Muse » Styles

CHAPTER 01 - And I Never Saw You Coming

playlist while writing // wetsuit – the vaccines, next in line – walk the moon, in the aeroplane over the sea – neutral milk hotel, reminder – mumford & sons.

AUTHOR’S NOTE – okay, so i just wanted to say before the chapter starts that this is seriously like 1000% au. the characters in this story that exist in real life are all very different from how they really are in the world outside my fanfiction. plenty of their traits will remain the same, but things like style, occupation, interests, age, and some personality quirks will change or be made up for the story. just a warning. okay, hope you enjoy. x

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CHAPTER 01 – And I Never Saw You Coming

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  HARRY MET ALICE ON A TUESDAY when the sun was filtering dimly through the gaps between skyscrapers, melting against his skin in beams of dusty heat. The traffic was slow and lazy like molasses seeping down the busier roads, making Harry glad he’d opted to walk today. Hands buried in the pockets of his jeans, he rounded the corner and sluggishly traipsed down a couple more blocks until he came upon the familiar empty cobblestone alley, situated between a law firm and a pharmacy. The small courtyard to which it led was located amidst a circle of tiny shops and stores, hidden away from the bustle of the city in a delicate bubble of quietude.

  Harry was already five minutes late, but Cher had never been too strict about her employees’ punctuality, so he merely received a kind smile from his boss when he wandered into the bookstore. Returning the friendly gesture, the green-eyed boy headed straight towards the back room, though he kept his leisurely pace, and went to clock in. It took him a few seconds to pin his nametag to the front of his white shirt, but once he’d gotten situated and tucked his belongings away on a small shelf, he emerged into the shop again and got to work.

  His co-worker Ashton – a sweet boy with sandy hair and dimples that rivaled Harry’s own – greeted him amicably, sparking idle conversation about how dusty the history section had become and how Harry’s new kitten was faring. He agreed that no one seemed to be interested in reading Abraham Lincoln’s biography and bumbled on for three minutes about the toys he’d bought for Sunny and how cute she was when she was batting the little stuffed mouse around. It was undoubtedly pleasant company that the two shared, but there was no denying that the atmosphere in the bookstore was just as dull as always, unfortunately.

  The bubble of quietude was nice, but sometimes it became a bit suffocating and lonesome, considering the noticeable lack of customers part of the time.

  Okay, so it was actually most of the time, but at least the store hadn’t gone completely bankrupt yet.

  Harry couldn’t stop himself from breathing a sigh of relief when Cher called him over to where she was stacking books in the fantasy section. “Do you need something, Cher?” Harry inquired politely, standing straight with his Converse-clad feet turned inward a bit.

  She wiped her hands on her thighs and straightened. “As a matter of fact, I do. Seeing as how we’re not exactly busy right now – not that we ever are, really – would you be a dear and go run an errand for me?”

  Harry brightened considerably at the prospect of a less tedious task than arranging a row of vampire romance novels meant for teenage girls. He was nodding before she’d even finished her sentence, eager to escape the utter boredom that seemed to always permeate the air here. “Yes, of course.”