the book shop > j.l < MID EDIT

sixteen

john

an hour or so after penelope had opened the letter, john and her tidied around the book shop, john dusted off the unused shelves as penelope telephoned her uncle to ask for permission to leave early due to it being her birthday. after he reluctantly agreed, penelope and john left the shop, not before she locked it and made sure she'd got the letter and her purse.

"so do you have any plans for the rest of the day?" john asked wondering if he was invading her time.

"not for now, later on i'm picking charlotte and paul up and we're going back to my apartment for a few drinks. you can come if you like? it'll just be us and my friend richard hopefully." johns head snapped up at the mention of this richard. although he knew she hadn't got a boyfriend he found himself becoming jealous.

"i don't want to intrude your birthday celebrations," john replied,

penelope looked at him her eyes full of humour as her brows furrowed, "john, you're not intruding on anything. if i didn't want you to come i wouldn't invite you."

"okay i'll come. only if you let me buy you some dinner," he smiled.

"okay, i hate that you keep spending your money on me, but if that's what it takes for you to come later on, i'll allow it," john had a small smile glued to his face, "we could just waste time until eight thirty when i pick charlotte up, there'd be no point to part ways really."

john nodded, he was spending quite literally the entire day with her. and he didn't want to object.

•

they walked only a street or two away, john insisting the diner they went to be the american diner, john said he'd been there before making it incredible.

they sat in a booth by the window which had a view of only a cinema on the opposite side of the road and antique shops surrounding it.

they made small talk as they browsed the menus before a young girl, probably a bit younger than the pair stood in front of them asking for their orders. she was quite clearly checking john out, he smiled gratefully at her when she jotted down his order of a chocolate shake and a hamburger. turning towards penelope the smile on the girls face become all the more fake, the girl not trying to hide the fact she was annoyed at penelopes order for being fussy, combined with her being with john; a chocolate shake as well as a plain chicken burger - fussy. the girl turned away walking off without another word. penelope stifled a laugh.

"wow she didn't like me,"

"what? of course she did," john replied oblivious to the scene in front of him. penelope looked at him and leant her elbows on the table resting her head in her hands,

"you're joking right? she was obviously annoyed because of my order, on top of the fact she was quite clearly ogling you, she nearly fainted when you smiled at her," penelope exaggerated laughing.

john hadn't even noticed the girl doing this. he hadn't even really paid attention to her,

"oh. i didn't notice" he shrugged. "she's not my type anyway."

"oh yeah? what's your type then lover boy," john tried to hide the redness that flooded his cheeks with her calling him that even if it was for sarcastic measures.

"i don't really suppose i have a type, i just know she's not it," he laughed

"oh come on, you must have girls at your feet, you must realise which ones you prefer over others?" he thought about the question and she was right, he did have a lot of girls that would throw themselves at him, but he never actually liked any of them, they were just convenient.

"well i have gotten quite a bit of attention in the past i suppose but i've never cared enough to get to know anyone," he lowered his head embarrassed, "the girls that usually show interest in me, only show interest in me because i'm in a band or they like my look. and on top of that i've never wanted anything serious so i never saw past the initial stages of finding someone good looking or not."

penelope felt her heart drop slightly.

am i just another one of those girls

she shoved the thoughts to the back of her brain and replied, "yeah i get that."

john raised his head to stare at her, she, "but i'm slowly changing my mind."

penelope tilted her head to the side curiously, "changing your mind on what?"

"the whole getting to know someone thing, you know, what's the point in life if you're not taking any risks?" he reiterated the words that they'd both spoke just the other day.

penelope smiled replying with just, "that's good."

"what about you? what's your type then?" john smirked back.

"i don't have a type, i dont have much experience to go off. as long as they make me smile i suppose," her vague answer made john realise just how innocent she was.

•

after eating their food, john went to the counter, but was taking an awful long time. penelope stared as he spoke to the girl, jealousy rising up for a reason still unknown to her. she watched the girls face drop from a seductive smile into a straight line, the same way she'd looked at penelope when taking the order. penelope wondered what on earth john had said to get that reaction.

she passed him something over the counter, penelope couldn't see due to the height of where she was sat in comparison to the counter. john pulled out something from his pocket, then wondered back to the table with a toothy grin on his face and both hands behind his back.

he slid back into the booth and pulled his hands from his back, placing a single chocolate muffin with a candle in the centre on the middle of the table. pulling out a lighter he lit it, and repeated himself yet again,

"happy birthday penelope-anne."