Bookworm

Chapter one: Meeting Austin

January 03, 2017

The weather in Springtown was comforting and rainy, at least for Ginger who was at home reading a book as always, since she was a child she was an avid reader, even though she had a cell phone, she doesn't stop reading. I was off work because almost no one shows up at her own bookstore.
Since graduating from creative writing college after two years of studying, she simply opened her own bookstore. At least to say that she had a college degree, and opened her own bookstore at the beginning of the month at the age of 21.
Unlike her brother, Jerome, who decided to pursue a medical career, and works at the hospital, who works at the Saint Rose hospital, and always ends up bumping into their mother, Candace, who is a nurse, and without a shadow of a doubt is one of the kindest, patient and warmest nurses, who is married and still married to their father, Gerald, who owns the best architecture company of that vast city.
Jerome is 7 years older than Ginger, the two have always been very good friends from a very early age, or rather, best friends. As adults, they still lived with their parents. And although everyone still lived together, Jerome, their mother and father were even busier than Ginger, who the least she did for the family was to make their lunch.
It was around the end of 6 in the afternoon, that things were not or seemed so lonely to Ginger. Ginger was absorbed in the book of her favorite writer, Jane Austen, the novel Emma. Until two pairs of arms interrupted her and...

Boo! — Shouted Jerome's familiar voice that scared Ginger — How are you, my annoying pet?

Hello to you too, Dr. Baker— Ginger said that he closes the book she was reading and puts a bookmark to read to continue reading another time. — How was your first surgery?

It went well— Said Jerome, as he was going to put his doctor's coat on the clothesline near the laundry.

Hi!— Said the mother's warm, soft, and gentle voice, Candace, that approaches Ginger and squeezes her cheeks. — How are you, my dear daughter? — She said with that sweet and melting voice that every mother has, or almost all.

I'm fine, mom— Said Ginger with her mother squeezing her cheeks

You must be hungry, my little baby.— She said caressing her daughter's face, and sees the jar of instant noodles— Eating, instant noodles again, Daughter? I'll prepare a dinner for you.

Candace goes to the kitchen to prepare dinner for the family, and it's around the beginning of 7 o'clock, that Gerald, the father comes home from work. Who enters and takes off his jacket and puts it on the coat rack

Hello guys, hello doctor of the house, hello daughter— Said Gerald giving a kiss to Jerome and another to Ginger, and goes to his wife Candace, who was in the kitchen making dinner, Gerald hugs his wife while she cooks.

Ginger always saw that scene since she was a child, she had always dreamed of living a great love like this, pure and almost worthy of a Jane Austen novel.

Right after dinner, Ginger, and her parents, Gerald and Candace were playing uno. Until Jerome appears on the scene wearing his casual clothes making the 27-year-old man look like a 17-year-old teenager

Bye, guys, see you later.— Said Jerome.

Where are you going?— Said the father, Gerald, noticing his son's clothes

I'm going bowling with Austin at Smash Garden Bowling Center.— Said Jerome, fixing his sweatshirt jacket.

Ugh, it's always this Austin, Austin, Austin, you don't have any other friends?— Said Ginger mentioning the name that those walls of that house kept on those walls, the name of Jerome's best friend, Austin.

Ginger never really understood his own older brother's best friend.
Since Ginger understood each other as a person, she and Austin never spoke for more than an hour and didn't exchange more than a single word.

If you want, you can go with me, Gingie. — Said Jerome inviting his younger sister.

Go with your brother, dear. It will be good for you, and maybe make some friends. — Said Candace motivating her daughter.

Flashback, from 16 years ago, August 3, 2001

It was the beginning of the summer holidays for the children at the same time. Children of all ages stayed at home spending time watching TV, playing video games or playing in the backyard, or finding a way to have fun or have an epic summer
But for a 5-year-old Ginger, it was epic to talk about the books she read all summer. But that day in particular she was reading one of the books from Judy Moody's collection, when she heard a loud sound of shootings coming from the living room. Ginger can't stand to listen and goes to the living room
In the living room, a 12-year-old Jerome and a 12-year-old Austin played Halo Combate Evolved
Ginger enters the room and clears her throat drawing the attention of the two
Jerome then lowers the volume of the TV a little. Austin strange that 5-year-old girl whose name he had always known, but had never seen her face

Who is this shorty?— Said Austin, who looks at that 5-year-old girl, short, cute with honey-colored eyes, long and straight strawberry blonde hair stuck in two space buns, wearing a pastel yellow shirt, on top of a denim dungareee-style dress, and wearing prescription glasses with a pink frame, holding a book from Judy Moody's collection, looking at him with those big and round eyes. Who stared at that 12-year-old boy, taller than her, with curly dark brown hair, and gray eyes that had a mysterious but cool aura.

It's my younger sister Ginger— Said Jerome introducing his little sister with pride, putting his hand on her shoulder. — Man, do you remember when we were 6 years old and my mother was holding that baby?

So this shorty was the baby? — Said Austin crouching a little.

I'm not short! — Said Ginger tapping her foot annoyed.

After that day and that summer day, Ginger and Austin didn't exchange more than a word, only for a fraction of a second, and it was always like that when Austin to their house.

End of Flashback.

Now, Ginger was sitting in the co-pilot's seat of Jerome's car, who was driving. She felt nervous, why is she feeling nervous?
She wasn't supposed to be feeling nervous, after all, Austin was just her older brother's best friend, they were almost strangers to each other, after all, they almost never talked to each other. But I wonder if they were?
Finally, they arrived at the Smash Garden Bowling Center, the bowling center of the devastated city of Springtown.
Inside, it was a huge and cool place with a decoration and painting in the style of the 80s, and the curious fact is that that place was inaugurated in the 80s. It was the place where teenagers and young people from the city went to play bowling, eat fries or pizza, or fried chicken, or they were to have birthday parties, or it was the place to have fun.
As soon as they entered, Jerome went to rent the sneakers, while Ginger saw in the distance something that caught her attention, a mysterious and beautiful young man, tall, was about 1.90 tall, fair skin, with some tattoos both on his two strong arms, by the look you can imagine that he has a sexy body, his eyes were shaped like a gray fox that made him even more sexy, handsome and made him even more mysterious, and his hair was curly dark brown, it could only be him, Austin, who was already there.
Who was playing on the ninth bowling alley
As soon as Jerome finishes renting the sneakers, he and Ginger walk towards the bowling alley where Austin was focused on hitting the bowling pins.

Hey, man, I brought someone else to play. — Said Jerome, while giving one of the two pairs of sneakers he just rented to Ginger. And as in a cliché movie, Austin turns towards the two in slow motion, with a sexy tired face, and a sweaty face. At that moment, Ginger could imagine that something inside her turned and her heart began to beat madly, which according to Ginger herself, was for no reason.