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Chapter 1~ Camryn

Chapter 1

Camryn

As I swing open the door to the book shop, the smell of books, new and used, hits me. The aroma of fresh ink on thick paper helps me mentally relax as I take in the welcoming sights of Camryn's Corner. That's OUR book store. Our as in my family's. Camryn as in me.

My parents opened the book store when I was little, naming it after me and my passion for reading. It's not only a great place to curl up with a novel, but it's also where I do my homework, study, and research; it's my home. Like literally my home.

My mom runs the store, and we live upstairs in the loft. My dad can't help around much since he travels a lot. He works at the national bank downtown, and I know that doesn't sound like a travel worthy job, but next thing you know, he's in New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco, Austin, Chicago, and other major financial cities because of meetings for who-knows-what.

My older brother, Kyle, doesn't live in Portland anymore; he lives in Los Angeles attending UCLA (University of California Los Angeles) to major in set design for block-buster movies. He also interns at the art studio across the street from campus, so he gets more practice than other people. That leaves my mom and me to look after each other.

As I peer my head over Harold, the store cat, I see Jason sitting by the computers, reading "History for Dummies" (classic Jason). I let out a small giggle as Harold rubs his head over mine, his purr echoing in my ear. My mom waves a bag of treats in the air and shakes it, catching Harold's attention. He leaps off the counter, and begins to paw at my mom's legs, meowing intensely.

I turn my head to look at Jason as he shifts himself out of his chair and walks towards me. I open my arms and he embraces me in a big brotherly teddy bear hug. That's what I think of Jason. A brother. A friend. Best friend. Nothing more. We break apart and he gestures for me to sit down next to his "research set-up".

Before Jason sits down next to me, I ask, "Why weren't you in P.E. today mister?"

"It's pretty obvious why I didn't go. Coach Asstelleto is a huge pain in my AS- "

"Jason!" I cut him off before my mother could hear him. I point my finger at him and give him a pretend scolding. "So what were you doing that period?"

"I was just getting some Moore study time."

I punch him in the shoulder lightly and shake my head, my stern look faltering into a smile. Ever since we met eleven years ago, Jason has always teased me about my name, Camryn Bridget Moore-particularly my last name. He's always cracking jokes about me wanting Moore of this and him wanting Moore of that.

See, Jason has a weird, metaphorical mind. Don't get me wrong, he is really smart. He's very athletic, tall, and everything, but he lives by this certain philosophy: YODO. It means You Only Die Once, you live every day. So, Jason tries new things every day. One day he would be wearing a 'Rolling Stones' t-shirt, black skinny jeans and a beanie, and the next day he would be wearing a football jersey with ripped jeans and Nikes.

Apparently, this week, he's playing the role of a bad boy, which doesn't really suit him because everyone knows him as the nice guy in homeroom. The fitted white t-shirt and leather jacket gives him a somewhat "suave" appearance; in contrast to the scatter-brained goofball that I know he really is. I roll my eyes, recalling how at ease he was in the midst of drooling girls. Sometimes Jason can be such a flirt.

Jason plants himself in the chair parallel to mine and opens an internet window with pictures full of past presidents. A caricature of George Washington on a one dollar bill grabs my attention, until Jason exits the window and opens a word document. After close examination, I figure out that it's the rubric for our history assignment. We're supposed to pick a past president that fixed problems significant to us and write how we respond to their solutions (what we liked and didn't like; what we would change). I was planning to write about President Lincoln, but I felt like that would be the obvious choice for everyone, the guy on the penny. The project isn't a group assignment, but both Jason and I don't know who or what we are going to write about.