Chapter 2, Part One

Want to be Bad

Tegan's POV

I exited the bookstore with the newly purchased book in my hand, feeling the early August heat through the thin soles of my converse. Despite my confident exterior, my heart had been pounding loudly the whole time I was talking to that girl, Sara. I had definitely noticed her checking me out, but I she didn't seem to get that I was gay and checking her out as well.

She looked so cute while she was reading; leaning forward and biting her nails like I might while watching an intense or scary movie. I felt a twinge of guilt for buying what was probably the only copy of her favorite book in the tri-province area, but I really needed it to take care of my ex, Gracie's fines.

"Tegan! You're late from lunch break!" cried my boss, Jim as he tossed my my uniform apron.

"Sorry" I mumbled, as I put on the uniform, ready to finish off the rest of my shift as a waitress. I longed to get home to my guitar. A song idea was forming in my head, and I hummed it over and over as to not forget it before I could write it down.

Don't get in

over your head

I just want to...

And every time I got to that part, a roadblock flew up in my mind, and I couldn't figure out what should come next.

Exhausted from a long day of working a job I hated, I took the bus home and rushed to scribble down the unfinished lyrics. My roommate and best friend, Morgan, tapped on my door, knocking me out of a daze from playing the same fragmented guitar part over and over.

"Come in" I said in a defeated tone, and leaned my old guitar against the wall. Morgan entered my room.

"Hey Teegs" she said gently. "How are you doing?" I knew she thought I was still upset about Gracie leaving me a couple of months ago. That didn't surprise me, seeing as I had just stopped sobbing uncontrollably a few weeks ago. Now, for some reason, after meeting Sara, I was starting to feel the strength to move on, picking up the pieces of my life on the way.

"I'm great, actually" I said honestly. "How are you?"

"Umm... good, good." she said a little too casually. I knew there was something she wasn't telling me.

"Did something happen, Morgan?"

"Yeah. umm... Gracie stopped by today while you were at work." My heart jumped into my throat.

"What did she want?" I asked. I tried to keep my voice even, but I knew some of the spite I felt leaked out into my voice.

"She didn't say. She... left this." Morgan pulled a package out from behind her back. When I didn't say anything, she placed it on my dresser, and walked out, mumbling something about leaving me alone for a few minutes.

I got up to retrieve the brown package and opened it. Inside was a book- Independence Day. In spite of myself, I started laughing loudly. Gracie had finally returned the overdue book- probably the most helpful thing she'd done since we started dating over two years ago. My heart leapt as I realized that i could now return the book I bought to Sara. Hopefully, she would still be there the next time I went in, because I had no way of contacting her otherwise.

I picked up the book I had purchased earlier that day, and read the inside cover. The synopsis seemed uninteresting, but I was curious to see what part of the story had Sara so captivated. As I opened the book to the first page, a small scrap of paper fluttered down to the floor. I knelt to pick it up

583-2901

Sara Cell

Literacy does have it's rewards after all...