No One Mourns The Wicked

Chapter 18

n/a: been having a bit of writer's block, so this may not be up to par as we've reached a turning point in the direction of the story and I've been unable to even start it. Also, the German sentence example was from my lv 1 class a few semesters ago.

Gideon walked into his father's shop and was suddenly taken aback by a cover of Waving Through a Window that was playing. He walked to the back of the shop and froze when he saw red ombre hair trailing down the back of a girl.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

Morrighan turned around. "Your dad hired me," she replied with a calm face and her interesting accent.

"Oh," replied Gideon. "Sorry, I was just shocked. I knew he was looking for extra help, but I didn't think it was the mayor's niece."

Morrighan shrugged and turned back to her task. Gideon walked over and found that she was counting up the bills and balancing the books and taking stock notes.

"I always hated doing that," he said.

"I did it for the circus as part of my Math class." She always had the most interesting things to say. "They always took a more realistic approach to schooling. You can actually learn a lot about physics when it's saving your life every day."

"I wish Storybrooke High were like that," he complained. "I'm so over calculating problems that involve Jimmy and a hundred watermelons."

"I guess he's your version of Dieter and his collection of lederhosen," she said.

"When are you here until?" he asked.

"Five," she replied.

"What needs to be done?"

"This is the last thing I've been told to do," she said. "I'd assume you have a better idea of what needs to be done every day than I do."

"May I ask you a question?" he asked, leaning back against one of the many benches.

"I guess that depends on the question," she replied.

"Could we hang out more?"

"Why?"

"Well, to be honest," he started scratching his head nervously, "I've known all these people my entire life and it's pretty boring here in Storybrooke. And you've been all over the world. Done a lot of the things I hope to do someday. I was hoping maybe you would have some tips for me or something?"

"So like a mentor situation?"

"Well, I was hoping more like friends. I overheard Mary-Margaret talking to David while I was hanging out with Neil one time," he continued, "and they seem to think Regina's worried because you don't have any."

"All my friends are elsewhere. I've got a couple in New York and Oxford, a few acquaintances around London and France, and a pen pal in Quebec."

"And you're literally the only person I know who's been to all those places," Gideon said. "It's fine if you don't want to, I was just hoping I guess."

"You know," she said, turning around, "sure." She shrugged. "I'm stuck here till my eighteenth birthday, I might as well enjoy it." She extended a hand.

They shook on it.

"So, friend," Gideon started, turning with her to face the paper and taking a stack of them for himself. "How do you feel about hanging out after this?"

"Can't, I promised Regina I would go to supper with her at Granny's," she replied. "Maybe tomorrow though."

"What if we grabbed some ice cream? There's a shop right next to here."