A/N: I know, I know- yes another new story, but with 'A Country Wedding' finished, this one was screaming in my head, and when that character screams in my head, well I got to listen to them now.
So this story sees a somewhat continuation of the world that we saw in ACW, but also it set before then too; when Sebastian wasn't around, and also doesn't focus on Mikki either; with the focus for this one being that of Nick and also Juanita, who I mentioned to in that story having had dated in the past when she was teaching in the town, subbing for Hannah; and then of course coming back for a guest at Mikki and Seb's eventual wedding, and telling Mikki she had spoken with the principal of the school about once again filling in for Hannah when she goes on a maternity leave.
Therefore, as always - any characters you recognize from Glee do not belong to me. But any characters that you don't recognize, for instance that of Juanita Scott, being one of the two mains in this; all belong to me and cannot be used without my permission.
If you like this story, then please leave a review or drop and fave/follow, and always thanks for supporting the crazy workings of my mind once again!
Love,
KJ xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Chapter 1 –
Moving to a small country town, to take up for now what was at least promised to be a one year teaching contract whilst the other teacher for that class went on a period of maternity leave; Juanita Scott, was use to the vagabond lifestyle as her family seemed to call it, and moving every few months to sometimes a year to somewhere else in America, in her job as a elementary school teacher.
Getting a call for the job in a small town in Tennessee, the one she noticed when she first arrived in the small country town; was just how much it reminded her of where she lived, and even though it was a little smaller and more of the sort of towns she had often seen depicted in that of movies from the Hallmark channel, she could also see to that it had a charm to it, and she was looking forward to the year that she'd be spending there.
Seated in the principal's office of the elementary school where she'd be hopefully soon teaching, she looked to the principal who was still reading over her CV, after she had been appointed by the substitute teacher board to the school and not applied that of directly for the position that was soon going to be needing filling; and knowing from that of past experience that just because she had been sent for it, it was not a guarantee of the school taking her on, if they found her to not be a good fit for their curriculum.
"Well I must say Juanita" said Simon Duval, looking up to her with a smile. "You certainly have an extensive resume"
"Yes, I tend to get three to six months contracts for substitute" she replied with a small nod and smile to him also. "So a year long contract would be really nice for a change"
"Yes I can imagine that it would be" said Simon with a nod. "And Hannah Anderson, who you will be the sub for" he continued with a smile also. "At first was only saying six months maternity leave, but I convinced her to take a year, and spend that with her new soon to be here baby as they are only that age once and she'll want to be there for all the moments"
"That's so true" replied Juanita, with a nod. "I know from my brothers and their children, that there are just so many things that you can only have with them once. So it's definitely important to have those moments"
"It is" said Simon with a nod. "Well I think I've seen more than enough here" he continued, looking to her with a smile. "And think you will be a wonderful replacement for Hannah and that the children here also are going to love you"
"Thank you so much" said Juanita, with a smile also to him. "I think I am going to quite like it here as well" she continued with a nod. "It seems to be such a beautiful town from what I've seen so far and I quite look forward to my time here"
"It is that indeed" said Simon with a small laugh. "And you will soon get to know that we all know one another quite well here; being that most of us have lived and grown up together and never really ventured away from it" he continued, as Juanita nodded with a small smile. "The receptionist for instance, who you met before coming in here. That would be my wife, Margie; so as you see we are a very small town community, but it is also one that works well for us"
"Yes, it sounds really wonderful. I must say" said Juanita, with a nod. "So when was Hannah, was it leaving to go on her leave?"
"At the end of the month, so you still have a week before you're needed to be here full time as a teacher" said Simon, looking to her. "But it might be beneficial for you to come in next week and just shadow her and also get to know the school layout and also the other teachers as well, and children too of course"
"I can do that, certainly" said Juanita, looking to him with a small nod. "And it also as well gives me tomorrow and the weekend also to find a place to rent for the next year"
"Well, I cannot recommend anyone more so that of William Sterling" said Simon opening the drawer of his desk and pulling out a business card from there and holding it out to Juanita. "He does work from out ashville at an office there" he continued as Juanita took the card and looked to it. "But he lives here, so I'm sure he will know of something that you can most certainly look to rent for your time here"
"Thank you, that's very kind of you" said Juanita, with a smile to him; and after saying a goodbye to Simon and organizing to come back on Monday for the first day of shadowing Hannah, she left his office and then went to visit that of the real estate to see what properties were around for her to spend the next year that of living in.
