chapter 1

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Aubery POV

It has been three days since we arrived in America, and I can't say I'm loving it. Plus, with the added bonus of having to start school in two weeks, my nerves aren't exactly steadying at the thought.

Never in my entire life had I moved house or school, well except for now, where I find myself in a completely different country. Yes I have travelled before, a few weeks here and a few weeks there, but never for the next year and a bit here, not home. Turns my nerves into a frenzy of chaos.

See Australia was home, my home for 17 years, but now this white-washed suburb on the edge where the good neighbourhood meets bad I find little old me.

Look if I am going to be honest with myself I am starting to get to know the neighbourhood well because of my daily walks, that totally aren't a scavenger hunt to meet a cute neighbour that might live around here.

My thinking is, the American dream style high school movies always have the boy next door clichés, yeah well they have to come from somewhere, so I find myself strolling the streets every afternoon not directly searching for that cute ass neighbour that I might see, but you know if I did, it would be win win, cardio and potential love interest.

Damn sometimes I think to myself it is really obvious that in all my 17 years of existence I have never been kissed. You know I think that's normal especially considering I grew up in an all girls school and was way too shy to even think about branching out.

Now I will be way too shy but forced to intermingle with the opposite sex. So yeah still no first kiss for me.

Following the streets like a tedious argument I find myself approaching the 'bad' neighbourhood. Yet I still don't understand that literally one street over is the 'good' neighbourhood, like crime isn't just going to cross the road? Anyway.

I decide to walk to the shops down the road to get some icecream because damn a lonely girl and her icecream are inseparable, except for the slight lactose intolerance she might have. Considering its only 4:00pm it won't get dark for a while so I think that I should be completely fine walking through the sketchy part of my neighbourhood where the grocery store happens to be.

Walking fast with headphones in I make a beeline for the walmart. This is my second time in this walmart and I find myself strangely drawn to it, nothing like this is in Australia except maybe target but they have target here.

Bingo! Phish food ben and jerry's. I grab the icecream and then begin to make my way out of the store when the bookstore grabs my attention. It is absolutely gorgeous! I have always been enamoured with books and the contradicting simplicity of words to transport you to a new world. Cliche I know but reading is escaping in some form, well for me at least.

The little store in all in antique glory sticks out like a sore thumb, and before I know it my trance has me standing right outside.

~

HIRING

Someone passionate about books needed to work weekends and weekday afternoons (timing negotiable).

~

This is like a weird dream come true, I have never had a job before but this will give me something to do, something to distract me from the boredom of my current existence.

Hesitantly I open the door and instantly my senses are flooded with the aroma of books. I already love it here, and even if I don't get hired I just know I will spend all my free time here.

Looking around they have shelves stacked to the max with books, with the shelves organised like some sort of divine maze into literature. Seeing no one at the desk I decide to walk around. In the corner I see my new favourite spot. The softest looking dark green single seater pushed into the corner of two book shelves, a small dark antique table by its side.

Sitting there is that extraordinary feeling that you are safe. Enclosed into a cave of books. Hearing shuffling and seeing movement from the front of the shop I jump up and make my way to the front counter, where now a lady stands.

She has the most insane hair, bright orange and hair sprayed into a beehive. It is incredible. She turns and faces me and gives me a curious smile whilst pulling down her glasses to rest on her small nose.

"Hi, my name is Aubery and I heard you were hiring and well I was wondering-"

She cut me off, thank god I had no idea how to finish that sentence.

"Ahh I see ok darling, well my name is Jane and is that an accent I hear perhaps?"

"Oh yeah I just moved here from Australia actually" Damn Aubery she didn't want your whole bloody life story. No that's fine we didn't overshare it's cool, I mean how else would you have an Australian accent unless you watched insane amounts of home and away online.

"Is that so darling, well would you be free to work weekends from 9am-1pm and then weekdays from 2pm-6pm?" Jane questions.

"Yes I can do weekends, but I'll only be able to do that time on weekdays for the next couple weeks because school starts up soon, sorry" I say, oh dear welp there goes my dream. Well no my dream is to more get into medical school, but my dream of having a job and excuse to come to this safe haven.

We continue to talk for the next five minutes and she assures me that it is ok to move around the timing. She asks me a series of questions to assure that I am in fact 'passionate about books' and she seems satisfied with my answers because, you are looking at (well reading about) the brand new employee of Book Attic.

Jane told me that I was one of the first sane people to apply to the job and one of the few sane people in this town. To which I just smiled and nodded, nice thing to say, yet funny way of saying this town is full of idiots. Well isn't most of the world.

My first shift is tomorrow which feels so surreal. Oh shit. Didn't ask the parentals, they should be fine with it.

~1 hour later~

Ha ha ha ha. Yeah they are not fine with it, um Mum is pissed as hell I didn't ask first but at least Dad is proud of my 'initiative'. Still glad I applied though, I think mum is proud deep down just doesn't want to believe her 'little girl' is growing up and I guess getting a job symbolises that.

Ian POV

She immediately caught my eye. Sounds cheesey and shit but the light literally shone down on her illuminating her like an angel. My angel.

Her chestnut curls bouncing on her shoulders. The adorable way she scrunched her nose in what appeared to be determination as she walked quickly past my house tapping her fingers against her thigh to what I assume is the beat of the song she is listening to.

Is it weird I want to follow her? Yeah kind of, but just to make sure she is safe. Does she not realise what a dodgy neighbour she is walking through alone? Stupid angel.

I dismount my motorcycle fully and begin to slowly walk behind her, I put in my headphones to make it look less obvious I am directly following her as I assume she would get pretty scared. I mean a 6ft 5' guy wearing a leather jacket, piercings and tattoos not exactly a blaring welcome sign for sunshine and fucking rainbows.

She makes her way into Walmart and I decide to wait outside and pull out a cigarette. Because my body feels weird, some kind of electric nervous energy plaguing my body, I don't like it because I don't know how to control it and I think maybe a cigarette will help.

She walks out and I immediately almost fall over seeing her again, I adjust myself back into my resting position against the wall and take a long drag. Jesus Christ how did the nervous energy just get more intense.

I watched as she stood and then almost in a trance walked across the road to the bookstore right next to the hardware store my good for nothing father owns.

She enters the store and then about 20minutes later of waiting and agonising patience to not go in there and ruin my cover she emerges with the brightest smile on her face. She looks as if she has just won the lottery, well she certainly has won my heart. Jesus what am I thinking, this is just some stupid girl. Some stupid insanely cute angel.

For some reason the corners of my mouth involuntary turn into a slight smile. What the actual hell, I never smile, unless it's for some sadistic reason.

I wait a bit before I then follow her back to what I assume will be her home. How has she not noticed me following her? Is she actually an idiot? Jesus this girl is going to send me to an early grave, I have only known her for not even an hour and I've had to have two cigarettes just to calm my racing heart. This shit never happens to me, why the hell am I feeling so god damn giddy and nervous, it's because the stupid angel is just so, fuck.

I watch as she walks into a small house, shit she lives so close, she is only a few houses down from mine. Literally on the outskirts of where the good neighbourhood meets bad.

I will make her mine, and that's a promise.

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hey guys, hope you enjoyed that chapter even though it was hella cringey and cliche lol.

please let me know what you think and whether you want anything in particular to happen in the story.

<3

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