The night began slowly as I sat writing in the diner. Groups of men and women sat down, ate, and left with not even a second glance at me. I was thankful for that. I really enjoyed being invisible. Nights at the diner were much more pleasant than the other places in this small town. I finished school a few months ago and began writing in the hopes of becoming a professional one day.
"Autumn, wake up." My best friend smiled at me as she walked past me. I hadn't realized I had drifted off at the counter until she prodded me with a fork. I groaned looking at my laptop seeing the scattering of letters across the page. Deleting it all, the words began to flow from my fingers once more. Each one placed there, not as perfect as I would have liked.
After the usual rush time ended, not many people walked into the small diner in the town. I spent most of my time forcing myself to write and chatted to Ruby. She was my friend and was kind but shrill. Ruby was naturally attractive with red hair and green eyes and a slim tall figure. She never minded that I spent most of my time writing. She knew what was going on in my head better than anyone, apart from my mum.
"So, how close are you now?" She spoke, sipping on her coffee as she stood behind the counter. I sat on the other side filling up salt and pepper shakers as I came to a writer's block.
"Not close at all. Every time I feel like I'm getting somewhere, I get writer's block or start all over again. It feels like I will never finish anything."
"Well, I believe in you." I smiled at the sentiment - the same thing she would tell me every night.
She walked away when another customer came in and I turned to look out the window towards my car. I had a Ford fiesta in black. In the back sat Nightingale, a black wolf-dog I have always had. She never seemed to leave my side so stayed in the back until I was done with whatever I was doing. She was incredibly intelligent and loyal.
Ruby's giggle drew me from the window, and I knew at least one of them was hot. I rolled my eyes and lifted my head to the table, still curious even if it didn't matter to me. Two couples were sitting together. Both guys had their arms wrapped around their girls' shoulders. The girls giggled and I could tell it was a popularity move if I ever saw one. I recognized one of the men as my cousin, Greyson. It wasn't surprising to me that he didn't recognize me as we hardly ever saw each other unless at family events. I hadn't been to one of those since I was 14, so only 5 years.
Ruby walked back over to me, "Jealous?" she whispered.
I glared at her not bothering to reply. Ruby loved love and spent most of her days flirting with every attractive guy that came in here, including the owner which was how she became a supervisor. The story made me laugh every time.
The last hour before closing passed slowly and soon it was time to shut. The group left a tip, and one guy left their number. Ruby flicked the receipt in my face to show her prized possession.
"Yep, we get it. You're a homewrecker." I muttered to her, grabbing my coat. Unless it was the middle of summer, at night it was cold. It never snowed, though. It was rare to see the ground white and the sky pale in this quiet town.
"Are you going home tonight?" she called to me, whilst grabbing her bag and keys.
"No, I don't think so. I reckon I can make it to the Falls before sunrise. Besides, I need the motivation." She came back into view and handed me a small bag filled with leftover bacon for Nightingale.
"I'll see you here tomorrow for our girls' night out, yeah?" I smiled and nodded at her, and we left the diner together. I waited for her to lock the door before we climbed into our cars and drove off in different directions.
I opened the passenger window, allowing Gale to stick her head out, letting her tongue stick out. I chuckled at her and continued to drive up the winding road to the top of the Falls. Parking up, I opened the door, letting her jump out. I took off my coat and slipped on some jogging bottoms to be comfortable. We made our way to the edge of the cliff, side by side. I looked to see the sun had just begun to rise. I let my feet dangle over the edge and opened the bag for Nightingale to eat the bacon.
The sunlight flickered over my face, filling my body with life. The sky danced in many colours, forcing the night to disappear. I closed my eyes letting the rest of my senses focus on the nature around me. I listened to the birds beginning their morning chorus, the rustling of leaves in the gentle wind, and Gale's heavy panting beside me. The rock was cold beneath me and rough on my fingers. The world smelled fresh as if renewed every day. I wished to stay up here forever.
As I opened my eyes, I noticed Gale was sniffing the air towards a bush.
"Gale, leave it." I said to her stern, and she turned raising her head at me. She whimpered but obeyed my command and came to my side.
I sighed and walked to my car, reaching through the open window to grab my bag which had my diary inside. Working at the library during the day felt a bit like a dream. I had the freedom to pick the new books and take away the old ones. My mum Sarah offered me a job there when I turned 14. I grew up spending my time around the endless shelves reading and writing. I began writing book reviews when I was 16 to display with the new ones. I had just finished one about a fantasy world full of vampires and werewolves. It was moronic how the female leads just followed the males around, never standing up for herself. Not that I wrote it in my review. I filled it with pomp and frill to please those who came into the store.
I sat back on the ground and opened up my diary, rereading the paragraph and finishing it off. I snapped it closed after another rereading. It was sappy enough whilst still being true to my feelings. Pulled from my book, Gale began whining at the hedge again.
"What is it, Gale?" I asked her, pulling myself up and slipping my diary back into my bag. She sniffed a little and then as I got closer, I saw it was a small white wooden box. It was engraved with running wolves on the side and all the phases of the moon. I picked it up and brushed off the wet leaves studying it further. It was beautiful. I looked to see there were copper hinges and tried to pry it open, but it was stuck. Shrugging at it, I lowered it to Gale's snout, and she sniffed it before yipping and walking back to the car. I smiled and put it in my bag before shoving it on the back seat and climbing into the driver's seat. Gale shook herself off and jumped into the back. She laid down and I started the engine, reversing back onto the road and traveling into town.
