Status: I'm getting back into it guys ♥ / Re-writing this so the beginning is more realistic
Learning the Ropes
01
Mitchell's POV
I sighed happily as I walked into the bookshop early on Saturday afternoon. The smell of the books registered in my brain each time I walked into a store that sold books; the mustiness of old books and the fresh ink of new books with adventures anew. I wandered around the shop, looked at several books but didn’t find any books worth buying that I didn’t already own. With a small sigh, I turned and walked out of the shop before I got in my car and drove to the local public library.
__
The library was a lot bigger than the bookshop, and smelled more strongly of books. I usually found something worth reading and taking home with me. And, like usual, I found a book within minutes. As I went to a seat to start reading it (and read a page or two as I walked along to see how good it was), I bumped into somebody who squeaked and fell to the ground. I stopped and looked over the book at the man I knocked over.
“Shit, sorry,” I said and offered him my hand to help him up.
“It’s okay,” he murmured, looking at the ground, “it was completely my fault anyway.”
I frowned. “I don’t think it was. I was the one not looking where I was going.”
“I didn’t say anything to get your attention, to stop you.”
I shrugged. “You must have assumed that I would stop before I bumped into you? I would have assumed that, had you bumped into me.”
“True,” he replied softly and took my hand.
I pulled him up and ignored the warmth that spread up my hand and arm. He smiled gratefully, bit his lip and looked at the ground awkwardly.
“Well,” I said self-consciously, “see ya.”
“Bye...and thanks.”
With a small smile playing on my lips, I walked over to the nearest chair and sat on it. But I didn’t continue reading the book. I relaxed into the chair and stared at the nearest wall. I’ve seen that guy somewhere before, I thought, but I just can’t think where. His shaggy brown hair looked familiar, as did his face; his square jaw, his green eyes, his mouth, his nose.
I sighed happily as I walked into the bookshop early on Saturday afternoon. The smell of the books registered in my brain each time I walked into a store that sold books; the mustiness of old books and the fresh ink of new books with adventures anew. I wandered around the shop, looked at several books but didn’t find any books worth buying that I didn’t already own. With a small sigh, I turned and walked out of the shop before I got in my car and drove to the local public library.
__
The library was a lot bigger than the bookshop, and smelled more strongly of books. I usually found something worth reading and taking home with me. And, like usual, I found a book within minutes. As I went to a seat to start reading it (and read a page or two as I walked along to see how good it was), I bumped into somebody who squeaked and fell to the ground. I stopped and looked over the book at the man I knocked over.
“Shit, sorry,” I said and offered him my hand to help him up.
“It’s okay,” he murmured, looking at the ground, “it was completely my fault anyway.”
I frowned. “I don’t think it was. I was the one not looking where I was going.”
“I didn’t say anything to get your attention, to stop you.”
I shrugged. “You must have assumed that I would stop before I bumped into you? I would have assumed that, had you bumped into me.”
“True,” he replied softly and took my hand.
I pulled him up and ignored the warmth that spread up my hand and arm. He smiled gratefully, bit his lip and looked at the ground awkwardly.
“Well,” I said self-consciously, “see ya.”
“Bye...and thanks.”
With a small smile playing on my lips, I walked over to the nearest chair and sat on it. But I didn’t continue reading the book. I relaxed into the chair and stared at the nearest wall. I’ve seen that guy somewhere before, I thought, but I just can’t think where. His shaggy brown hair looked familiar, as did his face; his square jaw, his green eyes, his mouth, his nose.