Heal
By Kirsty James
Copyright 2012 Kirsty James
Smashwords Edition
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
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To James
For always supporting my whimsical ideas
I love you
Chapter One
I sat watching as various people walked past me. There is a real eclectic mix of old, young, unique and fashion conscious. I suppose I've started to like the place for that reason. Everybody fit in; no-one looked at the others as if they didn't belong. Maybe even I could find a place here.
I turned back to the magazine I was flicking through and sighed. I really didn't know why I bought the damn thing in the first place. Who cares what celebrities are up to, most of it is fake anyway. He was cheating on her and she was pregnant but still ridiculously skinny, it gave me something to do at least, while I waited for my Nana. She was running a little late, my bus had pulled in about twenty minutes ago, but that's usual for her. It was a long standing joke in my family that my Nana wouldn't be on time for her own funeral. Sadly I didn't find it as funny anymore. She was no young lady and I dreaded the day that something would take her away from me, just like it took my parents.
Don't get me wrong they aren't dead or anything, just distant. They are currently in the middle of a very messy divorce that I had started to get caught in the middle of. That's why I took the three hour bus ride to Bury St Edmunds. I missed them, but I didn't miss their games.
"Elena!" I turned to the familiar voice and a wide smile broke out across my face. Standing up I threw down the magazine and walked towards the small, grey haired woman. My Nana.
"Hi Nana" As soon as I reached her she pulled me into a tight hug, the kind that has you rocking from side to side. I couldn't help but laugh. She pushed me away slightly and studied the girl I had become.
"My you have grown" She smiled, and I suppose I have, it's been about three years since I last saw her and I have definitely grown up. "Come on, my pretty little angel, let's get your stuff to the car" I blushed at her old nickname for me; it's something she's called me since I can remember. I was torn between telling her I'm too old for that now and the warm feelings of love that trapped me when she did. I decided I'd rather feel the love than see her broken smile.
I followed Nana down the street, pulling my orange floral suitcase behind me, one of the wheels was a bit bent after my summer at a camp in Vermont, and it made a horrible clickety clackety sound. I kept my head down and pretended the noise wasn't coming from me. Not that the people here seemed to care.
It didn't take long to get to the car park but there was a lot of walking up and down hills. I made a mental note to wear reasonably comfy shoes next time I came to town. Nana finally stopped behind an old R registration range rover, it looked like it had just finished going on safari in South Africa, mud splattered across the dark blue body work and big, round chips in the paint. I have to admit though it did hold a certain charm. It wasn't as big and assuming as the 4 x 4's that littered London.
After we'd put my suitcase and bags in the car I jumped in. As Nana turned the key it roared to life and the whole body shook. I laughed and my Nana looked at me sheepishly.
"It's rather an old car." She stated and the term 'no shit Sherlock' came to mind, however I never let it escape my mouth. I knew as soon as she pulled off that this was going to be a bumpy ride and hoped that the travel sickness tablets I had taken for the bus journey were still in effect.
After the first fifteen minutes I got used to the jarring ride. The radio playing helped as it gave me something to focus on and I'd been idly chatting to Nana on and off. She asked about how things were with my mum and dad and I gave as brief an answer as possible. Their break up really wasn't on the top of my list of things to talk about. Realising this she started asking me questions about school, which I'd just finished, and friends. I was happier to talk about them. Although I hadn’t heard from them all day.
"We're almost there." She said, as she indicated and turned left. I watched out of the window at the little village we were entering. This would be my home for however long it takes my parents to sort themselves out.
Barnington was a quaint little village, we passed a shop on the corner that had a range of brightly coloured flowers sitting outside and a vast array of cars parked out the front, as well as a church, a school and the local pub. The school and church were what you’d expect but the pub was amazing. It sat back from the road with a large front garden; it had hefty wooden tables littered about with big red and white umbrellas towering over them. The pub itself was painted yellow and looked as though it were sinking into the ground on one side. I thought 'The Crooked House' was a very apt name. What really caught my eye though, was the large thatched roof. That's what I loved about old English buildings; the thatched roofs really took you back in time, as though you were staring at a fairy-tale.
I was brought out of my wandering thoughts as Nana made another left onto a large driveway. We drove slowly through lines of fruit trees, blossoming with plums, pears and apples. They made the garden look alive. We stopped at a wooden post and I stepped out of the car to look at my new home.
I had never seen where Nana lived before; she had only moved here about two years ago. We had spoken about it on the phone; however she really hadn't done it justice. It was truly beautiful.
In front of me was a perfect little cottage. White painted, lead lined windows, thatched roof and colourful window boxes. It was the kind of house you saw on postcards or boxes of fudge. I turned to look at Nana who was staring at me inquisitively.
"It's beautiful!" I exclaimed and she smiled happily at my approval. Dragging myself away from the house I moved to the boot of the car to help get my bags. Heaving out my suitcase took away my breath but turning back towards the house made me scream. I was looking eye to eye at the biggest turkey I had ever seen, its snood was hanging low and red while its grey tail feathers fanned out behind it. I froze, not sure if turkeys attacked. It continued to stare at me, as if daring me to make a move.
"Um… Nana!" I shouted fearfully and I heard a chuckle from behind me. I hadn't realised she had been standing there the whole time.