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Staying at the inn that same night, and the next day speaking with William Sterling; who did in fact have a property that was available not all that far from the location of the elementary school. Juanita signed the lease agreement for the small one bedroom town house and then started to take her belongings and other items, into the home that she would be residing in for the next year; and also as well organize too for her items that she had stored in to storage in Alabama when her last teaching contract had ended to be delivered to her; and thus having to for the next few days at least spend a few more at the inn, so she was able to have a bed to sleep in.
With all that she could do, being done in the place she would be calling home; Juanita headed to the main road of the small town where the local shops were, and parking her SUV; heading first to the small little cafe and getting a coffee from there, then took a walk down the road of the town to see what else there was on offer.
Seeing a small flower shop, a bar which also offered too that of meals, a dry cleaning business and even as well a business that was called Tie the Knot, and looked to offer wedding planning; her attention though was taken more so by the small little bookshop directly opposite of the business she thought was rather odd for a small town, and knowing that there were some books that she had on her wanting to buy list, walked over the road to the shop and inside.
Hearing as she walked in the sound of the little bell on the door ringing, she smiled as she stepped into the small bookshop, that had its walls lined with floor to ceiling shelves to the sides of the shop and smaller reachable size shelves to the middle of it; to her felt more like that of how a bookshop should feel and not like the giant chain ones that often littered the more populated areas and also too have staff that didn't seem to know anything about what they were selling.
Walking between the first row of shelving, and looking to the books that were available, as she rounded the corner still looking with a smile; she failed to see the person who was coming towards her with a stack of books in their arms, that was piled high enough for them also to not be seeing as well and subsequently collided with them and sending the books flying in multiple directions.
"I am so sorry" said Juanita, looking to the who she now saw was a guy that had been holding the pile of books. "Literally did not see you there"
"No, umm it was my fault" he replied, with a small laugh. "I got to stop piling books that high and walking around blind"
"Well there is that too" said Juanita, with a laugh also and smile too. "So I'm guessing you work here then?"
"I do yeah" said Nick, with a small laugh. "Own the shop in fact" he continued with a nod. "Nick Duval" and held out his hand and Juanita looked to him with a small smile.
"Are you related to Simon Duval?" she asked, as she shook his hand. "The elementary school principal"
"He's my father" replied Nick, with a small laugh. "How do you know him?"
"Umm, I'm going to be subbing for Hannah Anderson when she goes on maternity leave" replied Juanita, with a small laugh also. "And I guess your dad wasn't lying when he said this was a very small town"
"No he definitely wasn't" said Nick, shaking his head with a smile. "So you're going to be taking over Han's class then"
"I am yes" replied Juanita with a smile also. "Juanita Scott" she continued, as Nick nodded. "And I guess if you're the book shop owner here in this little town then you're going to be seeing me quite a bit then"
"Book lover?" asked Nick, with a laugh as Juanita looked to him with a nod and laugh as well.
"Literally half the trailer I will be getting from storage from my previous place of living" said Juanita, with a smile. "Is full of boxes of books, that I just can't bear to part with"
"I know that feeling only too well" said Nick, with a laugh and Juanita nodded. "But at least I can read a book that comes in and then sell it and not have that problem"
"That would be a really great perk of working here" said Juanita, with a small laugh and Nick gave a nod also. "So you by chance can order books in?" she asked, looking to him. "Because there are a few books that I have been looking to get, after seeing them on Goodreads; and just can't find them to buy anywhere but from Australia"
"I can have a look for you" replied Nick, with a small sigh and looked to the pile of books that were still on the ground near them. "They can stay there for a bit" he said, with a small laugh. "Let me have a look and see if I maybe have them or can possibly get"
"That would be amazing, thank you" said Juanita, with a nod as Nick headed up to the front area of the shop and over behind the counter to the computer.
"Okay so author?" he asked, looking to Juanita, with a smile and Juanita opened up her handbag and pulled out her phone from inside.
