12

The bookstore was so lively today, people walking in and out, buying book after book. The busy streak came around noon today, and winded down to a low roar at around 4pm, when I found myself standing at the counter watching that same guy I saw here on one of my first days, my very first day, actually. The one fixated with his comic books and the long and matted hair. This time it was in a frizzy pony tail clasped to the lower back of his head, and he was sitting in his same spot, cross-legged, reading a manga book one at a time. He has been here for a while now, finishing each manga in no time, placing each one back and bringing back another book, instead of just bringing a pile of books with him and reading without having to get up.
He probably lived along with his aging mother. He had a room of his very own down in the basement where his incredibly high stack of comic books, video games, and liberal tie-die t-shirts rest. His mother would yell down in her croaky smoky voice what he wanted for dinner, and he’d roll his eyes with a regretful tone, sick of living with his mother, but never taking the liberty of getting a descent, well-paying job and moving out, like he should. Grilled Cheese, he replied. He was stereotypical for a guy who lived with his mother, with a stereotypical day. Probably a trop to a fast food place to try to break the habit of a life with mother’s home cooked meals- just to see if he could do it. Then to Light House Bookshop, to catch up on some comics or manga reads, or maybe even some sci-fi. Then to the real stuff- over to Comic Cave, a dark and small join near by those stocks nothing but comic books and trading cards, and not to mention the greatest weirdoes you’ll ever come across.
I pushed these unscrupulous thoughts out of my mind, when the nerdy, comic book reading, momma’s boy came up to the counter to purchase The Diaries of Ann Frank. Nice choice, but I was confused.
I rang it up as he reached in his back pocket for a crumpled ten-dollar bill.
    “My wife will love this,” He said.