"That's only Sage, he's harmless." She stated, before dropping my bag to the floor and shooing him away. I'm sure he continued to stare at me as she did so.
"Yeah shoo!" I added with false confidence and sighed. Turkey attack abated. "So do you have more of those things?" I asked as I dragged my suitcase to the front door with my Nana beside me.
"Just one other and a couple of chickens." Great!
I followed Nana inside the cottage and its charm took my breath away. It was filled with original dark wood beams and cold stone tiled floors; I also noticed at least two open fireplaces. This was becoming into my dream house. It was nothing like the town house I lived in at home, with its five different levels and generic cream walls. This place had character. Like me.
I followed Nana up some creaky stairs, where she indicated where my room and the bathroom were. I should admit that I only barely paid attention before throwing my stuff through the door and going back downstairs to make a cup of tea.
We sat talking at the large oak table, mostly me gushing over the house and Nana sitting proudly. I had also managed to eat most of the home made chocolate chip cookies she had cooked and laid out for my arrival. In my defence I had only had a packet of crisps on the bus all morning, and the cookies were delicious.
As our conversation died down and our tea was finished I noticed that Nana was starting to look a little pale.
"Are you ok?" I asked worriedly and received a tentative smile. That was Nana, always happy and never wanting anyone to worry.
"Just a little headache," She said quietly. I gave a little nod and scraped back my chair. It made a horrible noise against the stone floor, and I mentally slapped myself, it probably hadn't helped.
Luckily I could help with that. I moved to stand behind her and ignored the curious look she gave me. I placed my hands on the crown of her head and thought about taking the pain away and locking it in a small silver chest. My hands began to grow warm and I could feel our energy transfer. After a minute I felt that there was no more pain to lock away and so released my hands.
Nana looked at me in shock as I moved around to face her. She shook her head and smiled at me.
"My dear, what on earth did you just do?" Although the words themselves were akin to a telling off, she was smiling hugely in wonder.
"It's just something I can do." I smiled at her and shrugged as though it was no big deal. I bent forward to place a gentle kiss on her cheek.
"I'm going to go and start unpacking." I stated and she nodded her head at me as she started to clear away our cups and plates. Her paleness was now gone and a rosy hue danced on her cheeks. I could tell she had questions but she let me go.
I made it up to my room and smiled, it was cosy and the wooden sleigh bed looked inviting. Ignoring the bags littered across the floor, where I had haphazardly flung them earlier, I crawled onto the bed, relieved to find the mattress firm but not solid and closed my eyes. I was sure that a couple of hours sleep would chase way the headache I had obtained.
Chapter Two
When I woke up the light had faded from the room, but my headache was gone. Glancing at the clock on my bedside table I realised that I had been asleep for just over two hours.
I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and took a curious look around. The bed was absolutely beautiful, a large dark wooden frame in the shape of a sleigh, it had crisp white sheets and a deep, dark red blanket folded across the bottom. The window was to the left side of the bed and was adorned with pretty white curtains with tiny red flowers dispersed in a sparse pattern, the tie backs matched. On the right of the bed were two dark wood double wardrobes and sat between them a tall book case. My lips moved subconsciously into a smile; it was perfect for me as lining my suitcase were a stack of my favourite books. On the last wall, opposite the end of my bed, was a small desk and a vanity table that matched the style of everything else.
Looking into the arched mirror of the vanity I grimaced. Travelling had not been kind to me. My usually wavy hair looked limp, tired and a dull shadow of its normal chestnut brown. I had some pretty large bags under my hazel eyes and a pillow mark across my left cheek. I was definitely glad that it was only Nana that would see me.
It took under an hour to unpack and I hid my suitcase away under the bed, hoping that I didn't have to repack it any time soon, before leaving the room in search of my Nana.
When I found her she was in the lounge sitting on a rocking chair by an open fire. I sighed and took a seat on the large, comfy sofa and listened to the crackle of the logs as I watched the flames flicker. The room had a peaceful glow and it was easy to lay my head back on the cushions and relax. Eventually she broke the silence.
"I have a beef stew brewing, it’ll be ready soon." I smiled, I loved Nana's stew.
"With dumplings?" I asked, after all you couldn't have a stew without dumplings. I was rewarded with a look that chastised me for even thinking there may not be any. Leaving the comfort of the room I followed her into the kitchen where bowls, glasses and cutlery were set up.
We ate in silence as I was too busy savouring every bit of the comforting food to speak but once I was done I told Nana about my plans for the next day.
"So, I thought I'd go into town tomorrow and see if there are any jobs about," I had had a job in London, just working in a popular clothes store. It was ok but fashion was far from one of my passions. Now a music or book shop would be another matter.
"Only if you want to dear, there's no pressure to get one from me, you can always help look after the birds." I shuddered at the thought and she laughed. I liked the crinkle of her eyes as she did so.
"I just thought it would be good to make a little bit of money, maybe meet some people. It gives me a good chance to look around the town too." I shrugged, my reasons were simple but true enough, and if I was going to be here for a while I needed something to focus on and people to talk to.
"Sound like a good idea Lena, I'll take you to the bus stop in the morning." I nodded and helped clear away the dirty plates into the dishwasher before Nana declared that she was going to bed. I followed her upstairs but only so I could grab a book and get back to the fire in the sitting room.
