Chapter 3; Bookstore visit

He skimmed the all too familiar surroundings, smiling somewhat at the old memories they held. It was about ten in the morning, earlier than he had figured it to be. The walk to the main part of the city where the bookstore was would have only taken him about twenty minutes to reach, but he had decided to stop and grab himself an icee, thus delaying him about five minutes.

Why he was so worried about time was beyond him. Perhaps it was because he had memorized Devi's old shift hours. He sighed, intaking a rather ample amount of air, nearly causing him to choke when he didn't exhale. Devi. It had been awhile since she crossed his mind. He hadn't actually thought of her in months untill this morning... when meat made the comment about "feeling better". She had crossed his mind then, and since he had an unsateable urge to see her again. He just needed to see her... they didn't have to talk, he just wanted to see her again, know she was still alive and in town, know that she hadn't fled the city.

She had, however, quit her job at the bookstore, so why he was going there was a mystery to even him. He remebered the day he'd gone there to see her, and realized that she'd quit. It hadn't been pretty. His eye twitched slightly at the thought as he rounded the corner of South 22nd, sipping on his frozen treat.

There it was, the bookstore he used to practically live in.

I'm sensing some depression...

"Aren't we psycic?" mused 'Nny, rolling his eyes somewhat as he brushed one lock of blueish-black hair from his face, nudging the door to the bookstore open with his shoulder, gaze lowered to the floor as he walked inside.

That girl you made the taped.. recording.. apology.. thing.. for, and played it over the phone? he guessed.

"Bingo." he exlaimed, sighing somewhat as he disappeared into the "Ficton" portion, which was thankfully near-by.

Moments went by before he actually noticed something rather unerving. Peering up from a thick black book titled "Sssh, we're talking all spooky; a collection of ghost stories", he noticed a thin woman, sickeningly thin actually, with distinguishable purple hair and some other girl at her side with some sort of... toy?

"Devi?' he questioned aloud, lowering the book.

Devi, having the feeling she was being watched, turned, peering to the bookstore curiously. Scanning the windows, Johnny was one of the last things that fell into her sight, and when he did she stood still, more out of shock than anything, eyes somewhat wide.

He let go of the book with one hand, waving to her with the other, a little uncertain of what it was she would do. He wasn't all that keen on being attacked with anyones mace again... that was not at all a pleasent experience. It was just about as fun as the ass-kicking she had delievered on him about a year ago. Fun fun fun, one must say.

She took a couple steps forward towards the glass, as if she had to see for herself, feeling that he may just be an illusion that could fade away at any given moment, and 'Nny did just the same, stepping forward. First one caucious step, then two little baby ones, then another caucious one, followed by one baby one, then they were there, face to face, seperated by one panel of glass.

"'Nny?" Devi mouthed through the glass, taking one step back.

Johnny merely nodded, lowering his gaze, not moving.

She stopped one step back and looked to the book, pointing to it, then shrugging, as if asking if her were buying it. Figuring that was what she meant, he nodded in responce, taking in a deep breath as he turned to head over to the cashregister. He figured she'd be gone by the time he finished, and he was right. She was when he walked out of the store, book in hand.

The walk home was dreadfull to him. He couldn't tell whether he was more depressed that she hadn't talked to him, or he didn't know if he felt annoyance and stupidity directed towards himself for confronting her and actually expecting her to come to him and talk.