nonbelievers

c

"Are you going to buy it," Luis asked Lindsey, looking at the album she was holding.

Lindsey can't decide. Therese only four of it left (or at least she thinks so, she's guessing the store may have more in their stock room or maybe not and all they have are this four remaining albums of the Arctic Monkeys on the rack). At the same time the book store only has one copy of the book left and it's paining her from the inside to think that the book might have already been sold to someone else by now.

She's thinking that maybe she should just go and buy the book first then just comeback some other time for the album. But she's also thinking that maybe when she has come back all four of it has been sold.

"Hello? Earth to Lindsey," Luis said, waving his hand in front of Lindsey, distracting her from her thoughts.

"Oh, sorry, what?" Lindsey asked.

"Are you going to buy the album?" Luis asked, jutting his chin towards the album.

"Oh, I'm not really sure..." Lindsey said, looking at Luis briefly then slowly bowing her head.

"Why?" Luis asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Well..." Lindsey thought for a while if she should tell Luis. He does seem nice but she's a bit embarrass.

"It's just that I didn't bring enough money with me," she started, without much thinking. "And there's this book next door that I really want to buy but I also really want to buy this one," she said, shaking the album that she was holding. "But the bookstore next door only has one copy left of the book so I think I should just buy that one first and I'll just come back to buy this one some other time. But the store only has four copies of the album left- I think- and maybe by the time I come back here all of them will be gone," Lindsey finished, saying every word in a hurry like she was being chased by a rabid dog and hence, not really meaning to but she's prone to doing this when she's trying to explain something, committing word vomit.

Luis let out a laugh and Lindsey's cheeks starts to warm up as she realizes what she has just done.

"You know what?" Luis said taking the album that Lindsey was holding when he had recovered. Lindsey just shook her head, her cheeks still pink. "Here you can have it," he said offering the album to her.

"What do you mean?" Lindsey asked, brows furrowed together as she adjusted her glasses and shifted her satchel on her shoulder.

"I mean, this album is on the house," Luis said holding the album up to Lindsey's face, the smile that he uses when he asks a customer their order at the caffe is intact on his face.

"Oh, I can't," Lindsey said, refusing to take the album from Luis's hand.

"C'mon, here," Luis insisted, giving her the album.

"No-" Lindsey said, getting cut off when Luis turned his back on her. "Where are you going?" she asked following behind him. Luis didn't answer her and just continued to walk.

"Hi there Paul," Luis greeted at the guy at the counter. Paul just jutted his forehead towards Luis without bothering look up at his magazine.

Luis stretch out his hand to get the security remover and used it to detach the security thingy. When he has successfully removed it he faced Lindsey again.

"Here," Luis said, handing the album at Lindsey again.

"Uh, what are you doing?" Paul said, finally putting down his magazine to look at what's happening in front of him.

"I'm giving her these," Luis said, showing the Arctic Monkeys' album at Paul.

"And why?" Paul asked, his left brow raised.

"I don't know, maybe because she wants it?" Luis replied.

"You don't really have to give it to me. I swear, you don't have to," Lindsey chimed in.

"C'mon, you've been staring at it for like ten?- i don't know minutes," Luis said, a smile still on his face.

"Okay, but I'm telling Uncle Joel about it," Paul said returning his attention back to the magazine.

"Fine, tell Uncle Joel about it," Luis said, rolling his eyes.

Luis then proceeded to open the latch of Lindsey's satchel and dropped the album in and closed her bag. Lindsey's eyes widen and motioned to open her bag again but before she successfully did Luis reached out his hand to hold the lid of Linsey's bag.

"It's yours. your welcome," Luis said with a hint of finality.

"I'll pay you back, I promise," Linsey said, dropping her hands on her sides.

"Don't you have to go next door for some book?" Luis reminded Lindsey.

"Oh yeah- right- thanks," Lindsey said a bit flustered.

Lindsey then went to the stores door. When she was holding the handle she paused for a while and turned her head. "Thanks again. I'll pay you back I promise," Lindsey said, she then opened the door and went out.

"I told you, it's on the house!" Luis said, but it was too late, the door has already closed, not letting the message get to Lindsey.

Beside Luis, Paul was just shaking his head, but not removing his eyes from his magazine, a smirk on his face.

Outside, Lindsey hurriedly made her way to the bookstore next door, thinking about her book and the air conditioning.

When she was inside the store, she paused for a while under the store's air conditioner by the entrance. The cold, comforting air hitting her. She then ran her eyes over the isles of books towards the isle of where the book she was going to buy. When she has spotted it, she quickly made her way.

"Yes," Lindsey whispered to herself when she picked up the book "It's still here." A wide smile then appeared on her face.

She then walked her way (well, half of the way she skipped but she quickly stopped when she saw a girl looking at her funny) to the cashier.

She taught that it was amazing how the girl manning the cash register didn't looked a bit creeped out from the way she was smiling.

"Here you go," the girl manning the cash register said, giving her the paper bag which contained her much awaited book.

"Thank you," she beamed and walked out of the book store.