"Just give me a second" she said with a small nod to him. "I have them listed in my Pinterest, so know if I ever see them what I am looking for"
"Sure, no rush" replied Nick, shaking his head and waited whilst she looked to her phone; and also as well couldn't help but smile at the notion of the friendly brunette girl before him.
"Here we go" said Juanita, with a small laugh and turned her phone around to show the books that she was looking for, to him.
"Can't say I have heard of them and know I don't have them in stock" said Nick, shaking his head. "But let me look and see if my supplier can get them in for you"
"Thank you" replied Juanita, with a nod to him. "From what I have read them being about, they sound so amazing that I just got to read them" she continued and Nick looked to her quickly as he waited for the website he was looking to load. "I mean who as a young kid didn't fantasize about going to Hogwarts or discovering Narnia at the back of their wardrobe"
"I'm still waiting for my letter" said Nick, with a laugh as Juanita looked to him with a laugh also. "And one day, the wardrobe will open for me"
"Well you will by the sounds of that" said Juanita, with a smile. "Love these books too, as that is exactly what they have described this world as being; a cross between Harry Potter, Narnia and even strangely X-Men"
"Sounds like something I might like, yeah" replied Nick, looking to her with a small smile but also giving as well a sigh. "But unfortunately it looks as if my supplier doesn't have them in stock"
"That's fine" said Juanita, with a nod to him. "Thank you for checking"
"I can keep looking if you would like me to do that" said Nick, and Juanita looked to him. "I have some overseas contacts that I can possibly try and see if I can get them in for you"
"You'd do that?" asked Juanita, and Nick gave a small laugh with a nod.
"Of course yeah" he replied, with a smile also. "I don't mind"
"That would so great if you were able to" she replied, with a nod also. "And it's not like I am going to leave you hanging with the books if you were to get them in" she continued with a laugh. "Since I am going to be here for a year"
"Well leave it with me then" said Nick, with a smile to her. "And I can keep you posted on what I can maybe find out for you with them"
"Again thank you" said Juanita, with a smile also. "And maybe I should let you go and get back to what you were doing before I came barrelling in here like some crazed maniac"
"It's totally fine" replied Nick, with a laugh. "It wasn't all your fault now"
"True" said Juanita, with a laugh. "Did you want some help to pick them up?"
"No, you're okay" he said with a smile to her. "But thanks for the offer" he continued with a nod. "It will just teach me to not walk around with so many books now, and collide with attractive girls who come into my bookshop now"
"Yes it will" replied Juanita, with a laugh; and noting to herself also that he had casually slipped into what he had said there, about her being attractive. "Nice to meet you Nick, and I'll guess see you around town"
"See me yeah, around" replied Nick, with a laugh also. "Nice meeting you also Juanita"
"Yeah, bye Nick" said Juanita, with a smile to him and headed over to the door of the shop and then left; confident as she walked out of the small book shop and back over to her car to head to the inn, that she was definitely going to like this town she was about to call home for the next year.
End Note: I do really like the Nick and Juanita pairing as you can probably guess by now - which in itself is rather strange, as she was created many years before Glee even was a thought, and for that of another tv show that I love to write stories for, and weirdly enough did end up with a guy at the end of that, also called Nick. So as it seems, this is to be fate; that I pair this old character of mine, write her a new way to end up with another Nick.
The author in case you might be wondering as to why Juanita is referring to have written the novels that are quite literally described as being like 'Harry Potter, Narnia and X-Men' is Lynette Noni, and the series is the Medoran Chronicles - for which as of now there are 4 books out. These books are so good, and if you can get your hands on them; then I highly recommend them. Not to mention Lynette is one of the nicest people ever as well; having met her now three times to get all my books signed, since she is like me from Australia, and a regular face at one of the pop culture conventions that we have here numerous times on a yearly basis. I've already seen her twice this year to get books signed, and will again see her in November at another convention - rest assure not just going for that, but it's definitely a fave part of them and getting to talk and meet with these authors. So do, yourself a favor and if you can definitely check out those books - you won't regret it.
Okay anyway, enough from me - once again thanks for stepping on to this crazy new story with me; and I will catch you all again soon.
Love always,
KJ oxoxoxoxoxoxo