Twilight Java

Chapter 7

"I guess. It depends what it is."

Veronica licked her lips and put the phone down to stand up. "There's a party this Friday. I was looking forward to going but I'm afraid to go alone and I was wondering if you'd maybe want to come with me?"

Parties weren't my thing. I hated sweat, hated alcohol, and hated claustrophobic spaces. So everything that a college party was. But I also wasn't one to let people hanging, and getting out of my comfort zone might not hurt.

"I guess," I respond half-heartedly.

"Are you sure?"

"Mhm."

"Thank you so much Callie, I hope it's not something that'll throw off your schedule or anything. It's just, you know how parties can be for girls like us."

I smiled sadly and sighed, "Unfortunately I do. Just stay with me, okay?"

Veronica backed away, looking sheepish. "I need to sort of talk to someone that will be at the party, in private..." She trailed off, looking guilty.

"It's okay, don't worry about it."

She sighed gratefully, breathing out a quiet thank you. Hopefully this party wouldn't mentally scar me, but leaving the quiet confines of my room from writing would be good for my sanity. And who knew, maybe I'd have some fun. I convinced myelf in high school that I belonged to myself and my thoughts, that my room was the best place for me to be. Although I was definitely comfortable with that, that was no way to live my life. Especially when I was planning on being a photojournalist, a job in which you have to put yourself out there.

I turned in my article and pictures to the newspaper office the next day on my way to work. There was one other staff member there that smiled at me when I stepped in, likely knowing the feeling of being a freshman trying to find their calling in college. Whether or not I got accepted, it wouldn't stop my love of writing and I'd find stories to report regardless.

Entering the library, I wasted no time in getting to work. I pushed my little metal cart around, placed books in shelves, moved some, scanned some. Occasionally some looked interesting so I ended up reading the summaries, adding them to my menal list of future books to read. I got really engrossed in one of them. It was a book on a series of short stories about various strangers' experiences that made them feel true happiness.

"Do you always bug your eyes out when reading?" A smooth voice said. I gasped from getting jolted out of my trance (because I ended up reading a chapter) and ended up dropping my book on the floor. I jerked my head up to see who so rudely disturbed me from my reading, and to my surprise, it was Ellis.

I huffed. "Do you always have to scare people?"

"I'm not sure what part of that sentence was scary."

I shook my head in frustration, but not the angry kind. "Do you need anything? I'm working," I said as I bent down to pick up the book.

"I can't believe you'd be so rude to the person who agreed to do an interview for your article, and agreed to get their pictures taken," Ellis scoffed. "You should be on the ground kissing my feet. Well you're already on the floor, so get to it."

With a bitter smile, I put the book back in its place, turned around, and moved on with my cart to the next aisle of the library. However, his messy brown haired head popped back up once again and I released a yell that sounded more like a silenced hiccup.

"Easily scared and bitter. Are you sure you're not an old cat lady disguised as a college student?" He said as he sprawled himself across a lounge chair behind me.

"Even better, I'm a witch here to take the souls of cocky starving artists," I casually said as I continued arranging books.

"Good thing I'm neither of those things," Ellis said proudly. I swiftly turned around, scrutinizing him with my eyes. He wore a deep blue tee with a casual jacket and slim jeans. His hazel eyes, which were mildly covered by his messy umber hair, stared back at me with equal judgement.

"Is there something you need me for? Because I don't want to be fired on my second day of working," I eventually said sternly, turning back around to continue arranging books.

"Not really, but I did want to ask about the article and how it went."

"So you somehow found out that I work at this very library at this very time and came to ask me about it?" I said, mocking disgust.

"Don't flatter yourself, I came here to do some studying and happened to see you staring intently at a book."

"If you must know, I think it came out very well," I said honestly, my eyes locked on my work. "I worked hard on it, and also made you sound less like a fool and more of an inspiration."

"That is so kind of you," He said, dripping with sarcasm, and at that point I turned around to him and couldn't help but burst into a fit of laughs. Laughter is contagious after all, and Ellis quickly joined. His laugh was both smooth, but sort of... Goofy. Like a child's laugh trapped in the mouth of a teenager. I quickly hushed both of us after since it was the library, but continued to share stifled smiles.

"So how often do you sing at the Woodwork?" I asked, resuming my work. Ellis had to change seats since I changed aisles. He made himself too comfortable in it.

"I try to every day, but if I have other plans or something I want to do at that time then I just don't go."

"Do you do that often?"

"I used to less, but given that I'm in college now I'm sure that will change."

"That sounds unfortunate, I'm sure your fangirls will be upset for your lack of presence."

"Hmm, so isn't that you? I saw how you stared at me last week," He said with a devlish tone, and I could feel him smirking. My cheeks flamed up as I searched for an answer and angrily arranged the books. I had forgotten about the somber performance he had given on my first time at the Woodwork Cafe and how touched I was by his somber voice. If I hadn't known him, I would've thought he was using that song as a way to express his emotions at the time.

"Well, I get moved easily and if I had known your true self, then I wouldn't have been there in the first place!"

He giggled softly. "I'm just kidding," He said. "I won't be there on Friday, so you'll have to find a way to mend the empty hole in your heart from not hearing me sing that night."

"Oh don't worry, I've got plans on Friday as well."

"Whatever you say."

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This was so fun to write, I love their bickering. I feel as though dialogue isn't exactly my strong suit, but I feel really good about this. If you enjoyed the chapter, I'd really appreciate it if you voted!

xoxo, Mari.

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