Shadowood- H.S

seven |7|

Song of the Chapter-

Everybody wants to Rule the World- Lorde

Enjoy! Xx

***

The next day after my classes at Lakewood Community College, I visit the town's local book store again, Novel Nation.

This time when I walk into the store, there are actually a few people in it. A soft classical song plays quietly in the background as I walk around the store, looking at book accessories displayed on the shelves.

The old man that kept me from buying the journal last time I was here, isn't here this time. Instead, an old woman, who looks to be in her late sixties, sits behind the counter, watching over the store. She smiles at me when I see her, so I set down the fancy bookmark and walk over towards her.

"Hi," I say when I approach her.

"Hello there, sweetie, is there anything I can help you with?" She asks, sitting up straighter. She wears a tiny pair of glasses that rests right below her eyes and has on a light pink sweater, with a white name tag that reads Mrs. Chesapeake. Her hair is long and grey, pulled into a loose ponytail behind her head.

"Yeah, my name is Melanie Bell and I was hoping you guys were hiring?" I shift my weight onto another leg, hopeful that I can get a job here.

"Oh, dear," her smiles fades and I lose a bit of hope. "I'm not so sure that we're hiring."

"Are you sure?" I ask. "I mean, you guys could probably always use a little extra help around here. I could help out with things on the second floor maybe?" I ask, thinking about the poor old man walking up the stairs the other day.

She stares up at the second floor for a minute, then rests her chin on her hand. "It would be nice to get some help up there. Let me go talk to my husband for a minute," she says. "I'll be right back."

As she steps into a back room behind the counter, my heart sinks a little bit. I'm assuming that her husband is the man that wouldn't let me buy the journal a couple days ago. If that's the case, I don't think he'll want me to work here. I'm not one hundred percent sure about anything, but it's just the vibe I get.

As I'm waiting, I can hear the hushed sounds of their voices. "We don't need any help up there, he'll be back here, working, in a couple of days. The three of us can manage just fine," I hear the old man say. I recognize his voice.

"Yes we can, but it would be nice to have a little extra help around here. They would probably get along just fine, and he can use some more friends, he barely has anyone, he only has us," the old lady says.

"But-"

"I'm going to give her a chance, she seems very nice and trustworthy," she says.

"And how do you know that Linda?" He asks.

"Sometimes you can just see purity shining through a person's personality, and I think I see it in her."

There's a long, silent pause. After a while of only hearing the sound of my heart thump against my chest, there's a deep sigh. "Fine, okay, fine."

There's another long pause and I wait anxiously. Finally, after what seems like multiple minutes, the old woman walks back out of the backroom with a smile on her face. I look at her, hopeful, hoping to get a chance.

"Good news, we'll give you a chance." As her smiles grows wider, the wrinkles in her face become distinct. "We'll have you start Friday afternoon, is that okay with you?" She asks.

"Yes, of course," I say. "But don't I have to have an interview, or at least fill out an application?"

"Oh honey," she laughs. "We don't need any of that nonsense. We don't even have applications."