The town was small, and many waved at me as I drove through. My family was relatively well known due to my mum working in the only library in town and owning a few flats she rented to local people.
I pulled into the parking lot of the school and library, muscle memory alone getting me here. I turned off my engine, grabbed my bag, and walked over to Nightingale. She whimpered but settled down after I fed her another piece of bacon.
"I won't be long, girl. I know you want to go and run." I petted her gently and she hopped out of the car following me inside the library.
The library was placed in an old refinery building with large open windows that allowed the light to dance inside. There were rows of shelves each one a different genre, arranged alphabetically. The counter was located to one side with an office and a small kitchenette behind it.
The library was quiet as it usually was, especially as the school hadn't started yet. I clocked in and placed my bag in my locker. I looked around and saw another box of new books in the office. I moved forward to grab them when the till the bell rang. Turning around, I came face-to-face with my cousin from the diner last night.
"Can I help you, Greyson?" I smiled at him, walking towards the desk. He smiled and I noticed his features. He had dark hair with green and grey eyes. I could see why some would think he was attractive. It didn't disguise his past behaviour, but business was business.
"Autumn?" he questioned. "Wow, it's been a long time, I hardly recognized you. You were in Salley's last night, right?" I nodded and smiled.
"That's alright, it's been a while. What can help you with?"
"Oh yeah, I was looking for a certain book, but I can only remember the description of it. Do you think you can help?"
"I can try. Let's start with the genre."
We talked it through and wandered through the library until I finally located the book in question. He thanked me and complimented me on my ability to find it when he struggled even with the internet.
"Thank you." I blushed at the shocking compliment. "Let me know if you need anything else."
I ambled my way back to the desk and finally picked up the box of books. Walking over to the shelf they belonged to in my head I began moving an older book and placing them there. Reading the back cover, I longed to open the book and read it. I stacked them up showing the pretty cover and made my way back to the office. It made my mind ponder if I would ever get to display my own book with its own pretty cover and exquisite blurb.
Mum had arrived and called me into her office when she saw me. I grabbed my diary, took a breath, and walked in. I sat down on the seat opposite her and gripped my diary. Mum was in her mid-40s with light hair and a fair complexion. She was kind to me, always giving me new opportunities and supporting me when no one else would. She adopted me when I was just a baby, but I never felt like I was missing a family.
"Ah, Autumn. I'm glad you're here. I didn't hear you come home last night."
"Sorry, mum. I went to the Falls again."
"That's fine. Just text me next time. Have you finished with the book report?" I nodded and opened the page, handing it to her.
She took the time to read it over, word for word, really taking it in. She nodded to each line, and I waited on the edge of my seat.
"This... this is good, Autumn. One of the best you've written. You're good with your words." I smiled at the compliment and thanked her graciously.
"Would you ever consider letting me read the book you're writing?" I was taken aback by her question.
"I-I didn't know you knew about that; I've never mentioned it. I've hardly written anything."
"Well, I have faith in you, Autumn. If you really want to write and it seems like you do, I will support you." I was taken aback by her generosity and didn't know what to say. I just looked at her wide-eyed.
"Listen, Autumn. I watch you every day, how you can perfectly pick out a book and how this just flows. I know you have potential, so prove me right. Write me a draft and I'll read it. If it has the legs, I'll support you. Now off you go, your estranged cousin has been lurking in the fantasy section." I thanked her again and took my diary before passing back to the front desk where Greyson was now stood, with about 5 books all stacked up.
I silently scanned them through, thinking over what Mum had said.
He handed me his library card and I scanned it, giving him his books back.
"You look lost in thought." He whispered, shaking me out of my trance.
"Yeah, sorry. Bad customer service." I laughed, trying to shake away the thoughts running through my mind.
"No worries. I will see you around?" I nodded and watched him leave.
I stared over at the door and looked at my car. He petted Nightingale before disappearing out of view.
"Wow, he's grown up." Mum appeared behind me.
I scrunched up my face, looking at her. "I can still feel his small dick energy." I laughed and she laughed, too.
"Well, maybe he's changed." I shrugged and turned away from her back towards the office and looked over the boxes of books.
Greyson was cruel to me when we were kids. He would push me over, trip me up and make me look bad to everyone. People in school weren't my friend or they would have to deal with Greyson and his friends. Only Ruby would actually look at me.
The worst was when I was 14 and Greyson found the most unimaginative nickname: 'orphan'. It stuck like the best quality superglue and people even wrote it on my locker and everyone called me it for three years before we left school. I tried to keep my head up but spent many lunches crying in the toilets. Ruby would always convince me to come out eventually but some days, the teasing was so much I didn't even make it to the end of the school day. Through different forms of meditation, I managed to control the feelings as I couldn't exactly move school being it was the only one for miles around.
My shift finished quickly, and I tried to shut my mind off from wandering. I had just enough time to rush home and change before meeting Ruby at the diner. I drove home, dropping Gale off, letting her wander into the diner.
Running inside, I slipped off my clothes in the empty house, mum was still at work and grabbed a black dress with simple flats. I ran a hot shower, washed off the mess of the day, and rinsed my hair. It made me feel fresh, but I didn't have time to relish otherwise I would be late to Ruby's. I dried my long hair, tying it into a neat bun and slipping on my dress and shoes.
AN: Please vote and comment! Happy reading.