-
I was up early the next morning and with the help of a hot shower, a touch of mascara and some cherry lip gloss, I felt much more presentable than I had the day before. I decided on a simple pair of black skinny jeans, brown Ugg boots and a tight grey cookie monster t-shirt.
Nana drove me to the bus stop but it was only up near the shop on the corner so I assured her that I could walk back when I was finished. It was a long journey to the town as there were many villages and only one bus but with my book and iPod in hand, forty-five minutes later I found myself back at the bus station I had sat in yesterday.
It took me a few attempts to find the town square as there was a maze of streets that connected one to the other and had me walking in circles, I didn’t want to look like a tourist so I continued to walk until I happened upon it.
Standing in the main square was like being transported back in time. The paths were made of cobbled stones and the buildings were proudly showing off their large beams and red bricks. If I tried hard enough I could imagine wooden horse carriages carting their master through the town, their hooves trotting against the pebbles.
With a smile on my face I walked past a large bronze statue of Saint Edmund and headed into my favourite coffee shop. The queue was long but it gave me a chance to decide what I wanted. Usually I would have gone with a mocha but today I felt the need for a hot chocolate with the works. My mouth watered at the very thought.
It wasn’t long before I placed my order and paid. I took a chance and asked if they had any jobs available, but they didn’t. Leaving the store with my hot chocolate in hand I continued looking around the town.
It was quite busy for a week day, a lot of old people slowly milling around the streets, but I kind of liked it, in London everything is rushed, here I could just take my time and stroll through the town while taking it all in.
As I wandered the square I enquired at a number of shops and had received application forms for both the chemists and Top Shop, although neither particularly appealed to me.
Throwing my finished cup into a bin as I passed, I smiled when I noticed a bookshop across the street. I made my way towards it and paused. To the left of the doorway stood a couple arguing loudly. She, a tall brunette, was waving her arms around angrily while he was raking his hands through his short dark curls in frustration.
With a deep breath, I rushed past them and into the shop, trying to appear as casual as possible. Looking around I sighed happily. This was where I belonged; the shop was covered in wall to ceiling walnut book shelves displaying thousands of books, and it had that book shop smell that I loved, like old paper and biscuits. I suspected, job or not, I would be spending a lot of time here.
There were a few staff milling around, working the register, stacking shelves and helping customers and I imagined being one of them. I was born for this. After a minute I approached a young man who was putting some books neatly on the shelves.
“Excuse me!” I said to get his attention. He turned and I smiled inwardly, he was cute. He had quite a boyish face and short brown curls sitting on top of his head. His smile was welcoming.
“Can I help you?” He asked.
“I.. um.. was just wondering if you had any jobs going here?” I kicked myself for stammering, real cool.
“We do actually, are you looking for full or part time?” He put down the book that was in his hand and gave me his full attention.
“Either actually,” I smiled and he nodded quickly before starting to walk away. Should I follow him? Stay here? Would he be coming back?
“I’ll be right back with a form.” He threw over his shoulder. I watched him walk away, knowing that I could easily work with him. It was nice to waste away the hours looking at and talking to an attractive man.
Looking around while I waited, I noticed that the shop had a black and orange theme throughout. The employees wore black trousers and a black polo shirt with an orange logo ‘BookMark’ on the left breast. As far as uniforms went it wasn’t bad. They also had little recommendations posted on the shelves explaining why you should read the book. I really liked the personal touch.
He returned quickly and threw me another smile before handing me the form.
“Just fill it in and bring it back in when you can.” I smiled in thanks, before sitting in a nearby chair. I dug through my brown leather bag for a pen and filled out the form there and then. If there was one job I wanted; this was it. It took me about ten minutes in all, I had to try and remember old post codes and find my national insurance number but it was your basic application form and I found it easy enough to fill in.
Getting up I handed it back to the same guy, who had moved on to a different section but was still stacking shelves. He grinned at my enthusiasm and I said thanks again before heading deeper into the shop to have a real look around.
I found the section that I wanted easily enough; it was hidden in the corner and had a couple of large black tub chairs in the middle. It didn’t take me long to find a handful of books that I wanted to buy.
Before long, I had been sitting in the chair for an hour, leafing through books before I realised the time. I had forty minutes before the next bus. Just enough time to choose a book and get back to the station.
After much deliberation I decided on a sequel to a book I’d already read, and under normal circumstances I wouldn’t have hesitated in buying it. This time however, there were at least four others that I was dying to read. Sadly I placed the rejected books back on the shelf and made myself walk over to the till without a second glance.
The queue wasn’t too long and when it was my turn I put the book on the counter before digging for my purse.
“You sure you want to buy this?” A voice asked. I looked up surprised and then smiled when I saw the guy from earlier smiling back at me.
“Definitely, why?” His grin became cheeky.
“Well, we get a pretty good discount for working here; you could always save it for when you get the job.” Even as he spoke he scanned the barcode, knowing somehow, that I wouldn’t leave without it.
“Positive, I can’t wait that long,” We chuckled as he told me the price and I handed over my money. I took back the bag and change with my receipt, said thanks, again, and set off on my way back to the station. Feeling somewhat accomplished.
-
When I got home I sat down with a sigh, and chatted to my Nana about the day. Sadly she made me promise to help with the birds tomorrow. I wasn’t looking forward to round two with the giant evil turkey!
