book store; phan

chapter one

I jumped as my alarm rang, my window beside me still displaying a dark, misty sky. 1 am. I sighed as I clambered out of bed, letting out a massive yawn. I slowly padded into the kitchen, dragging my feet along in the process, beginning to prepare for my 1:45 AM shift at the bookstore.

I gazed into space as I ate my Lucky Charms, thinking about what sort of customers we might have today. Lasts night shift was uneventful, not a single soul entered the shop. I sigh once again, before getting dressed and making my way out the door of my apartment.

Walking though the streets of London in the early hours of the morning was nice; it was quiet, the river Thames silently trickling in the distance. It was the exact opposite to the usual loud, alive city. It almost felt like a ghost town. I was so lost in my thought that I didn't even notice I had reached my destination. I sighed, unlocking the old fashioned door and pushing through.

I relaxed as I inhaled the smell of old books and parchment paper. Although it made me wake up at an extremely unearthly hour, I really enjoyed working in the bookstore. My boss told me that because I work so late, I'm allowed to take any books I wanted to read, as long as they were retuned within two weeks.

I plonked myself down on the chair behind the counter, pulling out my copy of Looking For Alaska. It really was a sad story, so far. But John Green's books, although they're brilliant, they're quite tragic really.

I continued to read for a while, before glancing at the clock on the wall behind me. 3 am. Not a single customer. I don't see why our shop is open at this time; but our boss is stubborn and insists we get all the hours we can possibly get in.

Dinga-linga-ling! No way.

I poked my nose over the book, and sure enough, a brown haired boy was shuffling through the aisles, occasionally pulling a book out and reading the first few pages or so.

"Need any help?" I inquire, wearily. I've always been aware that there are some weird people around the city at this time, but this boy seemed innocent.

"Oh, um - yes. I'm looking for Death Note: Volume II?" The boy asked, a tinge of awkwardness in his smooth voice.

I grinned at him, in which he returned, flashing his adorable dimples at me.

"I love that manga," I chuckle. "It's over here-" I add, making my way over to the manga section. "-Here you go. I'm Phil, by the way."

"Dan." He held out his hand, in which I went to shake. Dan's hands were somewhat soft and comforting, which sent warm vibes throughout my arm, but also absolutely freezing.

"So, Dan. What are you doing out and about at this unearthly hour?" I question, while leading him to the cashier.

"Insomnia. It's really been bugging me lately, so I thought I would take a midnight stroll and I remembered I still needed to purchase Volume II of the Death Note series. So here I am. I don't know what I'll do after this, to be honest," He said, seemingly happy to be talking to me. He handed over the money, which I stuffed into the cashier and handed him back his change.

"Well Dan, there is a 24 hour café down the road and I am in serious need of a coffee," I yawned, "Care to join me?" I say, smiling at him.

"Sure," he returned the smile.

************

My breathing hitched as I shuffled through the cold streets of London, side by side with Dan. It was a clear night, there wasn't a cloud to be seen. The starts shone brightly, unlike their usual dim appearance due to the foggy atmosphere.