The Understorey, Book One of The Leaving Series by Fisher Amelie

to
everything I do.
     
    Friday rolls around and to be perfectly
honest, I was exhausted. Between avoiding Elliott, wanting to find
Elliott, wanting Elliott to find me, avoiding Sawyer, listening to
Ezra taunt me about how Elliott and I are sitting in a supposed
tree, school, homework, and parents I’ve had enough. I’m glad to
have the week over with and plan a visit to Koan’s, my favorite
indie book store in Charleston. I want to load up on books and camp
in my room until school starts back up the following Monday; a
little mini-vacay from my impossible life. No more Elliott. No more
obsessing.
    Koan’s is amazing. Only the hippest cats in town
know about it. Okay, that’s sort of a stupid thing to say about a
bookstore but let’s just say it’s off the beaten path. I head in
and inhale the sharp smells of fresh ink. The earthy smell of paper
permeates the air around me and I close my eyes for just a moment
enjoying the temporary escape. I greedily finger the display piles
and run my palms over the covers. If I were wealthy, I’d swim in a
pile of books. I wouldn’t even mind the paper cuts. Nothing like
them in the entire world, books that is, not paper cuts. They truly
are like nothing in the entire world; that’s not necessarily true
but you get what I mean.
    I’m surrounded by university students and a few
professor-types. Chuck, the cashier waves at me. His name isn’t
really Chuck. I just call him that because he’s got these kick-butt
bright red Converse he always wears.
    “What’s new Chuck?”
    “Not much, got the new Stefanie Conrad in. I
saved you a copy.”
    “Chuck, you know the way to this girl’s heart,”
I said, feigning a light head.
    “Snoop around. I’ll get it for you when I get
rid of this line.”
    I wink. It’s gonna’ be a good day. I
hum a little ditty under my breath and scan the titles of each
aisle while I wait for Chuck. I wonder into the self-help section
and almost trip over myself. I absently trail my fingers along the
titles, praying there would be one that read ‘You’re insane Julia
Jacobs. Stop obsessing about Elliott Gray’ or ‘He’s just a normal
boy dummy, a surprisingly kind and sweet boy who just happens to
share literal electricity with you but that’s nothing to get so
worked up about’. There wasn’t, but there was one ironically titled
‘Getting over the one you’re obsessed with’. I laugh out loud and
get a few shushes. I almost pick it up but meander over to the
Fantasy section instead. I pick up a random book and start reading
the first chapter.
    My head picks up when I hear the jingle of
the door. Someone just left. My heart tingles slightly but I shrug
it off. I take the book I’m reading over to the checkout line when
Chuck waves me over with Stefanie’s new book in hand. I stand there
waiting for my turn when I hear the door jingle again. I look up
and suck in a breath. Elliott . My eyes widen then narrow,
trying to figure out if he’s been near me that entire time, if he
was the reason my chest ached. My heart tingles yet again. I lock
eyes with him.
    Elliott trips over a chair. His face and neck
turn a brilliant red and I feel so sorry for him. The girl in front
of me laughs. That infuriates me. I fight the urge to pull her
hair. Violent. Why so violent? That’s not like me. He yanks
his coat from a chair and storms toward the door without so much as
a second glance. My heart aches for him, cries for him.
    “Be right back Chuck,” I say, and toss my
book onto the counter.
    I chase after him but I’m too late. He’s
gone. Probably a good thing , I remind myself. I need to
get over this obsession. He may be the sweetest boy I’ve ever met
but that doesn’t mean he’s not going to break my heart. I
return to the store and make my purchases.
        Saturday proves to be harder to sit through than
I thought. The books are just not doing it for me, not distracting
me the way I wanted them to. I