I was half way up the stairs ready to put my stuff away when the phone rang. I didn't think anything of it until Nana shouted up saying that it was for me. I scrunched my nose, it could be one of my parents and in that case I wasn't looking forward to taking the call, all they did these days was moan about each other.
Reaching the bottom again I took the phone from Nana's hand.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Elena? This is Catherine from BookMark." My heart picked up it's pace.
"Hi Catherine." I mumbled.
"I was looking over your application form and was hoping that you could come in tomorrow for an interview."
"I would love to! Thanks!" The excitement dripped from my voice but I hoped it didn't seem overly enthusiastic.
"Great! Is 10 o'clock ok?" She asked. Truthfully she could have said six am and I would have jumped at it.
"That's fine"
"Great, I'll see you then!" I stuttered a thanks and said goodbye as she put the phone down. What was I going to wear? What questions would she ask? What would I say? I had to get this right; I needed access to all those books, at a discounted price and not to mention the cute guy.
Chapter Three
To say I was nervous would be an understatement. The butterflies in my stomach were putting on some kind of acrobatic show for my intestines. I couldn't manage to eat any breakfast and I think I've irritated Nana by repeatedly asking her to fire interview questions at me. I wanted to be prepared.
I wanted the job, who wouldn't when they are as obsessed with books as I am? But what's with the nerves? I sighed as I stuck my toothbrush in my mouth and brushed vigorously. I spat in the sink I rinsed out my mouth before standing to look in the mirror.
I guess I looked ok; I've put my hair up in a high ponytail, my fringe sweeping over to the right. A little bit of mascara to darken my lashes, blusher to lighten my cheeks and a dark pink lipstick that hopefully made me look young and fresh.
I'm wearing 'proper clothes' as my Nana would say, that consist of dark grey slacks, white tailored shirt and a light grey woollen vest pulled over the top. Honestly I felt a little over dressed but it's better than being too casual.
"Elena! It's time to go!" I groaned as Nana called up the stairs for me. She offered to drive me in as she had a few things to pick up for herself, but I was going to get the bus back, I actually quite liked it. There's something peaceful about sitting on the bus as it vibrates soothingly.
I ran down the stairs and threw on a light black jacket and grabbed my bag before leaving the house to get in the car. I had to dodge a couple of stray chickens on the way but they didn't attempt anything so I let them be.
I had my fingers crossed the whole time as my Nana drove, too slowly for my liking, to town.
-
“Thanks Elena, that’s great.” I smiled at Catherine as I leant across the table and shook her hand. She was a really nice lady and the interview had been more of a formal chat than any kind of test. She was shorter than I had thought she’d be from her voice, and a little plump, but she had a welcoming smile and an easy manner. I was looking forward to working for her.
“Now,” she said, shuffling papers “We would need you to start as soon as possible, when are you free?”
What do I say? I can start right now – does that seem too desperate? Or should I say next week – though if I do will she change her mind?
“I’m really free for whenever you need me.” I threw her what I hoped was a charming and non-desperate smile.
“Ok,” she smiled and looked back at her stack “so your usual hours would be 12pm – 9pm Wednesday to Friday and then 8am – 4pm Saturday and Sunday” I nodded as she thought out loud, the hours were pretty long but if I’m surrounded by good books and cute guys I’m sure they’d pass reasonably quickly. “Tomorrow’s Friday so you could start properly then, although if you’ve got the time I could get someone to show you around, get you a uniform etc?”
“That sounds good. Thanks a lot Catherine.” She rose from her chair and I followed suit.
“No, thank you! I’m so glad to have someone else in the store that loves books as much as I do.”
I kept quite after that and followed her from the back room to the main shop. There were a few new faces today but also some I remembered.
I followed her into the world history section and smiled when we stopped behind the guy I had spoken to yesterday. He was placing comment cards on the shelves.
“Nate,” he turned at his name and smiled when he saw me “this is Elena, she’s going to be starting with us tomorrow but I thought you could show her around a little, introduce her to everyone and find her a uniform.” Her words were friendly but she didn’t really give him a choice.
“Of course,” he smiled and looked to me “do you mind if I just finish up here?” He waved the cards in his hand at me and I shook my head to say it was fine. What a piece of luck! I was getting shown around by the cute guy.
Catherine said her goodbyes and left, leaving me standing there watching as he placed comment and recommendation cards in thin plastic wallets. I read them as he did. Did the staff really write them?
“They do, though we generally all write for a section that we like and just put other names on it. Jasper, you’ll meet him later, writes the world history and ornithology sections, I do the music one. At least then we read the ones we enjoy.” I nodded not having realised that I’d asked the question out loud, I’d have to be more careful. “What sections are you interested in?” I blushed slightly. I was nearly eighteen and was about to admit that I like teenage fiction.
“Um, young adult and supernatural mostly.” I grimaced but he just smiled. He finished putting the last card away.
“Then it’s yours! No-one is covering either of those, we usually just take comments out of magazines.” He shrugged cheekily and I gasped in fake horror at his admission.
“Come on, I’ll show you around.”
-
We spent the next thirty minutes on a guided tour. He showed me where all the different sections were and I tried to memorise them as best I could, at least they were well marked, there wasn't much chance of me getting lost. In the children's section I met Ella, who seemed quite chirpy, she had just finished reading 'Sharing a Shell' to a small group of toddlers. In the autobiographies section I met Peggy. She also seemed quite nice and welcomed me to the team. I was surprised really that everyone here seemed so young and friendly.
