Have you ever loved someone that can not love you back because he/she doesn't exist?
Have you loved someone who doesn't exist and does't know you exist?
Everything started out with this ordinary but unexpected day.
A wish that was desired but never anticipated to come.432Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmu5SnCCSBI
432Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbyQ3Qva4RR
432Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA4olxnaVBg
The first semester just got over, now students have to deal with the other half. The break was so fast that it feels like a thunder of vacation stroked the students and after a few seconds, its all over.
I tightened my grip on my book. I can hear everyone chatting how great their life was during the break and the sophistication of it, boasting how rich and stable their family is. Good for them.432Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnb1GZaE7Cj
They can tell stories about their life and how it went, while me on the other hand, I can only tell how much my eyes hurt while sitting all day at my desk reading and the adventures of a character that I read and how she died at the end of chapter 67.
Letting out a heavy breath, I remembered that I just ran out of books to read later. My phone was snatched by my neighbor's cat and they won't compensate for it, now I don't know what to do at home other than chores and my duty. The library is also close for maintenance and renovation so the idea of borrowing a book is hopeless.
Suddenly, some maniac sprinkled a handful of glitters in my glasses.
"Alakazaam! Alakazoom!" I wiped off the glitters in my glasses using the edge of uniform. I can see a blurry figure of a weird looking, blue haired lady.
With my glasses in its place, I can now see the maniac's face.
And the maniac was my best friend. I am now starting to think that all best friends in the world are maniac.
"What do you think Luna, huh? Were you surprised with my magical powers?" My best friend Avery said enthusiastically, she's fond of magic and stuffs and she wanted to be a great magician someday. A weird hobby for a girl who is already in 11th grade.
"Yeah, the glitters said 'hello' perfectly" I replied with a straight face.
She hugged my left arm "So, I can see that your glasses are shining new, are they still anti radiation ones?"
I lifted my glasses to the bridge of my nose "Uhm no. These are new, actually. Auntie brought me to her friend who is a good doctor of the eye and it said that my eyes needs these glasses now and not the anti radiation one. " I started talking while we are getting close to our classroom
"The doctor also said that I don't really need the anti rad because my eyes don't really get radiation and they got the problem because of a lot of book reading that I do in the dark"
She puts her fingers in her chin and nods and after all the explanation she only replied "Yeah! Yeah!" while still nodding. What do I have to expect from my cuckoo friend?
"Kyaaa! Why are we in this place?!" Avery shouted at the top of her lungs drawing some attention to the people around us. By the look on her face, it looks like she have seen a haunted house.
"I thought you want to come with me?"432Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7lsYPd2oLv
432Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiYEf4eL0Nu
I was quietly doodling in my desk when she showed up with her usual dramatic magician entrance.
"The classes are already done, Lulu" she said as she poked my cheeks with lips pouted like a kid.
Taking a pause, I roamed my eyes around and decided to close my notebook "I didn't realize that..." It's almost sundown at the window too. How come I didn't realize time
"Anyway," she sat on top of my desk and whenever she does it, there's something that is echoing in her mind and she wants me to take part of it "Do you want to stop by somewhere before going home?"
I started packing up my things as I reply "Actually, I was going to stop by the---"
Right before I could finish my sentence she interrupted me with an ear-breaking wheeze "Good idea! Let's stop by that place before you could change your mind and decide to go home early" then she dragged me all the way from the classroom up to the bus stop.432Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRLtJJh2sNb
432Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdYeVWhxpmc
432Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYozP8Bb0BN
"Well, I though we're gonna stop by at a mall or at least in a convenient store for an ice cream" she complains while we open the front door to enter "and not some creepy old haunted bookstore that looks like an abandoned...w-witch hut" I can see the anxiousness in her eyes the time we set foot in the store.
We are currently at a bookstore that was built around 1780's. It is so old that every step that we take, the floor is creaking. The lights are also few making it dim to see. Stacks and towers of books are everywhere. The costumers inside are can just be counted in the fingers of my hand for being few. It looks like the haunted houses that I always read from horror novels. I learned this place at a newspaper ad that says they sell very cheap books and some are collector's item that can be bought more than a million in auctions. I'm hoping to find a book like that but It's okay if I don't since I just want to buy a new book to read.
It is also cool that this place stood against time and we got to see it in this present. Something to look behind in the past.
"At least you can find some witchy book that can be useful for your magics. I thought you like that kind of stuffs?" I stated while scanning some books. The books look so dusty and the papers are already yellowish because of oldness. Not to mention, their scent from years passed is pretty interesting that lingers in the four corners of the bookstore and rides through your every breathing that your sense of smell receives as a gift for a heart that loves books.
"I said I like magic and enchantment but not witchcrafts! Those two are very opposite! I don't like creepy things that involves human intestines and whatever it is!" She sprayed a handful of glitters in the air from nowhere and acted like a mighty unicorn from the hill "I love magic because it is sparkly and glittery!"
Ignoring Avery's lunacy, I returned my attention to the book hunt that I planned. "Let's see..." I said to myself.432Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSzfW3bfBbn
432Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ok9rv6nKE
I didn't know searching a single book is hard even though there are mountains of books to choose from. This scene reminds me of a boy looking at a girl from far away at a library full of books like this in the book that I finished one month ago but a little less dark and spooky.
"LUNAAAAAAAAAA! LULUUU! Take a look at this!" Avery shouted and I saw her running towards me like a toddler showing off her new toy.
