It Started With A Book

Chapter 5

I can't exactly say that you're a stranger that broke into my car.
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"Where are all the people?" Elliott stepped onto the restaurant's yellow porch and peered through the door.

They had stopped in a nearby town to stretch their legs, which Brin welcomed. Five minutes into their walk they turned upon a street with businesses lining as far as they could see.

"What are you in the mood for?" Brin leaned against a lamppost, grateful that Elliott had stopped walking.

Why did she cancel her gym membership?

Oh that's right.

She had tripped over an exercise ball left in the middle of the floor, hitting her face in front of the cute trainer-in-training whom she had finally mustered up the courage to talk to.

In an attempt to save whatever dignity remained, she'd scurried out never to return to GymFit or run into Marcus "Six-pack" Stevens again.

"At this point, anything," he said, remembering the granola bar sitting on the kitchen counter that he'd forgotten to stuff in his bag a few hours earlier.

"Dell's sandwiches," she read aloud, eyeing the Storefront sign with a picture of a triple decker sandwich.

"Dell's it is."

Here they were outside on the patio, peering through the window.

Chairs were placed on tables, the lights turned off and no one was inside.

"Maybe they're setting up for lunch?" Brin suggested. She whirled her head to face the sidewalk and spotted a man carrying a few boxes.

"I thought so," Elliott sighed, hands at his hips, "but lunch is the busiest crowd. And it's already 11:45."

"And people would already be lined up. Not nowhere to be found," she finished the thought.

"Exactly."

"So what do we do?"

"Ask for directions? There's gotta be some place to eat something around here. "

"I'm the best navigator we have," Brin scoffed. "We don't need to ask for directions."

"You sound like my dad," he took a seat on the steps, sliding closer to her. He twirled his car keys on his index finger.

"What every girl wants to hear," she rolled her eyes."You're really not good at this friend thing, are you?"

She let her hands fall on her knees.

They stayed overlooking the small town scenery sprawled in front of them. It didn't differ much from Clearview aside from the name.

Traditional houses littered themselves in abundance. In the distance was a large lake.

"Do you want to go exploring?"

"Exploring? Really Elliott?"

"Yeah," he pulled her up from her hands, leaving the bracelets on Brin's arm dangling. "I mean, it's better than just sitting here and starving."

"Even if I said yes, you don't even know where you're going."

"That's the fun part. Haven't you always wanted to take a journey to an unknown land?"

"If it's a land with dragons and mythical creatures then sure. If it's to the end of that road," she pointed, "I don't think so."

"Come on, it'll be fun," he pleaded, taking her hand in his and swinging it. "Isn't that what friends do?"

"We're friends?"

"Well what would you call us? I can't exactly go around saying you're a stranger that broke into my car, now can I?"

"You have a point."

"Don't I always?"

"Don't we have a book to find?" Brin asked.

"We have time. Besides, we need to find something to eat."

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