Our next stop was the registers. There was a small queue and two guys serving. We stood behind them waiting for them to finish with their customers.
"Someone will probably train you on the machines tomorrow," Nate stated and smiled when I scrunched up my face in a grimace. "Don't worry, it's not as hard as it looks, if Jasper here can manage it then you shouldn't have any problem!" he chuckled and I looked at Jasper. He was taller than both of the guys and seemed to have a permanent smile on his face. He was chatting happily to the customer he was serving who was laughing at whatever he said. The other guy was the opposite. He whizzed through three customers whilst Jasper dealt with one. Giving generic programmed responses and barely looking them in the eye. He looked a little familiar.
"Who's the other one?" I asked pointing and Nate followed my finger.
"That's Joe."
A few seconds later they were both free of customers and Nate made the introductions. I smiled politely, feeling slightly awkward at the attention as well as the fact that Jasper pulled me into a quick hug. Joe merely nodded in my direction as he raked a hand through his hair. And then it hit me, why he was familiar. He was the man that had been fighting outside the shop yesterday.
After the brief introductions they went back to serving customers and Nate beckoned me to follow him with a nod of his head.
"One more stop before we get your uniform" he said and I walked with him to a set of stairs that were by the main entrance. I hadn't really noticed them before but now that I knew they were there they were obvious.
They creaked as we walked up them and I made sure to hold on to the wooden banister in case my foot just happened to fall through. How old was this building? When we reached the top I smiled. Coffee. There were rows of tables and chairs between us and the far wall where a work station sat with two girls working behind, furiously serving customers and making coffee.
To the right of us there were more book shelves and I looked at Nate quizzically. He took me over there and picked up one of the books from the shelf.
"These are all our old stock, books that have been in clearance or discontinued that nobody bought. We put them up here and then people can come and read them while they have their coffee. It's quite popular, sometimes people actually buy them if they find a hidden gem and as far as we're concerned they aren't stock so if one goes missing it's not a big deal." My jaw dropped in amazement.
"This place is seriously the best! I can't believe I work here!" I chuckled and my companion laughed with me before pointing to the two behind the counter.
"They work for BookMark but primarily they stay here and don't come down to the shop floor. A lot of us come up here for lunch breaks and stuff though so they're still part of the team; some of us hang out outside of work too." I nodded and looked at the pair rushing around. There was one with very curly light brown hair and the other had honey coloured straight hair.
"I saw that girl yesterday." I said pointing at the girl with the straight hair "She was outside the shop arguing with Joe." I watched as Nate rolled his eyes.
"That's Ashley, her and Joe are dating, kind of, it's very on and off and you'll probably witness plenty more arguments." I nodded trying to retain all the information I had learnt today. I suppose they made a cute couple, albeit a fiery one. "The other girl is Suzie." He said softly and a light blush spread over his cheeks. I think he likes her. Why are the cute, nice ones always taken?
"Shall we go get your uniform? Then you can enjoy the rest of the day before work consumes you." I laughed, he was funny, if nothing else I could make a friend, it's not like I had them lining up.
"Sure!"
-
The uniforms were out in the back room, a cold concrete area that held all the un-shelved stock. Nate explained that we only got the t-shirt and an orange apron if we wanted it, but needed to provide our own trousers. I thought I’d stop and pick some up before getting on the bus.
Holding the shirt in my hand made it all real. I had a job in a really cool place, with friendly people and I got a discount on books. As sad as some may find this I was really looking forward to starting work.
I said good bye to Nate and waved in the general direction of the others. I was in such a euphoric daze that I collided straight into an old woman walking past the shop. She fell to the ground on her hand and let out a quick scream. Instantly I knelt down to her level.
“I’m so sorry! Are you ok?” My voice was frantic. What if I’d broken her wrist or hip? They say your bones are more brittle as you get older.
“I’m ok,” she said softly, clearly not liking the attention we had attracted. I noticed that she winced slightly and held her wrist. I helped her up and as I touched her forearm, just above her wrist, I imagined taking her pain and placing it in that silver chest. The contact was brief so I couldn’t tell if I had got it all but as I removed my warmed hand she flexed her wrist and smiled. Seemingly she was ok.
“I’m really sorry.” I stated again and she offered me a kind smile.
“No harm done dear, it was just an accident.” She then proceeded to walk away, the concerned crowd dispersing as she went.
I sighed and continued on my search for black trousers and thought I’d find some comfy work shoes while I was at it. I tried, failing, to ignore the new throbbing in my wrist.
Chapter Four
The next morning appeared to drag. I woke up bouncing with excitement about going to work, however be assured by the fact that I was never this excited about going to my last job. I think. My Nana kept throwing me amused looks because of my restlessness and kept giving me jobs to do to keep busy.
Already this morning I had emptied the dishwasher, watered the vegetable garden and was on my way to clean out the poultry house. I grabbed my Nana’s olive green wellie boots from by the back door and made sure to tuck my black trousers neatly inside. The last thing I needed on my first day at work was to have chicken poo hanging precariously from my trousers.