"Avery, be careful! The books---" a large sonic bang echoed the place from the mountain of books that Avery tripped on. The scattered books made the place looks like a flood struck the place. It literally shook the whole bookstore. Good thing my friend here survived, I can't carry a crazy girl all the way home.
"Goodness gracious! What do you have to say for your reckless actions young lady?"
"I-I didn't mean it! It was an accident, I'll pay for the damages"
Face palming, something caught my attention from the flooded books. I bend my knees down to reach it.
It's a book. I've never seen like it before. It is covered with thick dusts but the cover seems to be shining despite of the dirt sticking into it.
"Look what you have done to my shop, this was passed by my ancestors for generations and you'll be the first to destroy it"
"I'm so sorry madam, please I'm willing to donate some cash for your shop's renovation"
"Renovation?! I don't need even need any of that renovation. Are you trying to say that my shop looks ugly?!"
"N-no of course not-"
I can't concentrate to help Avery at the mean time from the owner of this bookstore, this book is drawing me in to itself. Is this some sort of witchy books for witchcrafts to magnet my eyes like this. Should I walk away right now or what?
My mind is divided in two, if I should check it out or leave before it's too late and be like my best friend.
In the end, I blew off the dusts revealing the cover. A figure of a back of a man with black and white ombre wings, half of his face is being covered with his hair. Constellations of beautiful stars is behind him as the background, there's also the crescent moon at the upmost part. I can't say if he's an angel or a demon.
He doesn't look like a devilish man to be considered as a devil but he seems to be sad to be an angel either.
"Saudade" I uttered the strange book's title. My fingers brushed against the engraved letters of the title.
I can't take off my eyes from the book. Is this because of too much glitters from Avery? Am I being hypnotized?
That moment, I didn't know if it is planned by the universe itself or is it pure serendipity.
The atmosphere was so selcouth, Outré.
432Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7yeXlaiuZt
432Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3RzqIRYKGg
Time really flies so fast. By the time we went out and resolved the trouble in the bookstore, it is already night time.
Also, I explained already to Avery on why I didn't help her out on the terrifying owner of the bookstore, good thing she accepted my reason.
She even bought a mini book for toddlers that has pop-outs and lots of glitters in it that she was trying to show me earlier before that misfortune happened.
Avery suddenly let out a heavy breath while we're walking at the sidewalk, I took a glance at her and I saw her lips pouting. So I tried to approach her to know if something is bothering her "Hey, is there any-"
"Good evening lady Gorchétte"
A greeting from a formal looking man diverted our attention. "Someone is expecting your presence for tonight". It's their family's most trusted butler standing outside their residence with his usual straight face and upright figure.
I looked towards Avy and she seemed to be dumbfounded, her eyes got big and wide. Guess she'll be dealing with something today.
Tapping her shoulder, I motioned that I'll be going "See you soon, leave me a message if you need me, 'kay?"
She didn't gave me an answer nor even a quick glance so I just left her in the hands of their family butler and continued walking. This is not a new scene actually but it is always surprising.
Letting out my heavy weight fall unto my mattress and feel the soft material against my aching back, I let out a heavy breath as I stare at my room's ceiling that is covered with glow in the dark stars that forms a crescent pattern. I just shake my feet a little to remove my shoes then let them drop on the floor, and it just tells how tired and lazy I am at the moment.
"Everything's still..." I took a deep breath "Normal" my lips blurted out in disappointment.
Honestly, I thought that the beginning of this semester would be at least a little different than the previous one. Everything's the same: people, place, atmosphere, just everything!
Nothing came up that is new or fresh. Might as well prepare myself to survive this school year.
"Luna! It's already your shift here in the patisserie! Are you not home yet?" A voice of an adult lady called me downstairs that wake up my tired senses which is my Aunt Quer who supports me since my parents are not here already.
Automatically standing up, I rushed towards the door "I'll be there just in a minute!" I shouted and hurried to change my clothes.
I tied my hair and put on the hat with my Aunt's patisserie logo, also my pink apron. I went downstairs where the first floor of our house is where also the store is located.432Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw51fXvmabQ
My Aunt Quer owns a small but a popular patisserie and she calls it "Squets". I don't really know how she came up with the idea of name but it works for the costumers.
This is one of the undying routines I have everyday. Reading tons of books, going to school, helping in the patisserie; these three are best trios.432Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmpPLkLPohc
Maybe some will think that it is better this way since it is not a handful of work like the other dudes out there but I say being boring can be tiring.
My life is as predictable as a black and white pattern. It just gets black then white, white or black. If I'm lucky enough, it goes gray.432Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvMCiN7Kdj6
I envy those characters in the stories that I've read that they have a good conflict in life, it's meaningful in the end. 432Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs62Qgt4bkB
How come do they have these good looking prince and a fairy godmother in just a moment? Do they yearn for it every prayer? Do they study the skies just to wait for a falling star to come arrive and then wish?
Unlike myself, If I were to be a character in a story, I bet that story would be the most boring of all.432Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAO6ct7hqxb
I was about to go in the kitchen are when I realized I forgot to lock my room upstairs so I went back again.432Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCsTgiqeDD
The door of my room should be locked by now but something caught my attention, something that reflects the light of the bright moon outside my window.
It's the book again I bought earlier this evening.
"Maybe a sneak peak of it while working won't such be a big of a deal" I said to myself and reached for it on the table.432Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnbgj9rDIPI
end of chapter one
ns 15.158.61.8da2
