Chapter 1
Author Note: I'm very new at this so any tips will be much appreciated.
It was just another typical day in the New York colony. The town bustled with activity. Shopkeepers sold goods, Printers work on assembling the text for the next issue, and Merchants sailed into the busy port. On the roads were people on carriages, wagons, horse, or merely on foot. Among them was a man with messy blond hair, emerald eyes, bushy eyebrows, wearing clothing nicer than a common colonist yet it looked fairly simple. He looked barely over 20. He was carrying a box he got from the port. Inside was a clock. He smiled at the thought of the reaction his younger brother would have seeing it. He then collided with someone, making him and the box fall, and it made a crunch sound as it hit the ground. "Watch where you're going!"
"I'm so s-sorry m-mister!"
He looked up to see a teen who looked close to adulthood yet had a very youthful face. The teen had reddish-brown hair that was tied back yet there were strands that could not be tamed and blue eyes like a clear blue sky. He also wore plain clothes, signifying he was an average colonist. The red head then tilted his head looking at the box. The blond frantically opened the box, pulled out the clock, and wound it. He frowned as he went to listen to it. It was a new clock he just got from England and now it is broken. "I c-can f-fix it." The red head stuttered
The blond looked up. "What?"
"I can fix it. I'm an apprentice clock maker." The red head replied for once without a stutter.
"I didn't know there was a clock maker in New York." The blond replied doubtful
"Well now there is. My name's F-Felix Graham." He replied, stuttering again and offering a hand.
The blond accepted the hand. As he got up he shook the hand and replied. "Arthur Kirkland."
"Once again I'm t-terribly sorry about the c-clock. How about this, I will f-fix it and I won't charge you since it was m-my fault for it being br-broken." Felix stuttered, releasing Arthur's hand.
"Are you sure?" Arthur Kirkland replied as he picked up the box with the clock.
"Absolutely." Felix said with a smile.
They both started walking towards the clock shop. "What's with the stuttering?" Arthur finally spoke.
"I st-stutter when I t-talk to people I don't know, to big gr-groups, when I get scarred or nervous. I st-stop though once I get to know people." Felix replied with a shrug.
"How old are you?" Arthur questioned.
"17, you?" Felix replied
Arthur hesitated but then finally replied "22."
As the conversation went on, Arthur couldn't help but look at Felix's hair. He caught eye-contact with Felix. "Sorry." He apologized.
"It's alright, I get looks all the time. I got these red locks from my grandfather who's from Scotland. Strangely, neither my father nor my siblings have red hair." Felix replied finally abandoning his stutter.
Arthur nodded as he listened. "I have a relative from Scotland."
"Cool!" Felix smiled, and his sky-blue eyes sparkled, catching Arthur off-guard.
It triggered a memory from years ago. It was one of his younger brother, of which his similar sky-blue eyes sparkled as he received another gift Arthur gave him. "Arthur?"
Arthur snapped back to reality and looked at Felix. "Welcome to the only clock shop in all of New York! Cogs and Gears!" Felix exclaimed proudly pointing at the shop.
It looked relatively simple with a small wooden sign above the door with the words Cogs and Gears. There was a window with a couple clocks on display. When they walked in, Arthur was surprised at the sight. Clocks lined every shelf and wall, varying from small clocks like his, to grandfather clocks. Some were fancy, others simple. There was also a counter one side of the shop that was also filled with clocks. A middle-aged man with brown hair and brown eyes, who was working on a clock. "Mr. Lester I'm here!"
"I was wondering when you'd get here." Lester replied not even looking up.
"I brought someone with me. His name is Arthur Kirkland. I accidentally ran into him and broke his new clock so I'm going to fix it for him." Felix spoke awkwardly.
Lester sighed and finally looked up "You should really watch where you are going."
He then looked at Arthur "I'm apologize for my apprentice. He never seems to pay attention where he's going."
Felix looked a little downcast. "Oh, all is forgiven. I wasn't paying much attention either." Arthur responded.
A faint smile appeared on Felix. Arthur gave the clock to Felix, who immediately went behind the counter started working on it. Arthur sat on a chair near the counter since he didn't have much to do that day, other than getting home to his brother and figured he would just wait for it to be fixed. A burly man with light brown hair and hazel eyes walked in to the shop. "Is my clock ready Mr. Lester?" he spoke.
Lester stopped working on the clock and took another one off the shelf. He then gave it to the man and said. "Here it is Mr. Stinson. Good as new."
Stinson received the clock with a smile on his face. "You are amazing as always Mr. Lester."
Stinson turned around but turned back to Lester. "Have you heard about Boston?"
"Who hasn't?" Lester shrugged.
"Business is getting really bad down there since the Redcoats shut it down. Many people are going out of business." Stinson replied.
"It wouldn't have happened if all that tea wasn't dumped." Felix retorted.
Stinson glared at Felix, who then dropped his gaze. "The ways things been going, something was bound to happen! The taxes would have caused some sort of conflict anyways!"
"Y-yes sir, s-sorry sir." Felix stuttered.
Stinson stamped out of the shop with his clock. Arthur looked at the shaken Felix. He then looked at Lester who shook his head and said to Felix "Be careful what you say these days Felix. Tensions are lately running high."
Felix nodded his head as he worked once again on the clock.
"I suppose you support the crown Felix?" Arthur questioned.
Felix briefly looked up. "Of course! Without the support provided to the colonies, my family wouldn't have prospered as we did."
Felix then looked back down to work on the clock.
Felix and Arthur talked for a long while. Felix was in awe of the stories Arthur told him. Arthur told him about his pirate days of capturing ships and of meeting mythical creatures that Felix could only dream about. It was nice to have a conversation like this. For Felix did not have many friends thanks to his constant stutter. Felix adjusted a few more things on the clock, he then looked up at Arthur and smiled. "Finished."
He then handed the clock to Arthur. Who then wound up the clock and listened to it. He smiled as he heard a ticking noise. "Thank you, Felix."
Arthur then walked out but then he heard the door open behind him and turned to see Felix. "It was nice meeting you Felix Graham." he offered to shake Felix's hand with his free hand.
Felix smiled, shook his hand and said, "I enjoyed your stories. I hope to one day see you again Arthur Kirkland."
"I hope so too." Arthur replied, who then released the handshake.
Arthur then walked down the street with the clock in his hands. In the corner of his eyes he saw Felix watching him go. Arthur then wondered if he would ever see Felix again. He quickly abandoned the thought. He then whispered, "I will be home soon America."