Lock It In

Three

Carson

I wasn't really in the mood for working today.

There was no way I could ever tell my parents that I lost Taylor's ring. The idea of it still sickened me. It felt like I had lost her all over again. It had been her prized possession, a part of her in itself. And I had lost it. 

The next morning, I had gone back to the park in hopes of finding it, but there was no such luck. It had disappeared, whether down a drain, into the lake, or in someone's pocket. It was like I had failed her, and I hated myself for it. 

So, here I was, working. I couldn't even begin to think of how my parents would have reacted to me losing it. They had hardly trusted me with it when I had said that I wanted to have it, but they gave it to me anyways. Stupid of them, now that I think about it. But, despite my mood, I had to work the shop tonight. I both loved and hated working here. Sure, I got paid, and I could read books all day if I wanted, but the people in the city can be nothing but rude. I was definitely getting out of here as soon as I had the chance. 

I was unable to concentrate on the novel I had plucked off the shelves today, though. I kept tapping my pocket, expecting the ring to be there, but it wasn't. 

I didn't look up when I heard the door open, continuing to stare at the pages. "Hi, welcome to Lowe's Bookstore. Do you need anything?"

"Hey, it is you." I looked up, seeing that boy that was in the park with the girl I had crashed into. 

I frowned, glancing up at him. "Danny, right?" 

He nodded, walking forward. I noticed he had a slight limp that he seemed to be trying really hard to hide. "That's me. You crashed into my friend at the park."

"Yeah." I rubbed the back of my neck, wondering where this was going. "I did. Do you need something?"

He reached into his pocket, pulling out a ring and setting it onto the counter. "Is this yours?"

My eyes widened as I saw the ring. Somehow, this kid found it. "Yes... thank you. How did you find it?"

He shrugged. "Diamond did." I stared at him blankly before he frowned. "That's her name. Diamond." I nodded thoughtfully. Pretty name. It suited her, I thought. "She recalled that your last name was Lowe, so she had me bring it over to see if it was yours. She looked up bookshops and this seemed like it was it. She didn't want it to be lost. She's stuck at school right now so she asked me to bring it."

"Oh. Well, tell her thank you. It really means a lot. I was freaking out when I realized that I lost it." He nodded in response, taking off his thick framed glasses and wiping them on his shirt. I studied him, taking in his plaid flannel, skinny jeans, and black Converse, his caramel colored hair carefully quiffed in the front and a black beanie on his head. I remembered Diamond blurting about him being gay, and it didn't really surprise me now. He seemed nervous. 

"Oh, I will," he finally said, glancing around the shop. "This place is great," he said with a small smile. 

"You like to read?" I asked.

Danny nodded. "I love to. Diamond does, too, but she tends to get kinda frustrated. She's dyslexic, but she's gotten a lot better ever since she got a tutor. She's reading almost as much as I do."

"Oh," I responded, watching him pick a book off a shelf and glance at the back cover. He crinkled his brow, studying it. "That's a good book," I said. "I just finished it."

"Is it?" he asked, flipping through the pages. "I looked at it once before, but I decided not to get it..."

"Definitely read it," I responded, smiling at him. "You should get it."