Mary's in Love

-Chapter 1-

Mary sat down on the loveseat in her bedroom and leaned her head against the cool glass of the window. It was quiet moments like these that she savoured. In a house of seven people there was hardly ever any quiet time.

She had two older sisters and a younger brother and sister and between them and her mother the house was never quiet. As if hearing her thoughts, a door slammed and loud laughter trickled upstairs. She sighed and watched her breath fan out against the window.That was probably her younger sister Poppy and her annoying friends.

Mary decided that now was the best time to go to the local bookstore. She got up and made her way downstairs making sure to lock her bedroom door before she left. She didn't want Poppy and her foolish friends to go into her room like last time.

As she was passing the kitchen to go to the front door. Her mother called out to her. Mary's heart sank right down to her toes. It wasn't that Mary didn't like her mother, no, Mary loved her mother. Unfortunately, her mother was meddling and annoyingly dramatic. Mary turned slowly in the direction of her mother's voice.

"Yes ma," she said. Her mother was looking through fabric swatches in a home improvement magazine and her dad sat down next to her reading the Saturday Sun newspaper.

"Where are you going, dear?" she asked

"To the bookstore." Mary replied flatly, she knew what was coming. Her mother made an exasperated sound before she replied.

" Again? Mary, dear, you need to socialise more. How are you to make any friends or meet someone special if you hide away behind those ridiculous books."

This was the same speech Mary got everytime. Her mother had met her father in their sophomore year in highschool and had been highschool sweethearts. They married and had four girls and a beautiful baby boy. Thus, her mother believed it was her duty as a good mother to make sure they were popular in their little town and married by 21.

Unfortunately, for her mother Mary was an introvert, a loner, a wallflower, take your pick. She continued to pretend to listen to her mother's speech.

"Mary? Are you even listening? You should wear one of Poppy's shirts. Your clothes are always so dark and bland." her mother said in sadness.

" Bye mother"

"Mary! I'm not done! Come back here!" her mother shouted after her.

Mary quickly retreated to the front door and walked briskly down the driveway. As soon as she reached the sidewalk she instantly felt free of her mother and her expectations. She always felt that way when she was out of the house or by her older sister Elly. Mary smiled, something she only did on occasions such as these.

Mary burrowed her hands deep into her jacket and made her way to town.

She reached Brenda's Book Haven which was located on the outskirts of the small and affluent suburban town Westdale where Mary lived. Westdale wasn't extremely big but neither was it extremely small. Its population according to the 'Welcome' sign was 8,551. Each business in Westdale was owned by a resident and there was only two of everything. However, there was only one police station since nothing ever really happened in Westdale.

Westdale of course looked like a typical suburban town or community. It had the wide roads lined with big, tall trees, freshly cut green lawns and identical houses lined up next to each other and of course, sleek black luxury cars lined the streets.

She entered Brenda's Book Haven and inhaled deeply, Mary loved the smell of books, coffee and pastries. She immediately went to her favourite section :poetry and looked for her favourite book Edgar Allan Poe poem collections.

Mary immediately and excitedly turned to her favourite poem For Annie and began to read as she walked to her favourite reading nook in the bookstore.

..... And so it lies happily,

Bathing in many

A dream of the truth

And the beauty of Annie --

Drowned in a bath

Of the tresses of Annie.

Mary rammed right into someone. The book dropped with a thump to the ground. She quickly apologised and bent to pick up the book but the person she bumped into reached it first.

Mary looked up, her mundane brown eyes connected with gorgeous hazel eyes. The owner of the hypnotizing hazel eyes returned the book to her hands.

"Hey, I'm really sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going. I'm Liam," he said quickly and outstretched his hand.

Mary didn't know what to do she had never been put in such a situation before. Everyone always ignored her and she in return ignored them. She settled for shaking his hand before quickly walking away to her nook. She had never seen him before. He had to be new for him to talk to her. She wondered if he would ever talk to her again. May shook her head to expunge such hopeful thoughts. Never in a million years would he speak to her again.