Lies 1-50

I tied up my hair and walked down the stairs, careful not to wake up mother. She was about ten hallways away, but I was careful just in case. My eyes were worn from the night before, the club had been superly packed and I just wasn't ready for it. I had been told it was the most low key club to work at, but no. My first day and drunken men were already shoving their sweaty hands into my pants pockets and slipping me twenties and their numbers.

As soon as I could get a new job, I would. In the kitchen I took a swig of orange juice and walked outside on 2 hours of sleep for my next job. The book store was a few blocks away, so I walked. I opened the place up every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays were the days my boss had scheduled me to work at the bar. All seven days a week I worked at a coffee shop for a 4 hour shift from 5 to 9 p.m.

So you can understand how cranky I was when my first customer of the day walked in. He was tall, muscular, and looked like he just walked out of a steroid pool. Disgusting was written all over him to me, but he flashed white teeth that were much too small for his face and asked in a harsh voice if I knew where the Sci-Fi section was. I pointed to the left and returned to the magazine I was reading.

He returned ten minutes later with a stack of books he obviously just ripped off the shelf and pulled out $500. He counted it loudly and with that ugly grin until the bell above the door rang and in stepped a boy about my age that noticed this gross man and how I was reacting to him.

"Hey hun," the new boy said as he closed in on me with a smile on his face. A really adorable smile. Muscle man abruptly stopped counting his money and quickly paid for the books. He looked back while walking out and New Boy put his arm around my waist. Muscle man walked quickly. You wouldn't think he'd be so intimidated by a boy so small, but he was.

"Thanks," I said to the boy as his arm fled from my waist.

"You're welcome. Now tell me, I'm new to this store, where are your Shakespearian books?"

"Over to the right. You can't miss them, they're collecting dust and spiders like it's a hobby. I'm the only one who ever buys them. Is it for a class at the college? If so-"

"No. I just like reading Shakespeare."

"Oh. What's your name New Boy?"

"Levi."

"Well hi Levi. I'm Charlotte."

"Hi Charlotte. Thank you for the help."

"No, thank you."

And I smiled after he paid, thinking about how I'd never see a nicer boy than that ever again.