Spellbound: First Light

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER ONE:

   THE SUN TRICKLED down the sky slowly, like a splash of bright orange paint dripping on the its canvas. It casted a warm, late evening glow along the streets of Gaston, Georgia, where Alondra Queen trudged down the sidewalk, towards the bookstore where one of her closest friends, Miles, worked.

   Her dark brown hair was in a loose ponytail, and the strands that managed to escape flew across her face as a gentle breeze picked up. She flicked away a piece of macaroni that was resting on her shoulder, and begrudgingly blew a strand of hair out of her eyes. It had been a long day.

   Her favorite band, Alice In Chains, blared through the headphones that were connected to the Walkman cradled in her hands, and she closed her eyes for a moment, focusing on the loud drums that vibrated through her ears and into her brain. 

   There was a tap on her shoulder, eliciting a shrill yell from her. The Walkman clattered to the ground, dragging her headphones down with it.

   "My bad, Lone," an apologetic yet slightly amused voice called behind her. Her frown melted into a small smile, as she recognized the voice immediately. A familiar hand reached down and picked her Walkman up as she turned around to face the boy behind her. 

   "Thomas," she greeted, as he dusted off the CD player and handed it back. "You scared the crap out of me!"

   "Sorry," he said sheepishly, his steps falling in line with hers when she began to walk again. "I was calling your name for a while. Should have known you were listening to music."

   "I'm on my way to see Miles," she nodded her head toward the book shop. The top of the water fountain that sat in the middle of the square and directly across from the cozy little store could be spotted already. 

   "So am I," Tommy said. "He called me before my shift at the hardware store ended, said it was an emergency."

   "He called me about an emergency too," her eyebrows furrowed. "Any idea what it's about?"

   "Not a clue," Tommy replied. "You never know with Miles. I can assure you it's not that important."

   Alondra let out a small chuckle, she couldn't help herself. 

   "Were you just babysitting?" Tommy asked, studying another piece of macaroni off of Alondra's other shoulder. He picked it up and threw it on the sidewalk.

   "For the Parker's," she nodded. "They just had a date night for the first time since they had their daughter."

   "Isn't Meredith, like, four?" Tommy asked. "They haven't had a date night in four years?"

   "When was your last date night, Tommy?" She teased, elbowing him gently in the side. He blushed slightly, looking out toward the street in hopes that she wouldn't see the tinted red. 

     "You know I did take Tessa Thompson out on a few dates this summer, right?" he queried, hoping it sounded more playful than defensive. 

   "I heard," Alondra returned, her tone suddenly serious. "You haven't been out since then, though. What happened? I thought she was nice."

   "Uh," Tommy hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "She was extremely nice. Just not what I wanted."

   They found themselves in front of the bookstore, an array of ivy-clad brick walls with large, inviting windows. There was a large, iron sign that hung above the store, stating simply Taffy's Half Priced Books. The lamps from inside produced a subtle gleam of amber light through those large windows and out onto the sidewalk. For Alondra, it was a welcoming sight.