hair and making me stop clicking my pen.

“Not if he’s a he.” I shoot back, making his eyes widen. I bring my hand to my mouth, laughing at my joke and how I just got Tanner back, but mostly because of Tanner’s priceless expression.

His eyes narrow, telling me he made something up that’s equally as good in his mind and I wait to hear his thoughts.

“No, I’m pretty sure it’ll still work.” He says, his mouth hinting at a smile. I roll my eyes, playfully punching his shoulder but grabbing onto his arm when he almost falls backwards and laughing with each other at his joke.

“This is why we’re friends.” I say, starting to walk around my desk towards his back, making him swerve to face me.

“Okay well, I have to go sort these books out now.” I say, gesturing to the pile of books on the opposite end of the desk.

“Let me help.” Hey says turning and grabbing the books I had put on my desk.

“I’m good at sorting things out.” He tells me as he hops off the counter, grabbing my sleeves and pulling me into the shelves.

                We start to shuffle books onto the shelves, both of us deciding to take opposite sides of the aisle but sticking within a few inches of each other.

“What was your childhood like?” He asks, turning my way, leading me to catch a glimpse of his blue eyes causing a smile to form on my face.

“Well what do you want to know about it?” I ask facing him, leaning back on the shelf and holding onto a small brownish-red book.

“Um, any brothers or sisters?” He asks as if he has never been to my house.

“Nope, I’m an only child.” I say glancing at the titles on the books.

“Well that sucks.”

“Yeah…” I pause, unsure if I should say this or not, “What was it like to have a brother?”

I can feel his eyes narrow, even though I’m not facing him any longer, him staring down to the floor and laying a hand on the wooden shelf.

“You don’t have to answer me, Tanner. You never have to. I was just wondering.” I say, trying to lighten the mood.

“Well—“he pauses, making me turn in his direction.

“Don’t. Please.” I say, holding him back from telling me his brother’s story. If I was a good friend at all, I would do that for him. So that’s what I’m doing, not inflicting anymore pain on him, because I think that what me and him has, I actually helping me. Repairing my broken heart, the accident, the threats, heck even the injuries. When I’m around Tanner I don’t think about those things, I live in the moment.