Broadripple is Burning

one- don't fucking move

  "Suzi, you'll be late to work if you don't hurry up. It's the children's book fair today."

  Louis nagged his girlfriend as she slowly tied her hair behind her head and struggled to slip her maroon colored dress over her head.

  Louis gently pulled at the dress till it fell over her petite frame effortlessly. He left a kiss on her nose and caressed her cheek. He couldn't help but notice that she looked melancholy. Despite the sad smile on her face, she leaned into his touch and sighed.

  "Louis, I love you. Please don't forget that."

  With that, she picked up her leather satchel and left, picking up her car keys on the way out.

  Suzi never took her car keys to the library. She had no need to. She only worked a block away and she always left the keys in case Louis had errands to run or meetings at work.

  Louis worked from home and rarely went into the office. He liked having time to be with his girlfriend, or do things for his girlfriend, or draw his girlfriend.

  He was in love, that was it.

  In fact, he loved her so much that only an hour after she had left to go to the library, he decided to pick her up a soy dirty chai latte and bring it to her while she read books to children and helped them pick out books, or whatever she did as a librarian.

  The cafe was mostly empty, except for the few regulars. For example, there was the guy who drew portraits for five dollars or the women who seemed to constantly be working on her thesis for her gender studies class. These were the people Louis got along with. The people of Broadripple, home.

  Louis left a generous tip of ten dollars as he always did, before taking his coffee and Suzi's complicated latte and walking towards the library. Kids were lined up at the door, in the cold November air, ready to get their free books. Louis waved to all of them, and like the eager little kids they were, they waved back and shouted hellos and smiled as though no one had ever waved to them before.

  Finding Suzi was difficult. She often hid in small coves within the library, with groups of five or less kids, reading them stories of kingdoms far far away or mysteries solved my teenagers in spooky little towns.

  This time, she was spotted right away. Instead of reading to kids, she was talking to her boss. She had an eager look on her face and her boss had a melancholy smile on hers, like Suzi's earlier.

  Louis was out of hearing range, so he sneakily moved around the corner so her could just hear the two women talking.

  "So have you told Louis yet?"

  Suzie sighed and shook her head. She frowned slightly and looked at her feet. "He'll be devastated. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to say. I mean, should we stay together, or break it off while I'm gone? I'm just so confused."

  "Well, maybe you should just tell him first and then decide based on his reaction."

  "Alright, I guess that sounds fair."

  Where was Suzi going? Why would she have to break up with Louis? Was she okay?

  Louis waited a minute or so before turning the corner.

  "Louis! You really didn't have to!" Suzi cooed, sitting at her desk with a small smile. "You are too good to me, really."

  Louis kissed her cheek tenderly and grinned. "It's only because I love you."

-

  When Suzi and Louis finally made it home, a soft silence fell over to couple. Not necessarily an uncomfortable one, but unlike one they'd ever had before.

  "Louis, I have some interesting news." Suzi said once the couple had sat down at the dinner table with plates full of Thai food in front of them.

  "Listen, the band and I got an offer to open for Daughter on their upcoming tour. It's an offer we can't pass up, you know?"

  Suzi had been in a band called Local Legends since she was fifteen. They had become popular in the Midwest indie rock scene and a tour was exactly what they needed to gain popularity.

  "So you're just gonna leave me, alone?" Louis asked, trying to choose his words wisely.

  "We could still be together, it would just be long distance."

  Louis shook his head and looked down before making his way towards his bedroom, hoping he wouldn't wake up the next morning.