Souls Entwined (boyxboy) (On Hold)

Chapter 4

    I considered each of us lucky to have found each other.

    Friday always turned out to the busiest day of the week for the store. About ten minutes after I walked through the door, the hoards of kids coming home from school strode in for their complementary cup of coffee and gossip time.

    The main room of the store consisted of the books, but there was a black iron, spiraling staircase that led upstairs to a balcony that overlooked the main room. The top floor held a small coffee pot and several large worn, leather chairs. The upstairs lounge was considerably brighter than the lower level and was used as a place to hangout and do homework or grab a nice book and spend a few hours reading.

    I told Mr. Henson that he should convert a space upstairs into a small coffee shop, but he insisted that he was too old to justify such a renovation and hated to charge for coffee. In his mind, coffee was just as vital as water, and I was absolutely positive that there were coffee-junkies out there who thought the exact same thing.

    My job, when the store was busy, was to man the cash register. Despite being in a smaller, coastal town, the business actually made quite a bit of money. Something about buying used books spoke to the people around here. Sometimes, a person would come in with a box of books they wanted to sell the store. That was Mr. Henson’s job; I had absolutely no idea how to bargain with people and be the one to come out with a profit.

    I enjoyed my job; I even dared to think that I loved it.

    The rest of the day drug out, and when I finally began to feel weary from standing on my feet for the past few hours, Mr. Henson popped in front of the desk and handed me a white envelope. “Go on and call you’re friend to pick you up, Alexander. It’s Friday night movie night, huh?”

    I smiled down at him as I took my paycheck from his fingers. “Zombie movie night actually.” I tucked the envelope into my back pocket. “Thank you so much, Mr. Henson. Do you need me to do anything before I head out?”

    He shook his head and just smiled. “Get out of here, kid.”

    With a final smile, I slung my bag over my shoulder and pushed open the glass door as I stepped into the cool night air. Instantly, I pulled my cell from my pocket and dialed Sarah’s number.

    She answered on the second ring. “Hello?”

    “I got out early. Think you can swing by and pick me up now?” A gentle breeze pulled at my hair, sending a chill down my spine. Goosebumps prickled up my arms, making the hair on the back of my neck stand on its ends.

    I spun around quickly, straining my eyes in the darkness around me. An uneasy feeling settled in the base of my stomach.

    “Alex?” Sarah’s voice yanked me back into reality.

    “Huh?” I asked intelligently.

    “I asked you if you wanted me to pick you up before I picked up Matthew.” There was a hint of worry in her voice.

    “Oh,” I said squinting straight ahead, “pick me up first if you don’t mind. I’m getting a weird feeling from over here.”

    “Weird how?” I heard Sarah honk her van’s horn and utter a string of curses at another car. There was a definite edge in her voice now.

    I blew out a breath as I slowly pressed my back against the façade of the book store. The only light came from a single lamp that hung beside the door. “Don’t worry about it,” I said as I swallowed hard. Suddenly, my throat felt like a desert. “Just hurry up,” I took a deep breath, “but be careful. You’re a terrible driver.”