Reluctantly I walked to the back of her large garden to the chicken shed. Most of them were rummaging around the grass. I wasn’t really afraid of the little hens or even the cockerel, it was that turkey that I didn’t like and currently I had no idea where he was. It’s ridiculous that at my age I’m scared of a large bird but it didn’t change the fact that I felt like he was watching me.
Walking over to two large white lidded buckets, that sat by the side of the shed, I took a few handfuls of pellets and scattered them around before doing the same with some mixed corn. I smiled as the chickens all came running to my feet, now pecking at the food. I found myself watching them for a while as they scuffed the ground with their talons before eating. I could get used to chickens. As soon as I thought it I checked over my shoulder for Sage – he was still nowhere to be seen and it unnerved me.
I walked into the shed where a few chickens sat, they squawked when they saw me enter so I laughed and raised my hands in surrender. I picked up the wicker basket that sat inside the door and collected any eggs that I could find. Nine. Picking up the last egg I walked quickly to the door, trying to get out as quickly as I could, although I was maybe starting to like the birds, they actually smelled really bad.
I pulled open the door, making sure to leave the flap open for them and screamed. Not one of the long ones you hear in a horror movie but more of a squeal of surprise. Standing there blocking the door was him. My poultry nemesis, he stared at me and opened his beak as he let out a loud gobble, instinctively I took a step back. His eyes were trained on me and his wobbly neck had turned a bright red.
I stared intently as he took a step towards me and closed my eyes cringing. He was going to bite me, I could tell. Not really sure what to do I started growling. Low at first and then louder, I opened my eyes and looked at Sage’s face, was he scared? Shocked? Who the hell could tell? I paused for a deep breath before growling as loud as I could and ran forwards flapping my arms and the basket around.
Can you believe he didn’t even move! At least now though I had the momentum to go around him and keep running until I reached the house. I threw open the kitchen door and slammed it behind me only to be greeted with joyous laughter. Nana had watched the whole thing.
“I think you really showed him who’s boss there Elena.” She said between laughs. I merely frowned and threw the basket at her before wrestling with the wellies. Ridiculous, freaking, psycho turkey.
-
After my peaceful bus journey I had calmed down somewhat, forty minutes of uninterrupted reading could do that. Although my mood was less excitable than it had been I still had a spring in my step as I walked through the town.
I was ten minutes early, which I thought was acceptable, as I walked into the shop. As I walked through I smiled at Peggy and Nate who were on the registers serving a small queue. I pushed through the double swing doors that led to the back room and hung up my jacket and bag before smoothing down my new t-shirt. I liked it. When I pushed through the doors I saw Catherine waiting for me and smiled.
"Afternoon Elena." She greeted and I returned the hello "if you want to go and shadow Nate for a while, we can start you off there." I gulped but nodded. The registers looked a bit too technical for me.
"Hey guys!" I smiled as I walked over to the pair.
"Hey Elena, are you ready to take on the tills?" Nate asked and then laughed at my expression.
"Hell no," I exclaimed "but I'll give it a go. Shall I just watch for a while?" I asked and then stood behind him as he served the next customer. A few minutes later I thought maybe it wouldn't be as tricky as I first thought. I looked up when Peggy and Nate both said hello to someone and watched as Joe made his way through the shop, obviously starting his shift, he must be on the late with me.
A few minutes later Joe came and swapped with Peggy, I wasn't sure what reasoning was behind the decision but it seemed to me that she was much better with the customers than him. I continued to watch Nate and couldn't help but listen in to their conversation as they worked.
"Well?" Nate asked, without looking at his friend.
"Nate really?" Joe threw him a pitiful look that only I witnessed as he scanned his customers books.
"Joe please…" The boy beside me whined. There was a lull in the queue and he turned to the darker haired Joe.
"Can't you just ask her yourself?" He replied incredulously. He handed over the receipt and bag he was holding before turning to face Nate. He lowered his shoulders at the younger boy's expression.
"Can't you get Ashley to ask her? They do work together?" The whine was back and I just clued into what they were talking about. Nate wanted to ask Susie something. I could only guess what it was.
Looking between the two, I began to feel uncomfortable, there was Nate pleading with his friend, for something he didn't feel he could do himself and then there was Joe, clearly fighting with a decision and beginning to look somewhat defeated.
"I'll see if she will," the elder answered and hope flashed into Nate's sweet almond eyes before quickly disappearing at Joes next words "when she's speaking to me again."
I cleared my throat and they both looked at me in surprise, having clearly forgotten I was there. I could feel my cheeks heat up slightly at what I was about to do but ignored them.
"Is this about you liking Susie?" I asked Nate, as innocently as I could. His eyes widened and then dropped in embarrassment as Joe began to laugh.
"Am I that obvious?" he whined, he was really quite good at it. I smiled in what I hoped was a reassuring way and touched his arm.
"A little? It's cute though." I shrugged and heard him mutter a 'great' under his breath. What is it with guys not wanting to be called cute? I think it's a compliment.
"Look…" I started again "Whatever it is you want to ask, maybe I can do it?" His head whipped up from his gaze on the floor and grinned widely. He pulled me into a hug, squeezing hard. I caught Joe's grateful eye from over Nate's shoulder.
"You're alright Lena." He said simply and turned back to an approaching patron. I was finally released and quickly started to wonder what the hell I had signed up.