Nate came around at 4:45 like he had promised, ready to take me away from the bookstore. The rate of customers was mild enough for Carol and Lia to handle on their own. Nate and I left the store, and he put his arm around me as we walked down the street.
I talked to him, talked to him about a few days from now, about being farther apart, about how we’d stay together. Since he went to school in the South, a regular four-year school, he’d promised to visit me on his breaks, up in Witherfield. He told me that I meant so much to him, and just because we’re not physically together is doesn’t mean that we can’t be together, and love each other as much as we can and do now. He held my hand tight, as if I were to fall over at any minute. He told me next that I was amazing, that we together, were amazing. I stopped walking then, we were on a hillside sidewalk, walking away from town. The sun was a blazing and warm orange and it glowed spectacularly over us, spilling over his ears and melting down to his lips, shadows lit just right into purples where our hands met in close grasps. If only there were music, a symphony of geniuses to trademark this moment in time, the best moment. He leaned in to kiss me, and we stayed like that for a long while, and I melted into him, letting him love me, and letting myself love him back. It was this hypnotism he possessed, I swear, that made you fall for him until you hit the ground hard, stricken and confused, shaking your head to clear your vision and wondering where you were, how you got there.
We kept our foreheads and noses together, looking at each other, hoping this would never end. I suddenly remembered Carol, and my plan for Nate and I after we left the bookstore.
    “We need to get to Currant Street,” I said. His eyes were closed now, but he opened them slowly.
    “Why?”
I led him forward, back into town. I made sure my wallet was in my bag with a good amount of cash. We were almost on Currant, which was the cutest street you’d ever see in your life. It’s on a hill, leading down to the ocean and it’s the greatest place to witness a sunset. The main part of the street assembled a strip of small shops. They were mostly small boutiques, seaside restaurants, and thrift shops. Then there was the pet store. We stood in front of it, looking inside where I saw birds fluttering, hear the bark of a dog, and the chat of a man behind the counter.
    “So, why are we here?” Nate asked.
Again, I didn’t answer him, but pulled him inside, where the sounds, and not to mention the smells, got louder and more distinct.
The man behind the counter was big and gruff, with a tattoo of a tiger on his big arm. He was eating a granola bar, the crumbs getting stuck in his busy mustache each time he bit off a chunk.
    “How can I be helping you, young lady?” He said through this food. ‘Ow can I be elping oo, yun lady?’. Then he stepped out from behind the counter.
    “I’m looking for a dog. Preferably a smaller one, please.”
Nate looked to me. “You need what?”
    “Right this way,” Gruffy man said.
We followed him to the back, where all sorts of dogs in cages lined up. Most of them came forward and scratched on the glass, or barked, or whimpered. Three or four of them stayed in the back of their cage, sleeping, or just pretending to.
    “If you know which one you want, just call for me. I’m Jim, by the way.” He gazed at the dogs admiringly. “They’re all great. Good luck choosing!” He walked back up to the front of the store, and continued munching on his Nature Valley.
    “The dog is for Carol,” I explained. I peered at a yippy, jumpy and grey dog. “She lost her dog not too long ago and I just think this will be a good, you know, surprise for her.”
A little pug scratched on the glass and I walked up by it, putting my hand gently on what separated us.
    “Liz, that’s the nicest thing I’ve ever heard.” Nate murmured.
I smiled at him, who was beaming. Walking over to the end of the cages, I was a small gingery Havanese, sitting there patiently, facing towards me, breathing gently and watching me with her big black eyes.
    “This one.” I said. I touched the glass, and the god immediately tried to jump on its hind legs.
    “Hey Jim, I think I got a winner!” I yelled. The dog ran around in a circle and let out a yelp.
    “Alright!” Jim said in his gravely voice. He jogged back to where we were and took a good look at the dog that I chose.
    “Nice pick,” He said. “She’s already named, if you don’t mind. Petunia, we call her. Well, I call her Petty. Beautiful, isn’t she?’
Petunia. Carol’s little Petunia. It was so perfect.
Jim went to the door leaving in to the backs of the cages. We saw him on the other side as he opened Petunia’s cage. “Common, Petty. Time for a new home.”  She jumped into his arms, and he motioned us to the front for payment and details. 
I felt so good about it, getting Petunia for her. I knew she said she didn’t want another dog, but I knew she was lying, or just not considering what good could come of it.
I should have thought it through more, since we had to carry Petunia in her crate. She was moving around, back and forth, unbalancing my grip on the handle, until Nate took the crate from me, offering to carry it himself.
    “What time is it?” I asked as the sun began to set.
He checked his watch. “Quarter after six.”
Great, Carol was still working. I told him that I was going to make the trip a bit longer, so we could stop at the bookstore.
The store was now dim, as it usually was after it turns six. Lia was still bustling around in the back near the children’s section, and I felt bad for leaving her along with the work of cleaning up after grimy and inconsiderate children who will just throw things anywhere, and their parents who won’t even make them pick up0 after themselves, or apologize for the disaster they have made.
Nobody was behind the counter this time, so I looked around for Carol.
    “Lia!” I yelled. “Where’s Carol?”
Lia looked up from her cleaning, face red and pony tail askew.
    “Liz and Nate! I didn’t know you were coming by!” She said breathlessly. She peered into Nate’s arms where the crate was. “What’s that?”
I didn’t answer. “Where’s Carol?”
Lia clapped her hands together twice, and put them on her knees. “Carol, oh- she’s in the bathroom. She’ll b right out. Seriously, what is that?”
I wasn’t going to answer, but then Carol came bustling out of the employee bathroom with a dark maroon lipstick in her hand, smudging her lips together.
    “Carol,” I called after her, walking to where she was with Nate following.
    “Yes, what is it?” Carol said impatiently. “And what the hell is he carrying?”
I took Petunia from Nate, and set it down in front of her on the desk. Petty barked playfully inside and I could hear the click click click of her nails clatter on her plastic floor.
Carol narrowed her make-upped eyes.
    “Her name is Petunia. I bought her at the pet store just about a half hour ago. She’s real sweet.”
Carol kept her gaze on me, harsh and piercing. She didn’t get it quite yet, but I continued anyway.
    “Uh, I thought that you could use someone else… You know, after Daisy. I just thought…”
    “But I thought I told you…” She peered inside the crate at Petunia, and stopped her sentence when she saw her dog's big eyes staring back at her.
Lia was watching, looking tired but astonished.
    “Sorry that you couldn’t name her. She’s a few months old. A family gave her up a few towns down because their family found out that their son was allergic. I thought it was cute anyway. Daisy and Petunia, your little flowers, I guess.
She remained looking down at little Petunia, mouth slightly opened, and I noticed the little smudge of lipstick on her front tooth. No matter how petty or sarcastic I knew she could be, this dog is getting a great owner.
    “Wait here.” She finally said, somewhat smiling at Petunia before she walked into the backroom. Nate took a seat on the chair next to Lia, sighing with relief that we’ve stopped running around for now. His eyes were closed, and I thought I’d have to drag him home, dead weight and asleep. Carol came back, with something in her hand. She held it to me. It was a bundle of money.
    “No, no. I volunteered-“
    “Trust me. A volunteer job here is worth pay.”
She put the money in my hand, and for the first time ever, she smiled at me, not for a joke she had made or something she has said to a customer, she smiled at me because she was my friend.
    “She is just lovely.” She said, glancing over to her new dog. Nate opened his eyes now, looking at me.’
Carol took the puppy out, and held her in one arm, and lightly scratched her head with the other hand.
    “Thank you, Liz.” She said. “I mean it.”
    “No trouble.

Petunia stayed calm while Carol held her, her floppy tongue flopping out of her mouth.
I was ready to leave with Nate, imagining Carol taking this Havenese home with her, surprising her sister with her new pup. Then I imagined Petunia in front of the fan, ears flopping in the wind, as if in the memory of Daisy.
Nate and I left, and I still had the money in my hand. I didn’t feel good about having this, I loved my time here and the intention was never to get paid, no matter how many times I thought it would have been nice. It was a nice closure between Carol and I, and I left the bookstore with her as my friend. Lia gave me a hug before we walked out, and I told her good luck with everything, and to tell Chris good-bye for me.
Nate and I walked home together, knowing that is was the beginning of me getting ready to leave. I only had a few days left, and over these few days my family and I would be cleaning the house furiously, and packing everything up. I loved Nate, more than I could say, and I didn’t want to leave. Even watching him walk back into his house made my heart feel broken, as if my emotions were practicing for the moment we’d actually part, when I’d watch him from the back window, and then wait for the day he comes to visit.
 

Reviews

[Jenn Gold]

Loved this one. Good writing! Whenever you get a chance, I'd work some on the tenses. It often switches from past to present. But very good otherwise.