his two thousand deaths + l.h

five

V
08·29·14

It didn’t take a lot for Pin to finally decide that she hated Luke’s events.

The first one in the exhibit absolutely sucked but his book signing was far beyond it by a mile. She’s been sat at the end of the queue, handing people copies and barely socializing with people. She was supposed to but she figured playing with her phone to get people to stop bothering her was better than awkwardly welcoming them, making an absolute fool of herself and the agency Luke brought along with him.

Luke was at the other end of the room, happily shaking hands with his fans. For a philosophical book (Ophelia’s words, not hers), there were too many teenagers waiting for his signature. A lot of them were girls, of course, giggling once they got to touch Luke’s hand and it didn’t surprise her that barely anyone around her age even knew what the book was about.

Luke bailed on her. Again. He promised to keep her company but he was busy signing and taking pictures and discussing some omens and Paulo Coelho bullshit to carry on their conversation about penguins. Pin saw his bigass penguin stuffed toy a few days ago and it’s been a conversation catalyst since then.

“Um, excuse me.” A voice piped up from beside her and she looked up to see a boy with fluffy black hair holding a copy of A Shadow White as Stone.

“May I help you?” She asked kindly, trying to be as comfortable as she could but she ended up embarrassingly dropping her phone, making the stranger pick it up for her. “I’m sorry,” She laughed awkwardly and he laughed back.

“I—I just wanted to ask you about the title?” He began, pointing to the front page of the book. “I’ve read it cover to cover but I never got what it meant.”

“Oh,” Pin mumbled, dumbfounded. It was at that moment that she noticed how poetic the title actually was because she never actually paid attention. A Shadow White as Stone. She never talked to Luke about the book itself, at the most talking about who his inspirations were, but never about what was inside the book. She looked up at the boy, a shoulder shrugged, “I’m sorry but I can’t help you. I haven’t actually read it.”

He nodded at her limply with his lips pursed, “I’m sorry. I just assumed because you were with the author...”

“Oh, no, I’m not part of the signing,” She smiled, thinking that her casual attire was enough to give the fact that she isn’t part of it away, “I’m just Luke Hemming’s agent’s niece.”

He smiled sweetly and sat down next to her on the bench, “Well, you don’t seem to be enjoying yourself.”

Pin cringed, “It’s that obvious?”

“It was the Lokai bracelet,” He laughed and joked kind-heartedly, “I don’t want to seem prejudicial but it says a few about your interests.”

Pin giggled and pointed towards Luke who was busy scribbling his name across a few pages, “Well, he’s wearing one.”

“Well, that’s different. He’s different,” Calum said, leaning back in his seat, “He’s Luke Hemmings. He’s an overall enigma.”

Pin watched the boy light up at the mention of Luke, who he more than obviously looked up to, and she couldn’t help herself but smile at him.

“I’m Pin, by the way,” She introduced, holding her hand out.

“Calum Hood.” He smiled back brightly, all his teeth showing. He gently took her hand and shook it, comfortably sitting beside her.