"What time is your lunch?" I was brought out of my thoughts by the question.
"Um… four I think," I was pretty sure Catherine had said four. "Why?"
"I finish at four, maybe we could have coffee and talk about… you know." I gave Nate a warm smile as he blushed. This boy was so cute, such a shame. I nodded and continued to watch the working of the registers.
-
In the end I wasn't let loose on them as there was quite a rush on for the next couple of hours. So instead I had been checking the shelves and making sure that books were where they should be. I'd been in the education section for fifty minutes or so, it was surprising just how many people discarded books they no longer wanted in random places on the shelves. It was starting to irritate me with just how disrespectful people could be.
I'd managed to find books that belonged in the children's section, medical, self-help, politics. It was ridiculous. Until I found that someone had hidden a copy of Twilight in amongst the revision guides. I finally had a reason to spend some time in my favourite section.
Tapping the book on my hand, I smiled as I crossed the shop. I found the books rightful place within seconds; it was a popular book, which meant it had a large front facing display. I felt a small sense of satisfaction as I slipped it in amongst the rest of its kind.
Hands on hips I stood staring before leaning forward and brushing my hands along the spines. I was getting paid to do this. I grinned and picked up a random paperback and began leafing through its pages. It was about a young sorcerer who had to try and rescue his parents from an evil King. It sounded ok but not really my kind of thing. I liked a bit of romance, which was kind of ironic since I didn't believe in.
"There you are!" A voice interrupted my thoughts "I guess I should have known you'd be hiding out here." I turned and looked at my new friend before blushing.
"I was bringing a book back!" I defended and was rewarded with a laugh.
"It's four; you still want to get that drink with me?" His face was full of hope and there was no way I could deny him.
"Let me get my purse" I smiled, replaced the book and walked away.
We ended up in the café upstairs. I wondered why we were coming to talk about Susie when she was only a few metres away. Nate took a seat at the back while I ordered a soy latte for him and for myself a BLT Panini and a cherry mocha.
Unfortunately it was Ashley that served me and although she saw my uniform made no move to speak to me. Instead I watched Susie as she worked behind the scenes. She was pretty with her long wavy hair and sharp features.
Once my order was taken I walked back with the tray and sat down. I handed out the drinks and opened my pre-packaged Panini before I looked up and spoke.
"She's pretty," I said nodding as I took a bite. I enjoyed seeing him blush as he ducked his head. "How long have you liked her?" Granted it wasn't information that I needed but I wanted to know?
"A while." Was all he said as he shrugged and took a sip of his coffee. I continued to eat, the sandwich was surprisingly good, I might get it grilled next time.
"So... What's this big question that needs asking?" I grinned and tried to lighten the mood, he chuckled indicating that it had worked to some small degree.
"It's not really a question, I just… I want to know… you know…. I mean I don't want to … I just… it's hard!" He stammered and I decided to take pity on the poor soul.
"You want to know if she likes you before you ask her out?" He barked out a laugh, surprised that I knew what he was talking about. But really, guys aren't that complex.
"Yeah, pretty much." He smiled now, some of the tension gone.
"I'll see what I can do. I can be the new girl innocently asking questions." I winked, not really sure why, but he didn't seem to mind.
"Thanks Elena!" He choked on his words slightly and tried to hide it by sipping his drink. It was obvious he had a lot riding on this. I just hoped it was good news. Although I couldn't imagine why it wouldn't be.
"No worries, what are friends for?" I cringed as I spoke. Way to look desperate! You've only known him a couple of days and are branding him already. I sighed into my cup.
"Well I'll owe you one, friend." This time he winked at me and I couldn't help but laugh, relaxing slightly.
We spent the rest of my break chatting about general things and when he left, going back to work felt slightly off. He was really the only one I had had a proper conversation with so far.
-
The rest of the day went smoothly enough, I finally got behind a register and if I say so myself I wasn't doing too badly, although I think I owe a lot of that to Ella who would help me whenever I got stuck. By six o'clock it was just Joe and I left. He stayed behind the till and I went about tidying and straightening up which was actually a lot more involved than you might think.
There was music playing in the background but it was a little louder now and when I turned to see what had happened I received a cheeky grin from Joe. I didn't recognise the band but it was ok, easy enough to listen to at least.
As I moved from section to section I couldn't help but notice him as he leant forward on the counter top swaying his hips in time to the beat. They were mesmerising in a way and I couldn't help but feel the heat rise to my cheeks. What was I doing checking out his hip movements?
At five to nine it was nearly time to go. We'd shut down the registers and counted the money before locking it in the safe and now we were in the back grabbing our things.
"Do you live in town?" He asked as he shrugged on his coat, I looked at him surprised; this was the first we had spoken all evening.
"No… um… I'm in Barnington, I get the bus." He narrowed his eyes.
"That's a long trip home… and you're on an early tomorrow?" I nodded and he grimaced. I hadn't really thought about how late I would be getting home and how little sleep I would get.
"It's not so bad, though you may find me passed out in a chair tomorrow." I smiled and started to walk to the main door. I waited while he set the alarm and then we both stepped outside once we had heard the beep. I was surprised there were no big metal shutters needed to protect the windows. Maybe it wasn't so bad here that they needed them.
"Do you want me to walk you to the bus station… it's getting dark and I don't mind." He looked as though he really didn't but I turned him down. It wasn't far and I was a big girl.
