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“I can’t come to the store today, Rae,” Ryker says the next morning as he plops into a seat across the kitchen table from me. I automatically go into panic mode. Christmas season is the busiest time of year, as it is for every business. Today being Christmas Eve it’s especially busy. It probably wouldn’t be as busy except for the tradition the bookstore has.
“Who am I going to get to man the store while I’m reading Christmas stories to the kids then?” I ask spreading cream cheese on a bagel and attempting not to freak out. Every Christmas Eve at a predetermined time, I read a bunch of Christmas stories to the little kids in the store. A bunch of parents bring their kids just for that, plus it gives them time to shop for last minute Christmas gifts for little ones. I can’t physically read to the kids plus be a cashier at the same time though. In years past, Ryker always handles the check outs, but now- for whatever reason- he won’t be there.
“Ask mom and dad? I don’t know,” he shrugs nonchalantly as if he isn’t totally screwing me up today. He’s so oblivious.
“Okay, so what are you doing today that’s more important than your sister’s sanity?” I demand, slightly annoyed now.
He snags a bagel from the middle and when he speaks it’s with his mouth full, “Movies.”
I stare at him in disbelief. He’s ditching me to go hang out with his friends? What kind of brother does that?
“With who? Who’s more important than me?” I ask, quite a bit hurt.
“Bunch of kids from school. There’s a movie that we all want to see.” He is purposefully keeping his eyes away from me so I can’t see the guilt I’m sure is right there. And it should be! He’s abandoning me for a freaking movie!
“Ryker,” I threaten with my voice.
“Mm?” he mumbles, mouth full of bagel.
“You’re fired.” I sweep the crumbs on my plate into a napkin.
“Ha-ha,” he says and rolls his eyes. I whack him upside the head and drive to work, flustered by the morning’s events.
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The first thing I do when I enter the store is to turn on a Christmas station. Here’s the problem: I can’t stand Christmas music, but it’s like inhuman not to have it on.
But I loathe the music. It’s all the same really. And it’s so extremely annoying. So, while there’s Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire playing in the store part of the bookstore, there’s King and Lionheart playing in the back of the store.
People start to pour in the store relatively soon after I open, and I’m kept busy all morning. I don’t really have time to worry about the Ryker situation… so I don’t. 11 o’clock comes, and I realize with a start that the reading starts in thirty minutes and I have no plan.
I hope Ryker’s movie sucks.
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The slew of customers dies down a bit as it nears time for the reading, so I hop into the kitchen to make some coffee.
I’m in the process of pouring it into a cup when a voice comes from right behind me, “Woah, it’s like stepping into another dimension back here.”
I start and the boiling hot coffee quits going in the cup and starts going onto the hand holding the cup. I hiss in pain as angry red blisters spot on my skin.
“Oh my gosh, Raven! Are you okay?”
I don’t even turn around to look at him as I run to the sink, flip on the faucet and submerge my hand in the stream.
When I do turn to look at him, his eyes are blue with concern, “You have got to quit doing that,” I say, narrowing my eyes at him.
“Sorry, I didn’t know you were pouring coffee,” Knox says and reaches for my arm that’s in the freezing water, “Can I see it?”
I shake my head as my hand throbs, “What did you mean by it’s like another dimension in here? And what are you doing here? Didn’t you go see that movie with Ryker?”
He holds up his hands, “Woah, too many questions. First, I meant it was like another dimension because you’ve got Christmas music in front, and then you step in here and you’re hit with random stuff. Secondly, I’m here because Ryker mentioned he ditched you to come to the movie. He said you were really mad at him, and I talked it over with Katie, and we realized we didn’t really want to see the movie anyway.”
His eyes are still blue, but now they’re tinged with purple (happiness).
“So, where’s Katie?” I ask as there’s an apparent lack of a certain blond in the room.
“She’s in front, looking at some books. Can we help you with the store?”
I nod and take my arm out from under the stream, not anticipating the searing pain that would ensue when I took it out. “Ow,” I hiss through my teeth.
Knox looks around the room, and spotting the small freezer, jerks it open and grabs an ice pack. He wraps it in a dish towel and holds his hand out for mine. I shake my head, knowing it will hurt like Hades as soon as that touches the blisters on my hand.
He looks at me with a disapproving look and grabs my arm by force. I wince as he slaps the ice on my hand. “Please don’t tell me you’re planning on going to medical school,” I sulk, “Cause I’m pretty sure you’d cause more accidents than you’d fix.”
He throws a hand over his heart, feigning shock, “That hurt, Raven!”
“Yeah, well so does my burn. Can I have my hand back?” He looks down to realize he’s still got a grip on my wounded hand.
Unfortunately for us, before he can release it, the door gets thrown open. Revealing a very red eyed (fury) Katie behind it.
Maybe I should have gone to the movies with Ryker…
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Yes! I did upload twice in 48 hours! Shocked are you? :)
Okay, so real quick: Who is your favorite character? Who do you hope ends up together?
And this is random: but, what are your favorite songs?
Alrighty! So, vote!
Comment with your answers to my questions!
Thanks for reading!
~Juliana
YOU ARE READING
Irised
Teen Fiction"That's Knox Parker, Rae." "Thank you Captain Obvious. I know who he is," I roll my eyes and buckle up. "What's wrong?" "That's the biggest jerk at school. He's popular and he knows it, he's good looking and he knows it, he's funny and he knows it...
