Trapped [Complete]

Chapter 1

“It’s not right for a woman to read. Soon she starts getting ideas and thinking...”

-Gastan, Beauty and the Beast

 

I cross and uncross my legs anxiously waiting for my drink to arrive. Well, not anxiously as much as impatiently. I knew that if I started reading, when they called my name for my drink, actually... it’s not necessarily my name it’s a character name from a book but that’s besides the point, I would never hear it. I would be totally oblivious because that’s who I am. I would be too engrossed in the story and unless they called the name of a character from this book, I would never hear it or pay attention. Unless they called-

“Lucy Pevensie?” A guy says, and then I can hear him laugh. His laughter echoes through the small coffee shop and it makes the place feel more like home. Not that I need any more reason to have this place feel at home, its a starbucks inside of a bookstore. Bookstores are my world. I’m at the point where I dont even see why I should buy every book I want to read because I finish them so fast. I’ve had a library card since I was young, but bookstores are quieter and feel more homely.  I don’t head up right away, because I get lost in thought and I hear him mumble, “I wonder if she got lost in Narnia.”

I march up to the counter and look at the guy who was laughing and say seriously, “so you’ve visited Narnia, too? Mr. Tumnus showed me all around.” I was determined to stay “in character” for this guy. I do it for work, why not randomly at a bookstore coffee shop?

He smiles and whispers, “Does your sister and brothers know about Narnia?”

I gasp and then frown, “they don’t believe me, but I’ve got to get going. Maybe I’ll see you in Narnia sometime.”

Before I could walk away, he grabs my arm and slips a piece of paper into my hand and winks at me. I decide I might as well buy the book, I already own the rest of the series and the series before it. Plus, I really do not want to stay in there with that guy. I walk up to the counter and hand them my Barnes & Noble gift card my mom gave me for my birthday.

The girl takes the card and smiles when she sees my Starbucks cup, “You like Narnia, huh?” I give her a smile and nod. I read all the books, and to be honest, I feel like I’ve read every book series imaginable. My favorite was probably The Hunger Games or Percy Jackson and the Olympians. I’m buying a book from the Divergent series right now, though. I know I’ll love them, because Paisley read them and loved them.

My phone rings as soon as she’s done ringing me up so I smile and say thank you, answering my phone. I smile as a cheery voice comes across the receiver, but I know that I won’t even get the chance to say hi before Paisley starts rambling on and on about whatever comes to her mind. I’m assuming that she probably had a lot to say about the movie she went and saw last night.  

Paisley has one of the most coveted jobs ever, she’s a movie critic. Sometimes I hate her for it and other times I don’t. I’m not a huge movie person, so whenever she comes over we make popcorn and she watches movies while I read. It’s a productive friendship, really.

After listening to her go on and on until I get out to my car I go, “Paisley, shush your face for a second.”

She let out a little bit of a giggle and then she says, “Sorry, Sienna, but the movie was so fantastic!”

I smile. I’m glad she loves her job, it’s a lifetime career and such a good one for her. I never know if she’s allowed to talk about the movies that she critiques, but I think we both know I won’t tell anyone else, and I’ll probably never watch the movie.

“Ya still there?” She asks, and I can tell she’s suppressing another giggle. “See? This is why I start talking. You get lost in your own thoughts anyways.”