𝑴𝒚 𝑶𝒃𝒔𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝑩𝒐𝒔𝒔

Six

Julia spent about twenty minutes giving me a thorough rundown of what I have to do and what goes where and how to separate the books. It was a lot, but I don't mind it, once I'm getting paid. Julia had went back to the office to do paperwork as I got used to my new working environment.

There was nobody coming in during most of the day which led me to reading a random book that had been on the desk. I only made it through twenty pages due to my mind wandering off into nothingness.

I closed the book and sighed. The afternoon sun etched inside through the triangle window on my right. It's a beautiful looking window.

The door closed shut and I flinched. My heart picked up in speed and I was sure I almost had a heart attack. I straightened up, gazing at the young boy that walked in. He looks familiar.

Freckles, golden eyes, and his hair, despite being a reddish orange color, has a streak of white inside of it. The young boy pranced over to the desk and set two books down gently.

"Hello." He looked off, almost nervous. "I'm the new hire. Ms.Grey is busy in the office if you're looking for her." Still nothing.

I took a pen from the jar and handed it to him. He took it, turning to the back of the book where the borrowing card is. He wrote onto it and handed me the pen before walking off.

I watched him set his bag down onto the table and shortly disappeared behind an aisle. I set the pen back and looked at the card.

Allen Allen.

Allen Allen? As in Asher Allen? He does have the same eyes as Mayor Allen, and the same hair and freckles. I don't want to assume and be wrong. Then again, the last name fits. I haven't met any other Allen's with red hair and freckles.

Actually, now that I think about it, he did mention it during an interview online. He said he had three children. The talk show host kept talking about taking one of the single ladies from the crowd and giving them a step mom.

He seemed pretty uncomfortable about the topic, even stating that he's not looking for a relationship.

I closed the book and popped open the notepad in front of me to write in the return. I walked around the desk, placing it on the return cart.

Allen, returned and took a seat by the desk. I noticed he had a yellow book in his hand. I caught the cover. Diary of a Wimpy Kid...D-Dog Ways? Oh, Dog Days.

I didn't bother him. I retook my seat and felt completed. I could almost feel the joy in my heart. I could live here forever.

I'm safe here.

__

I was running behind the clock. For someone so time coordinated, my schedule hasn't been the best these past few months. I told myself maybe I was slacking off.

I parked and got out of the car. I checked the time on my watch and jogged up to the school, noticing Amper and Ashton sitting on the steps playing thumb war. The parking lot is nearly empty completely.

My reason for being late? I had a panic attack. After a small nap in the office I felt like I was suffocating in my sleep. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't hear or feel my heart. It took me a while to settle down and after...I cried.

I spent so long bottled in my own office crying and pleading for her to just leave me alone. To let me be. Then I sat in one spot for hours until I got a personal call from Julia, Allen's speech therapist from school.

I'm thirty minutes late. "Ha! I won!" Amper spotted me first. "Dad!" He got up and ran up to me, hugging my leg. Ashton followed casually, also greeting me with a leg hug.

"Sorry, I fell behind. Where's Allen?"

"In the library probably."

Of course. "Come on." Both of them followed me and the halls were dead. We reached the library, having them step in first. When I got in the first person I saw was her.

She had been carrying a few books, lost at looking at the top cover. I didn't realize but her attire screamed at me. In a weird way, a way I can't explain. She looks...pulchritudinous.

Her outfit, her hair and that lavender stare. Something about her, something that tells me it's more of a safe zone than a safety hazard. We were both staring and I didn't notice until we were pulled from our transfix.

"Ah, well isn't that just lovely." I looked at Julia and her hands were in front of her. Julia to me is happy, sunshine, loud. Nothing I had to worry about upon meeting her. She's the only female I have in my circle, someone who I had to grow to stand.

There was one time she told me, "We're not all alike."

"What do you mean?"

She smiles. "Aggressive. Or complicated. We can sometimes be fragile. Quiet."

It was an out-of-the-blue statement. But I always wondered what she meant. Maybe I know now what she meant by that.

"You're quite late Mr.Allen."

"Sorry."

She waved me off. "That's fine. My new hire here, Jasmine, had taken good care of Allen's company." She says motioning to her. She's still standing there, her nose and ears a bright red.

"By the feel of it...I think you two have already met."

I looked back at her and again, that fixation latched onto us like leeches do to skin.

"Um...yes." My lungs begged and I exhaled. I looked away, counting the heads now beside me. I kept glancing her way and Jasmine made sure not to look my way.

"Thank you, Julia, for keeping him."

"Don't thank me, thank Jasmine. Like I said, she did all the work today. A very fast learner for her first day don't you think?" She smiled, her brows jerking up.

"Right, Jasmine...thank you."

"It's my responsibility."

This is awkward. I could feel the sweat in my palms. I just nodded. "Now make sure you don't forget about the classes tomorrow at four."

"I'll make sure I don't."

__

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