The True Happiness

Chapter 6

6:35 (Of the same day)

I stopped writing because the small bell at the door rang indicating the arrival of a customer. And as my luck doesn’t exist anymore Alex entered the library.

“Niall? I didn’t know you work here,” she smiled at me.

“You know nothing about me,” I hissed.

“Yeah, I think,” she said looking at the floor.

Is the rich girl waiting for me to be nice? Keep dreaming.

“What are you doing here?” I asked her with a frown.

“It's the only bookstore in town,” she reminded me.

“So you know how to read? Don’t you have someone to read for you?” I teased her.

“No, I don’t. If you work on a bookstore you should know that literature is art.”

“I know more about literature than you,” I almost yelled. My blood began to boil.

“I doubt it.”

“What have you got there?” I asked looking at the books in her hands.

She gave them to me and then began to walk around the halls looking at the books. Carefully I opened the books.

"Pride and Prejudice. Jane Austen. First Edition."

"Wuthering Heights. Emily Brontë. First Edition"

The rich girl couldn’t read normal books? Of course not. She just read first editions. I closed the book and put it on the counter, being careful.

“Where did you get them?” I asked her. I had to admit that I had always wanted to get my hands on a first edition.

“My dad’s friend has gifted them to me,” she answered from somewhere in the store.

I snort and rolled my eyes.

“We don’t sell so expensive books in here,” I said to annoy her.

“Shut up. You probably haven’t read any of those books.”

“‘And to all this she must yet add something more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading.’ Wise words from Mr. Darcy.”

Alex came out of the aisles full of books.

“Almost none quote that phrase,” she told me.

“And with that I prove my point. I know more about literature than you.”

She put on a small smile and shook her head no before disappearing between the bookshelves again and I went back behind the counter. Minutes later she came with a pile of books... The ones I wanted.

Lorette, the owner of the bookstore, let me read the books I wanted, obviously if nobody bought them. I narrowed my eyes. Those were the books that had arrived today. If she doesn’t take them I would have to buy them. The trouble is that the town is small and if the book is not very popular they only bring one copy and if I had good luck two or three.

She put the books aside from the cash register and began to look for something in her backpack. I cashed books.

“They are one hundred and fifty,” I cranky said.

“Can I reserve them? I forgot my credit card...”

“No,” I spat before she could finish.

“Yes,” Lorette appeared behind me.

Alex smiled at her. Lorette handed her a paper and a pen. Alex wrote the name of the book, the author and the total amount. She wrote a phone number and signed the paper.

“I’ll come tomorrow for them,” she said as she passes the paper to Lorette.

Lorette saved the paper with the books. Alex said goodbye and left the store. I rolled my eyes.

“Cute girl,” she said as she put the paper in a folder and wrote something in a notebook.

“Annoying girl,” I corrected her.

“Oh, is she Audrey’s sister?”

“Yeah,” I wrinkled my nose.

“What is your problem in selling her the books?”

“I wanted those books,” I complained.         

“Maybe you can ask for her borrowed them to you,” she shrugged.

“I prefer not to read them.”

September 29, 2009

5:27 p.m.

Tuesday afternoon. Alex just left, with the books in her hands and leaving me with intrigue to know the stories printed on those pages. But today is a day of intrigue also for Louis. At lunchtime I went out along with Louis. Math class had been boring. They continued with the topic of last week and as I already knew it backwards and forwards I had dedicated the full hour to read. Anyway. When we left we saw Alex going accompanied by Harry Styles and Zayn Malik.

Louis swore he would give a good beating to the nerds for messing with his "conquest". I just had laughed. We walked into the cafeteria and sat at their usual table. Brandon and Audrey were already eating their lunch. Louis left his backpack on a chair. I imitated this action and we both went to buy lunch.

When we returned our whole group of friends were at the table, including the unbearable rich girl. Louis sat next to her and I had the "honor" of sitting next to Audrey. Alex pulled a thermos and a fork from her backpack. The thermos was something big, so it obviously didn’t bring a drink.

“What’s that?” Liam asked.

Alex took off the lid of the thermos.

“Spaghetti,” she said with a half smile on her lips.

“In a thermos?” I asked laughing.

“Alex is forbidden to eat cafeteria food,” Audrey said looking at her, in order to humiliate her without her noticing.

“It’s smells good,” Louis commented.

“I thought Arianna wasn’t very good at cooking,” Brandon said confused.

“Indeed. Clara, her stepmother, prepares her lunch and one of the bodyguards brings it to her,” Alex looked at her food and Audrey smiled.

After a few seconds someone change the subject. According to me it was Brooke. Alex didn’t speak for the rest of lunch until Nadia asks her a question.

“Do you want to come to the party on Saturday?”

Nadia has all the appearance of bad girl but she’s unable to kill a fly. Audrey and I looked at her.

“I'm sorry, but my boyfriend will come.”

I sighed with relief. I didn’t want her to come to ruin me the party.

“You have a boyfriend?” Louis had his eyes wide opened.

“Yeah.”

“Then you both can come,” Nadia suggested and I looked at her with hatred.

“I’ll talk to him, thanks for the invitation.”

(Hi!!! I know it's late but I hope everyone had a wonderful christmas. :D Please vote and comment and if you like the fanfic spread the word. ;) xoxo )