Silvertongue

Chapter One

"Halley, just take your nose out if that book for one second," pleads my friend Kaiya, ""Just ONE. That's all I ask."

I glance at her, then turn my attention back to my book.

"Oh, c'mon," Kaiya whines, as though I hadn't done exactly what she'd asked, "You've read that book already. It can't be THAT good, can it?"

It's true. I've read Inkheart before, many times. It's my favorite book, of course it's that good. It will never be not that good, no matter how many times I read it.

But Kaiya is quite annoying when she gets like this, so I put the book down, after glancing at the page number. Page 11.

I make it obvious I'm not happy about leaving my book and glare at Kaiya.

"So?" I question with one eyebrow raised. Or rather, with an attempted eyebrow-raise. I still haven't quite mastered the only-one-eyebrow-going-up thing.

"So, what?" Says Kaiya. Seriously, you complain about my reading, but when I stop it appears you have nothing to say? Wow.

That's Kaiya, though, so I just roll my eyes and say, "If that's all you have to say, I'll continue my book." Mo is talking to Dustfinger for the first time while Meggie eavesdrops. Suspense is starting to escalate.

"No! Once you're in the book you never come out!" Says Kaiya, sounding panicked (sensible thing of her to say, though), but then seems to reconsider. "You know what, I'm going to go over to Emma's. She's more interesting."

"Great. You do that." I sit back down on my bed and reopen Inkheart. "Bye." It doesn't bother me in the slightest that she deems our friend Emma "more interesting" than me. She does that all the time.

Personally, I consider myself pretty fascinating. Always an exciting member of a conversation. That is, when the conversation isabout a book I like.

By the time she responds with "Bye, Halley," I'm completely absorbed in the book once more. I don't even hear her leave the room, which is impressive. Kaiya when she gets annoyed throws little fits in the form of stomping. Also, anyone who doesn't know how to navigate my room will crash into stuff every time they move. Kaiya has not been my room enough to be an exception.

My room is filled with wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, except for little spots where my bed and desk and closet are crammed in. Every bookshelf is full. Because of the books filling all the wall space, the other stuff I have in my room is scattered in the middle of the floor, making it difficult to navigate for anyone but the most experienced.

Me, I can navigate it perfectly if it was pitch-dark.

I love being crowded by all these books, books I have read once, twice, ten times.

I read and read and read and read.

The people I know say reading is stupid.

I tell them they're stupid.

Same with my friends, but both involved parties are just a tad more polite.

My parents make no objection to my book obsession. They're in love with books as well.

We go on weekend excursions to bookstores, and always leave with at least one book each, every time saying we won't get another book for a month, then sometimes buying a new one the very next day.

Our house is full of books, and I love it.

This is why I love Inkheart so much, because I can relate to being a book lover, surrounding myself with books, longing to disappear inside one.

Each book is a new opportunity waiting for me to open the cover and invite it into my head.

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NOTE FROM AUTHOR
...I just realized that all the names mentioned in thus chapter are violists I know.... Halley is spelled differently, but only by one letter. The others are spelled the same.

Wierd.

Ok, this may be a bit slow-paced at first but it'll probably get more interesting later on.

IF YOU HAVEN'T READ INKHEART YOU MUST DO SO! NOT JUST FOR THIS STORY, BUT BECAUSE IT'S AMAZING!

Ok, may be awhile before I update. I've been doing...uh...other stuff.
*totally not just forgetting that I need to work on my stories*