The Book Shop Down Summerton Street

The stone I just kicked rolls down the cracked pavement road. A cool breeze runs past me and I burry myself deeper into my hoodie with a shiver. I would be at home in front of a warm fire, but my parents told me I needed to find a job. They've been bugging me about it for ages and I've always brushed it off, but they wouldn't let me do that this time. Apparently, I won't be allowed back inside until I either get a job or it gets too dark to stay out, but then I'd have to do this again tomorrow.

My original plan was to just go into any store that's hiring, get a job and go home, but that's not going to work. Barely anyone is hiring now. All the jobs have been taken by kids my age because they don't want to go off to war. I live in a small, poor town nicknamed the Stilts, so most people don't have enough money to go to college. Going off to war isn't being forced, but if you don't have a job around here by the time you're 18, it might as well be.

My three older brothers turned 18 and couldn't find any jobs, they weren't making any money and were taking up a bunch of space in the house, so they left for war. It was tough to see them go, but I always just assumed I would go to war as well. My parents on the other hand are absolutely determined to make sure I get a job and don't go off, so for their sakes, I've decided to get a job.

I continue to search all the stores on my block and the next two blocks to no avail. Just as I'm about to give up, I see a bookstore at the end of the street that I missed. Bookstores aren't my favorite places to be, but I decide to check it out anyway. They probably won't be hiring, anyway, I think to myself. I push open the door and hear a ringing above my head. A young man who looks to be a bit older than me stops shelving books and turns to look at me. He has dark black hair and looks about six feet tall.

"Hi! How can I help you?", he asks me with a warm smile as he places the books down.

"Hi...I was just looking to see if you were hiring," I mutter. He looks at me for a moment before telling me to wait just a minute. He quickly walks past the register and into the door behind it. I take this opportunity to check out my surroundings and I'm kind of impressed. There are shelves lining every single wall and even shelves on top of shelves that require a ladder to get to. The shop is warm, a nice contrast to outside, and it smells faintly of burning oak. If cozy was a place, it would be this book shop right here.

I turn as I hear a door opening, and see the same boy from earlier and another man who looks to be in his mid-forties come out. The man had graying hair, a few wrinkles on his face, and was wearing primarily yellow and gold.

"You must be the girl looking for a job," the man says, watching me closely. I nod my head, watching him just as closely.

"Well, this is my nephew, Cal," he points to the boy ", I am Julian, and you are?"

"Mare. Mare Barrow."

"Lovely. Now I don't have many people working here, as I just opened this shop, so I would be glad to give you a job," Julian says with a smile on his face.

"Thank you so much! I can do anytime on Sunday through Friday." I say, gratefully.

"That's perfect. I can go make you a schedule right now. Why don't you help Cal finish stacking those books?" Julian says as he walks over to the room behind the register.

I look over to the place where Cal left the books and see him already stacking them. As I walk over to go help him, I spot a book out of the corner of my eye. The cover is a bright red, the outside of the pages matching the hue of the cover, and a crown with blood dripping from it.

"Red Queen..." I murmur, reading the book's title. I look up as Cal walks over to me, his eyes on the book.

"I've never seen this one before, though I'm not surprised. My uncle gets many books to put on these shelves that I've never read nor heard of," He explained. I pick up the book and flip it over to see the back.

A story of divide between blood

A story of two brothers

A story of forbidden love

A story of heart-wrenching betrayal

A story of the Red Queen

"Interesting," I say under my breath. I put the book down and look at Cal. His eyes are a bronze color that reminds me of firewood and his facial features are similar to his uncle's. I see that his arms are rather muscular and

"We should probably get stacking books, unless you would prefer to just stare at me."

I feel my face turn a violent shade of red as I spin on my heel and cross my arms.

"I was looking at the books behind you," I grumble while stalking over to the pile of books, "Don't think so highly of yourself."

I hear Cal chuckle behind me as I grab the first book and try to find where on the shelf to place it. I continue places books and out of the corner of my eye I see Cal join me.

It's dark outside by the time we finish stacking books. Julian left the shop about ten minutes ago and told Cal to meet up with him when he finished. I'm grabbing my jacket and making sure I have all my stuff when I hear Cal walking up to me. He clears his throat and I look at him, annoyed. Under my gaze he seems to get faintly nervous as he fishes in his pocket for something. When he finally manages to get whatever he was searching for he takes it out of his pocket and hands it to me. It's a piece of paper with a phone number on it. I give him a questioning look.

"I just thought since we're now working together, we should probably have each other's numbers. Just in case," he says, giving me a crooked grin. I continue staring at him, watching him squirm in my gaze until I finally grab the paper from his hand.

"Of course. Just for...emergencies," I say, trying to hold back a laugh. I shove the paper into my jacket pocket. I bid him goodnight and walk out the shop door, feeling the cold wind blow onto me. The stars are shining brightly above me and it's snowing slightly. I start my walk back home feeling much happier than I did when I left.

I wonder how my life will change just by getting this one job. Just by meeting a guy named Cal and his uncle Julian. Who knows? I guess no one. But it'll sure be fun to figure out.

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Mare walks down the street back to her home, no one on the streets around her except one person. Mare didn't even notice as she passed him, too caught up in her own thoughts. As she walks down the street and turns a corner the man smiles slightly. She didn't notice him. Most people don't. Even when he completely changes the course of their lives, they don't notice him.

Of course they don't. They don't even notice their own lives changing because it happens so very slowly. The man makes his way to the back door of the book shop which has been unintentionally left unlocked. He pads very quietly through the store until he sees the very book he came in here for. The very book he put there. The blood red cover of the book doesn't fit in with the other books at all. The man turns as he hears the creaking of the back door opening.

A girl who looks to be in her early twenties walks into the room.

"Is the plan in motion?" she asks, eyeing the book.

"Yes. The plan is going quite perfectly if I say so myself," Jon says, the hint of a smile on his face.