Saying goodbye with a little wave I turned in the opposite direction to him and started on my long journey home, maybe when I was paid I could save up for a car.
Chapter Five
Saturday morning came too soon, and I dragged my feet like you wouldn't believe. By the time I had got home last night, had something to eat and showered it was nearly midnight and then I had my alarm set for six. I know that six hours of sleep isn't a terrible amount but for me, who is used to at least ten, it most definitely is.
I was practically sleep walking as I shuffled through the shop door and couldn't muster a wave or a smile to anyone as I went to hang up my things. I'm sure I heard some laughing behind me but I ignored it. I pushed my way back through the doors and sighed. The shop wouldn't be open for another hour so why did I have to be here this early? When I heard a laugh next to me I realised that I had said it out loud.
"We do weekend cleaning before we open up." I groaned, if they gave me a vacuum I was going to scream. I looked at Nate with heavy eyes and he smiled as he threw his arm across my shoulders.
"Come on… I'll let you in on a little secret." He then ushered me back the way I had come, past Catherine's office and into the store room. He took me to the back of the room and behind a large shelf before we came to a stop. I realised that Joe was standing there a cup of coffee in his hands.
"Coffee?" I asked hopefully, eliciting small laughs from the two men. There behind Joe were a few mugs, a kettle, a box of tea bags, bowl of sugar and a jar of coffee. My idea of heaven! I moved faster than I had all morning and made myself a cup using the still hot water. Ignoring the guys I took a sip of the sweet nectar and sighed.
"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning then?" Joe asked, an amused glint in his eyes. I raised my eyebrow at him.
"You all are lucky I even got out of bed this morning." I closed my eyes and continued to drink. I was aware of the pair eventually leaving and didn't want to take advantage. I'd drunk most of the coffee and it helped considerably. I wasn't sure what to do with the cup so I just left it by the kettle and vowed to come back and clean it later.
Able to keep my eyes fully open I walked back down the corridor and as I did I heard loud music coming from the main room. I wasn't sure but it sounded like some kind of waltz, or maybe something from Swan Lake.
Entering the room, again, I was surprised to feel a heavy weight barrel into my side and before I knew it my feet were being lifted from the floor and I was being spun around the room. Strong arms were wrapped tightly around me and I could hear clapping and laughter but all I could see was a swirl of colour. I was beginning to worry about whether my coffee was going to stay down. Looking up I saw the happy face of the man that had literally whisked me off my feet.
"Hi Jasper," I muttered as he continued his dance. He looked down at me with a gleam in his eyes and then slowly stopped before gently lowering my feet back to the ground.
"Thank you for the dance M'Lady" he said with a wink and a bow. I couldn't help but laugh as everyone clapped. I walked over to where Nate had been standing watching us and gave a slight sarcastic bow of my own. He pushed my shoulder and then handed me a feather duster. I could handle that, at least I didn't have to vacuum. It was Peggy that got that job, though she didn't seem to mind as she did it in time with the music.
After the dancing and the opening of doors I was back on the registers. I didn't mind it too much; I was slowly getting the hang of it actually. I was generally quite happy to serve the customers and my nosey side liked to see what they had bought. Occasionally I couldn't help but make a comment about their purchases. Sometimes it was a book I'd read or wanted to read and people didn't seem to mind my interest. Joe was on the other till, whizzing through consumers as usual and sporadically chuckling at my enthusiasm.
I had just finished with a customer, handed over the black and orange ‘BookMark’ bag and watched them walk away, when the scanner repeatedly started to beep and the receipt on its roll began to get longer.
"What's happening?" I panicked, mouth open, eyebrows raised and forehead creased. I started desperately pulling the till roll out, in a lame attempt to fix it, when it started to flow over my head and around my shoulders. Joe stepped over, clutching his side as he laughed and moved a promotional leaflet that had fallen within sight of the scanner. As soon as he had, it stopped, and I let out a huge sigh of relief. While he was still laughing hysterically.
"You can stop now." I said un-amused, my hands cocked on my hips, for some reason this made him laugh more.
"Sorry… but… your face!" After a few seconds his laughter was infectious and I couldn't help giggling myself. It was pretty funny. A bloody nightmare, but funny. Composure soon rained behind the counter and I looked up to see if I had neglected anyone during my mishap. I found myself looking into a pair of very angry hazel eyes. Ashley. What did she have to be mad at me for? I simply shrugged and started to tidy up the mess I'd made after first asking Joe to cancel the order. I was pretty sure nobody wanted two hundred and four copies of 'Kirk’s Outdoor Meals' at £3.99 each.
Lunches were staggered for the employees and so my lunch was at twelve – thirty while Nate's was at one. I saw Jasper leave the store as I grabbed my purse, so I assumed we shared a lunch time. With no-one to spend it with I figured now would be the perfect time to see if I could talk to Susie.
It was quiet upstairs, with just a few people drinking from white porcelain cups and reading books or papers. This surprised me as it was lunch hour; however there were many places to eat in town and you wouldn’t come to BookMark for lunch alone. Surveying the area, I saw that Susie was on her own. I couldn’t help but feel relieved that I didn’t see Ashley.
When I reached counter I smiled and rested my purse on the marble top. It took only a few seconds for Susie to make her way over.