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⡐⠠⠁⠄☼☽⡐⠄⠁⠠
After the last person had wandered out of the once crowded store, I picked up the heavy book title IT in humongous letters and Stephen king right under it with smaller red ones. It was time to finish it.
I settled myself on the stool checking behind me for the 3'rd time making sure no one was standing behind me ready to drag me into the sewers. Even though these novels made me bite my nails in paranoia they were so captivating it's nearly impossible to put them down.
But of course, the bell rings indicating someone had just entered. Hoping they would wander around the store rather than bother me I continued reading.
"Wow very brave of you." A familiar voice boomed from next to me making me jump and slam the book shut.
"Holy shit!" I pinch the bridge of my nose while holding the book close to my chest.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to startle you." She timidly hid her hands behind her yellow flowy dress. The long strands of hair that once framed her face were now held back with yellow butterfly clips.
"It's cool Red, it's stupid of me to read these kinds of books knowing that I'm a sissy. Especially being so close to nightfall and everything." I ramble nervously still shaken from the scare.
"Yeah, probably a bad idea." She chuckles. Deep in thought, she scrunches up her eyebrows and finally looks me in the eye. "Maybe I could walk you home? I mean if you want of course. I've got my bike with me you can ride on my handlebars. A dollar and I won't drop you." Her smile widens when I nod my head in agreement. Her blushing cheeks go brighter by the second.
"Deal. How about an ice cream cone instead?" I ask her retreating the keys from inside the drawer behind me.
"I guess I can make an exception." She follows me out to the door allowing me to lock up the store.
Red hops onto the pastel yellow bike letting the train of her dress hang a bit. "Come on hop on." I lift myself onto the silver handlebars holding on tight.
"Next stop Jane's Soda Shop!" She hollers loudly. Her shyness seemed to wear off quickly as the night progresses.
Many laughs and two near-death experiences later we had made it to the neon-lit arcade/soda shop. I hopped off the handlebars letting the bottom of my vans crunch the pebbles under them.
"Ok, ok would you rather lick the floor or chew someone's used gum." Red makes a 'take that face' proud of the dilemma she has created.
"Easy, chew someone's used gum. It can't be any different than kissing. It's like swapping spit." I shrug taking a big bite from my cone.
"Eww!" She says while her features crinkle in disgust.
"Well, I assume so anyway," I shrug. I've never kissed anyone. I've never really had the desire to swap spit with someone before.
"Me neither. I wonder what it's like," She blushes. It was quite obvious who she was talking about. That boy who came looking for her that day we met. Her eyes were sparkling in the same way.
"What about your "friend"?" I questioned putting air quotes around friend.
"Oh um. No, we're just friends. But I think I really like him. Well, I thought so, but it's been feeling different recently and I don't know why." I nod my head not being able to relate to anything she was talking about, but I said something anyone in my position would.
"If it's meant to be, it's meant to be. Just wait it out I'm sure it's nothing." I lean my chin on my palm admiring the waves of her fiery hair.
She nodded before eating the last of her ice cream. We were sitting in silence when she asked, "Can we do this again tomorrow?"
