"And you're sure you'll be alright running the shop all by yourself today?" The middle-aged woman turns around a final time to look around her small bookshop. It's a cosy place, with reading tables and bookcases that reach to the ceiling, with flowers on the counter and warm wooden furniture. I roll my eyes and place my hands on her shoulders.
"Jocelyn, relax. How long have I been working for you now?" I ask, slowly pushing her towards the door.
"Two years?" She says softly, refusing to leave just yet.
"Right. And how many times have I given you any reason to doubt me?"
"None," she sighs, "I know, Kane. But it's a big responsibility to leave in the hands of an eighteen year old!"
"I can take it," I say, gesturing once more to the door, "you know I can. Besides, I've got Noa with me. She'll make sure I won't fuck up."
"Language!"
"Yes, ma'am. Now go, it's a long drive to the City and I won't let you miss that New Year's party!"
Jocelyn tugs a string of her blonde curls behind her ear and smiles. "Thank you," she says softly. I shake my head and open the door for her. "Yes, yes, I'm the greatest. Now go."
Jocelyn nods and waves her daughter a final goodbye.
"We'll take the first train back," she says while I let the door slowly close behind her, "don't forget to lock up!"
The door slams shut and Jocelyn stares at me for a short moment. I chuckle softly to myself. The woman was quite beautiful for her age, with long blonde curls and soft brown eyes. She and my parents met back in college and they've been friends ever since. When mom started getting bad after dad passed away, Jocelyn offered me a part time job at her bookstore. We really needed the money, but I guess she did it just as much so that I could get out of that house.
I sigh and wave Jocelyn a final goodbye. It's nearly four, which means that I have about four hours left before the shop closes. I turn around and shake my head at the girl standing a few feet away from me. She's holding two cups of coffee and she knows fair well Jocelyn doesn't let her drink anything with caffeine yet. I cock an eyebrow and she shrugs.
"I thought she would never leave," she says, a smile tugging at her lips.
"You might want to hide that," I say, taking one of the mugs from her, "in case she changes her mind about leaving us in charge of her precious baby."
"And here I thought I was her precious baby!" She exclaims theatrically. I roll my eyes and set my coffee down on the counter.
"You're adopted Noa."
Aunt Jocelyn loved to tell the story of how she met her soulmate. According to her, and this story changes a little bit every time she tells it, she heard someone sing her name on campus one Sunday afternoon. "Jocelyn, Jocelyn, Do you remember way back when, we met under a willow tree? And I liked you and you liked me?" It was a sweet, warm voice and aunt Jocelyn ran over to the stranger sitting in the shade of an oak tree, guitar in hand.
"Hi," she had said to the stranger, "my name is Jocelyn."
And the stranger had looked up to her and smiled. "Then I think I'm singing a song about you, Jocelyn," the stranger mused, starting the song all over again.
Jocelyn, Jocelyn,
Do you remember way back when
We met under an oak tree?
And I liked you and you liked me?
You would share your dreams with me
We'd laugh and sing and everything
Jocelyn, Jocelyn
Do you remember way back then?
YOU ARE READING
You & Me
Teen Fiction[Sequel to Me & Mine -- Unedited and Unfinished!] A long time ago Kane made a promise and he is ready to put his life on the line to keep it. But you can't save someone who doesn't want to be saved. Even after their sisters shut them out of their li...
