I leaned against the counter and fiddled with the cash register, waiting for a customer to come in. I had been here for at least three hours and only one person had entered. It had been Mrs.Perkins from down the street, and she had wandered in with her curly white hair and pink day dress, glimpsed at a few books and left. I wasn't overly surprised by the lack of customers though. I had worked at Swanson's Resale books for over two years and people rarely came in. It seemed that since majority of the population in Valera, Florida was over the age the age of sixty, the only books they were interested in were ones written by Nicholas Sparks and Dean Koontz. They had no desire for the worn books sold here, for the books by classic writers such as Jane Austin and Walt Whitman. When I was seriously considering going to the basement to take inventory, the job I usually left for Jason the evening guy, just to end my boredom, the door bell jingled. Looking up to see who had come in, I noticed it was a chubby boy with an adorable gamer tee, and I couldn't help but smile.
"Pedro, how are you," I asked when he came up to the counter. Pedro was a regular here, and every week I'd dig through piles of ancient musty books that people no longer wanted, so that I could find him books on aliens. It made me happy to see that at least one other person in this town enjoyed a good book.
"I'm good," the boy of about twelve said, grinning back, "But my mom only gave me six dollars this week." I bit back a groan of frustration since my manager Norm had marked the book I found for Pedro at twelve fifty. And because it felt cruel to deny Pedro a book, I'd end up paying the extra six fifty after he left.
"Alright," I sighed pretending to think, "With six dollars you can buy this." And, with a dramatic flourish, I pulled out the three hundred page book written in 1927 about extra terrestrial life. Pedro excitedly grabbed the book and slammed down six one dollar bills.
"Thank you so much, Izzy," he laughed, running around the corner to give me a hug. "I can't wait to go home and read this." And with that parting statement, he ran out the door, and I was once again alone. Then much to my surprise the door opened again, and in walked Jason, the evening guy.
"Shoot," I grumbled looking for the clock, "Is it already five?" Jason looked at me from under his purple hair, he dyed it a different color every year for his birthday, and laughed.
"Nope Iz, it's only four thirty so you still have a half hour of work left," Jason stated, flopping onto and old plaid arm chair. "By the way I like the hair, it lo
oks cute short."
"Pedro, how are you," I asked when he came up to the counter. Pedro was a regular here, and every week I'd dig through piles of ancient musty books that people no longer wanted, so that I could find him books on aliens. It made me happy to see that at least one other person in this town enjoyed a good book.
"I'm good," the boy of about twelve said, grinning back, "But my mom only gave me six dollars this week." I bit back a groan of frustration since my manager Norm had marked the book I found for Pedro at twelve fifty. And because it felt cruel to deny Pedro a book, I'd end up paying the extra six fifty after he left.
"Alright," I sighed pretending to think, "With six dollars you can buy this." And, with a dramatic flourish, I pulled out the three hundred page book written in 1927 about extra terrestrial life. Pedro excitedly grabbed the book and slammed down six one dollar bills.
"Thank you so much, Izzy," he laughed, running around the corner to give me a hug. "I can't wait to go home and read this." And with that parting statement, he ran out the door, and I was once again alone. Then much to my surprise the door opened again, and in walked Jason, the evening guy.
"Shoot," I grumbled looking for the clock, "Is it already five?" Jason looked at me from under his purple hair, he dyed it a different color every year for his birthday, and laughed.
"Nope Iz, it's only four thirty so you still have a half hour of work left," Jason stated, flopping onto and old plaid arm chair. "By the way I like the hair, it lo
oks cute short."
