Rewriters [Completed]

Chapter 5: The Four Musketeers (Dorks)

"Take a turn at that street and..."

Kaleo looked up from his phone. "Looks like this is the place," he commented, eyeing the location curiously. It was a bookstore, an old one at that, judging from the faded white paint.

Lysa was standing beside him, saying nothing. He found it hard to figure out what she was thinking about from her mostly blank expression, which slightly unnerved him.

Shaking it off, he took the initiative. Bells jingled as he opened the door, coming face to face with the green eyes of a striped cat, who perked up from its basket at the sound.

"Welcome," came a friendly voice from the counter.

"Um, hello," Kaleo responded, proceeding to glance around the bookstore. It was smaller than he expected, with shelves at nearly every corner of the store, all filled with books. Overall, he didn't see anything special about the store.

Why did Mrs Alvin give us directions to this place?

"Excuse me." He was startled by a teenage boy in front of him, who was intending to leave the store.

He didn't realise that he was blocking the way. Mumbling an awkward apology, he stepped aside to allow the dark haired stranger to leave.

"May I help you with something?" the shop keeper asked. She looked around the same age as Mrs Alvin, perhaps slightly older. Her kind wrinkled face with greying hair seemed familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen her face.

"Well, actually yes." Kaleo walked towards the counter, half eyeing the ginger tabby cat, wondering whether he could pat it. "Mrs Alvin told us to come here."

"Mrs Al- oh yes, Nancy." She looked thoughtful. "I assume you want help in writing a book?"

"It would be nice," he said, slightly distracted by the fact that Lysa had beaten him to patting the cat.

"I see," the old lady mused. "What I can help you with will become very limited, but I know someone who can be more helpful than I. If you don't mind waiting, I'll make a phone call."

"Really? That's great, thank you," he responded. "And uh... may I get your name?"

She smiled. "Just call me Carol."

Before Carol left the counter, she added, "And yes, you may pat my cat... if she lets you."

"How..." Kaleo trailed off, bewildered at how she easily guessed his intentions. Am I that readable?

Bending down such that he was facing the ginger cat at eye level, he reached out his hand only for the cat to dart away from him. Trying to hide his hurt, he turned to Lysa. "Hey... how did you manage to get it to like you?"

She frowned. "No idea. I don't think it likes me."

By the time Carol returned, the cat had cruelly dodged all of his attempts to pat it, and was nonchalantly licking its paw while ignoring them - including Lysa, who almost seemed as dejected as he was.

"No luck?" Carol asked, sympathetic yet mildly amused. Taking their silence for a 'no', she reached out to the cat. "Come now, Pinefrost. Don't be so haughty."

It leapt into her arms and she carried it back to its basket on the counter. "Cats aside, I got a reply from the person I mentioned. She said yes and is on her way here now..." She squinted her eyes at the glass door. "Wait a second, she's already here."

"That was fast," Kaleo remarked, taken aback.

"Fast is my middle name," came a cheery voice behind him, causing him to actually jump.