He smiled. And I examined him. There were sweat trickling down his temple. He probably ran.
"I was going to ask you something." He explained. "Then you disappeared out of my sight. And it happens to be important."
"Okay? Go on, ask me."
"What's your name?" he ask. He patiently waited for my answer. And I stared at him intently.
"My name's Olivia." I say without saying my first name. It's not because I hate it. It's just when my parents vanished from the face of the earth, it felt like a part of me died with them. That's why I asked Granny if she can call me Olivia instead of Felicity.
The moment I said my name he heavily sigh, and lowered his head as if it wasn't me he's been looking for. He looks up at me.
"What a beautiful name." He says while looking straight into my eyes.
"Uhm... Thanks?"
"My name's Caleb." He extends his hand in front of me. I hesitated at first, but eventually I took it. It was a firm and a brief handshake.
"You can call me Livie."
He grins and his dimples appeared "By chance, Can I walk you home?"
"You don't have to."
"Okay." He shrugs. "Well, see you around, again." he waves. And pushes the door.
"Wait!"
"Please, quite down." The salesclerk warned me. And some of the costumers glance at me from earshot. Soon after, they averted their attention and got back on whatever they were doing. Caleb stopped and turned his head at me above his shoulder.
I walk in front of him. "How'd you know I was here?" I asked, gazing at him with wonder.
He grins. "It wasn't a lucky guess, though while cleaning your hand a few minutes ago I saw in your bracelet a: book, music note, a four leaf clover, and a tower of Paris's chains. So I thought you're a book lover and it's impossible if you wouldn't visit this place."
I glance at my bracelet, it's my dad's gift for my eighteenth birthday. It's a silver bracelet with miniature figurines of like what he said, a book, the tower of Paris, a four leaf clover, and lastly a music note.
I smiled at him. "You can walk me home if you still want to?" I seriously don't understand myself. What's the point of having not wanting to talk to anyone? But there's something about him that just captivates me.
His face brightens and nodded.
"I'm still searching for a book to read though, so it'll take a few minutes till I decided."
"It won't be a problem." He reassures me. "Even if it takes you forever, I can wait."
I nodded with a grin, but not considering his last statement. It's foolish.
It took me longer than I expected, because I had a tough time picking from the two novels I've found. Frankly, it took me an hour finding the right novel. And I only had the exact cash in my wallet. After paying for it. The salesclerk handed me the paper bag. I shift my feet and walked out of the shop. The moment I was outside, I examine around finding Caleb, but he was nowhere in sight. He must still be waiting for me inside. I turned around and opened the door, however the door automatically opened, which I impulsively stepped back. Then Caleb appeared with a paper bag in hand. Wow, he reads. Hmmm. Plus points for that.
"You read?" I asked in bewilderment.
"Yeah, why?"
"Oh, cool. Then what kind of stories do you usually read?"
"Horror, thriller, more of Stephen King's and whatnot."
"A jock who reads. Interesting." I say, nodding.
He stifles a laugh. "A jock?"
"Yeah,"
His mouth opened to say something when his phone rings inside his pocket. He pulls his phone out of his pocket and answered without looking at who the caller is.
"Hello? Oh, hey mum what's up? Now? All right." He ends the call and slide it inside his pocket. He looks up at me.
"Hey, I'm sorry. But I need to pick my little brother up from school. I'll walk you home some other time. Sorry."
I dismissively wave. "No, are you kidding? It's fine."
"But still, I'm sorry."
"It's fine seriously, but take care alright?"
He nodded and half smiled. He turns around heading the other direction. I raised a brow when he stopped and turns around facing me. All of a sudden he dashes toward me and halts a few inches away from where I'm standing. The brown paper-bag he was holding a while ago is now between us. He extend it to me. I look up at him in confusion.
"Isn't that yours?" I asked.
"Well, yeah. I want you to hold on to it."
"Okay?" I took the paper-bag from his hand.
"And keep it."
I look up at him raising a brow up in utter confusion. "Huh?"
"I bought that for you."
Before I could fully form the words over my tongue, he sprints and soon vanishes out of my sight. I peeked in the paper-bag and pulled the book out. My eyes widen. This was the book I couldn't choose what to buy first. I couldn't help it but smile and shake my head. I hardly know him and he gives me a book, seriously? Who is he? I placed it back inside and turned around ambling along the sidewalk toward my house.
By the time I reach the house. I fumble with my keys, unlocking the door.
"Livie!"
I jolted, turning around as soon as I heard my name, my heart pounded in chest. It's Granny with a bright smile in her face. I let out the breath I've been holding in.
"I scared you, have I?"
I nodded and forced a smile. Despite the fact that I almost cursed in front of her.
"So granny, where have you been?" I asked.
"Oh, I've played bingos with my fellow friends from church." She says jovially. We came in the house. Good thing she's happy. "How 'bout you Livie? Did you found the Ice cream shop?" she added.
"Yup, I did." I grin, "The strawberry ice cream was remarkable."
She gave me a warm smile. I sat on the couch. This is such an exhausting day.
"That's good to hear," she said, and she glanced at my paper bag. "What did you bought?"
"Oh this?" I raised the two paper bag in front of her. "I bought a book from the book store."
"By the way Granny," I added. "I love it here, everything in this neighborhood seems to have everything I'm always been looking for, and I don't understand why we moved out?" In my old house, everything seems so far. The book store, the ice cream store took me an hour to reach the place because of horrible traffic that moves like a turtle with a broken leg. But the ice cream here was overly delicious and mouth-watering, the elation was addictive, that I'd visit this shop once a week. Everything about this neighborhood is perfect, so perfect I'd never abandon this place. I wonder why my parents left this gorgeous place.
"You're parents wanted to." She explained with a hint of sadness in her tone. "I couldn't just force them into something they don't want." She stares at me as if deep in thought. Although she didn't answer the main question as to why. "Well Granny, I'll go upstairs and change my clothes."
"Oh, sure darling." She said and I climbed up the stairs.
I fumbled with my keys and the moment the door opened. Brownish box's greeted me all over the place. I'm so lazy to unpack... I closed the door and jumped to my bed. I laid down and closed my eyes. I breathe in and out and a surge of energy kicked me in the ass and I immediately stood up, and began unpacking. But first, I turned on my iPod and speaker. I pressed play and the song of Maroon 5 'She will be loved' reverberated throughout the room. I tied my hair into a pony tail and started cleaning and assorting my things.
I laid on my bed, breathing heavily, it took me two and a half hours cleaning my room. Sweat trickled from my temple, forehead and arms. This is basically the best workout ever. I cleaned the room and lost some weight. Fantastic. I stood up and drank water.
Thud.
I turned around at the sound and found the paper bag sitting on the floor beside the bed, I kneeled down and took it, and abruptly something caught my eye. A few inches away from the paper bag, a piece of paper a size of a wallet sits underneath the bed. I grabbed it and flipped the paper. It wasn't paper, but an instax. It's a picture of a little boy eating a bowl of ice cream with chocolate syrup smeared all over his face. He smiles at the camera, but his eyes shows that he was force into something he didn't like.
"Who the hell is this?" It's strange to fine a picture in your room. When you don't know this person at all. I placed it on top of the nightstand. I grabbed the book and placed it back inside. I notice a yellowish paper popping out of the side of the book. I open it and a yellow post-it appeared with a black ink.
Call me 0925479045953 – Caleb ;)
I sat on the corner of the bed, should I? I'll probably call him tomorrow. I found myself grinning again.
Silly boy...