Better Than The Movies

Chapter One

I've been mad before, mad at my mother for waking me up at 6 am on a Saturday just to clean the kitchen because I forgot the night before, mad at my best friend for stealing my Sour Patch Kids, but nothing compares to the feeling of lost hope and despair than when I walked into the Barnes and Nobles teen fiction section to only see a blank space where the sequel to One of Us is Lying is supposed to be. I stared at the empty space like a book is magically supposed to appear, but alas the first book still stands hopelessly alone, surrounded by the other series happily standing with their counterparts.

I mean, after all, it is Valentines' Day.

I look to my right at the makeshift Starbucks littered with couples holding hands over a nice Vanilla Bean Frappuccino. I focus on one couple, in particular, the boy is walking towards her about to topple with only two cups in his hand.

The girl is laughing at his less than graceful attempt to carry both scalding hot cups at once. He is smiling even though he's one misstep away from ruining his navy blue button-up. She helps him once he finally reaches the table, but she grabs the cup too quickly or he lets it go early and the grande drops out of his hand splattering onto the floor. I try to cover up my laughter, in case anybody is watching, but I don't have to because the couple laughs loud enough for everybody to hear.

I return to the shelf my mood deflating when I look back and see there are still no more copies. Grunting, I walk to the other side to see what bestsellers there are in Teen Fiction.

I let my delicate fingers graze over every book in my vicinity. Feeling the hard spines and glossing over every title that I have yet to read. This is my domain. My safe space. Away from the terrors of reality here with these paperbacks, I can truly escape.

My eyes gravitated to a book that I haven't seen before about two college students falling in love. I picked it up and went to the children's section. This section has the best seats- comfy armchair heaven- and considering it's seven at night there are no actual kids there.

I stop dead in my tracks when I see a boy has taken my place. A boy who looks like he wouldn't step anywhere near a bookstore. A boy who would rather be out with a girl instead of here.

I clear my throat and he looks up from the pages of his John Green novel to see me staring down at him.

"Can I help you?" He questions in a kind voice with a sarcastic undertone.

"Yes, actually you're in my seat." He scrunches his thick brown eyebrows before raising them in a challenge which I'm prepared to win.

"This is my seat I sit here every Friday and last time I checked," He picks up his phone from the table beside him before putting it down with a satisfied grin. "It's Friday."

"Shouldn't you be out with a girlfriend or something?" I say annoyed even though I really shouldn't be picking fights with strangers

"Shouldn't you?" I glare at him and he glares back.

"Listen here, I just want to sit down, but you're in my favorite seat. I think it would be better if you would just pack up your things and go."

He runs a hand through his wild curly hair, pushing it back from his forehead where I can see his obnoxiously clear skin. Thinking about the sea of pimples scattered across my forehead, his lack of them ticks me off.

"Let me remind you, I was sitting quietly unbothered before you came over here." He put down his book with one hand while the other was resting next to him like he didn't have a care in the world. Meanwhile, I was always tense and never had the opportunity to relax.

"Why are you even here, this definitely isn't your type of place?" Treating him like a

stereotype, real nice Scarlet. Sometimes I don't even know what comes out my mouth, but I'm too deep in to stop now.