Open Book (One Direction Fan-Fiction)

Chapter 1: Shopping Trip

I hurried to the self checkout and scanned the few food items my mom had asked me to purchase. After bagging them, I began the walk to the bus stop. I walked slowly, hoping to get in as much time outside as I could.

Mom normally left me at home while she went shopping by herself, but today she had some kind of meeting. We didn't have any food in the house, so she decided to trust me to buy what was needed.

"Hello, Grace," Mrs. Breiks greeted me as I walked up to the bus stop. She's one of my mom's friends who visits the house a lot. I was surprised to see her using the bus when she has a nice car.

"Hi, Mrs. Breiks," I replied quietly. I sat next to her on the bench, clenching the shopping bags close to my chest. "Are you visiting my mom again today? She won't be home until later."

Mrs. Breiks smiled. "Oh, no," she said. "My car is getting fixed up at the garage, so I'm stuck with either this or walking to get home. I would normally walk, but I'm busy today."

"Oh, nice," I said, shifting the plastic bags slightly. I peered down into their depths, double checking to make sure I got everything. Noodles, tomato sauce, carrots, broccoli, eggs, white bread, flour, milk.

The bus's wheels squealed as it came to a stop in front of us. I chose a window seat near the front, ready to get out at my quick stop. We lived close to the local market.

"Brixton Road!" The bus driver called out a little while later.

A crowd of people including Mrs. Breiks stepped out. She waved at me before turning down a street. I never knew she lived so close to my family.

The bus started again and I rested my forehead against the window, staring out at the beautiful neighborhoods surrounding me. Our house was smaller than these, but it was definitely made just as nice.

"North Avenue!"

I scrambled out of my seat, grasping the bags in my fists and I stepped off the bus. As it drove off, I set my bags down to situate them so they were more comfortable to carry.

I picked them up again and walked forward - right into something tall and hard. We both fell to the ground with grunts, my tomato sauce jar rolling down the sloped sidewalk.

Not looking at who I'd accidentally hit, I started running after my jar. Mom would never trust me to go out again if I lost it. Before I could help myself, I began shouting at it. "Noo! Nooooo! Come back here!"

"I'll get it!" A boy shouted. He zoomed past me and caught up to the jar, which was now lodged in a crack on the sidewalk. Picking it up, he came back to me. "Here you go."

I took it from him gratefully. "Thanks," I said. "I know it's just sauce, but it's kind of important when you want to make food.... Like spaghetti."

"Yeah," he agreed, laughing. We walked back to my bags and I grabbed them. "Sorry about being in your way. I'm new here, so I was a little lost."

"That's alright," I said with a smile. I gave him a long look. He was actually cute. He had long, dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. He looked a couple years older than me, though.

"Well, maybe I'll see you around some other time," he said, looking at me just as much as I had been him. "By the way, I'm Louis. Louis Tomlinson."

"I'm Grace Dulce," I replied, shaking his outstretched hand. He gave me a strange look, like he expected me to say something else. "Um, it was nice meeting you. Bye."

"Yeah." He started jogging away, then called over his shoulder. "Maybe you'll recognize me next time we see each other."

"Okay?" It wasn't loud enough for him to hear, but what did it matter? We'd probably never see each other again, even if I was allowed to go out shopping another time.

I rushed home, thinking about Louis. If only I could get a computer and a facespot or whatever it was called. Then I could look him up on there. Oh, well.