tornado

Dustin was at hawkins public library to check out a couple of books. He didn’t really pay attention to the people using the computers as he was not there to use one himself. When he gathered his books and approached the counter to check them out, he couldn’t help but notice that a man was yelling at the librarian. He rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath. “You’ve got to be shitting me…” 

 When the librarian asked the man to step aside so she could help someone else, the person behind the man happened to be Dustin. Great. The man’s eyes were piercing through him like knives, but he pretended not to notice. The teen placed the books on the counter as the librarian smiled back at him. In a way, he felt bad for her. A smile appeared on dustin’s face, hoping it would help her feel better. “I’d like to check these out.” However, the man went back into his fits of rage. “You should be helping me first! Isn’t fixing the computers more important?” Turning his head, Dustin replied, “hey! I mean sir… she’s doing the best she can.” That didn’t seem to alleviate the man’s temper. “Get those damn kids off the computer!” Dustin collected himself. “Sir, I understand why you’re upset but kids will be kids… you can’t just kick them off the computer. They’re patrons of the library just like yourself. Maybe you could go drink some water, go outside, and get some fresh air.” The man eventually stormed off. He turned back to the librarian, “sorry about that. Where were we?” 

   Diamond kept the small smile on her face as the young man approached the desk, but she could feel the other man glaring at her. If looks could kill, she would be at the devil’s front door by now. “Of course! Do you have a library card or would you like me to--” The man’s shouting interrupted her and she was ready to use her customer-friendly, please don’t be mad at me voice to try to calm him down--to an extent. She was grateful that the brunette boy was defending her, but felt bad that he was now getting yelled at. If only Mrs. Clarke was around, she would’ve put the screaming man on the line and then snap at Diamond for letting the brunette boy get yelled at instead of herself. Watching him storm off, she let out a shaky and relieved breath, hoping he wouldn’t complain to Mrs. Clarke next. “No, I’m sorry. I probably should’ve gone to fix the problem, but I didn’t want to make you and the others stand in line forever. But thank you for shooing him off for me.” Diamond offered him a small smile before pressing a couple of keys so the computer wouldn’t go into sleep mode. Once it did, it would take almost ten minutes for it to turn back on. “I can look up your name or library ID number or I can scan your ID card.”

(¸.• ♛ → “I’m so glad you think that.” She says with a small smile now looking at the other one, a small sigh escaped from her lips with her gaze on the girl. “This always relaxes me, that’s why I needed an opinion because I also like to look good, of course.”

“I think any pair you buy will look good on you,” Diamond encouraged. “You clearly have good taste so I don’t think you have to worry about looking good.”

  he had a dream last night ; it was vague,  just books and a voice that sounded something close to familiar.  he doesn’t know what it means,  doesn’t really want to know.  in fact  —  he’s kind of hoping it’s nothing,  just his subconscious trying to get him to read a book or something.  alex’s been in line at the library,  eyes scanning the books,  hoping one would look familiar.  they don’t,  not really.  once he’s being addressed,  he stumbles on words immediately.   “i - it - help.”   yes,  alex,  that’s what she asked.   “i’m looking for a book.”   getting there!   “self help.  or dream decoding.  both.  i don’t know where they’d be.”

    Something in the back of Diamond’s head twinged when she looked at the man in front of her, it made her wince. He looked familiar, too familiar. She couldn’t really put her finger on it, but knew he wasn’t a library regular. If he was, she would’ve had this feeling a long time ago and by now, would’ve said something. Was he from her old town or was he from before? “Dream decoding? Alright, let me see what we have in the log.” She unlocked her computer and opened up the log, sitting there for a second and pretending the log took a second to load as she wondered what to type in the search bar. Understanding dreams, dreams, and dream decoding were entered in the search bar. “There are a few books that we have that might help. Would you like me to write down where to find them or would you rather I show you?”

Toni had little patience for people like the man currently yelling at the poor lady at the desk. Even though she was content browsing the books by herself for a while longer, she couldn’t just let him treat her that way. When she made her way over her intention was to give him a piece of her mind. Put him in his place. Toni wasn’t on shift, after all. She didn’t have to force a smile like the girl he was harassing. Who cares if people saw her as rough around the edges? It held some truth to it.

A better plan was laid out in front of Toni when the woman serving him excused herself to see other customers. Rather than causing a scene, Toni flashed her a smile. “I was looking at some books over there.” A vague gesture to a part of the library she hadn’t been to yet as she played dumb. “But I couldn’t find the one I was looking for and the whole organization system is confusing. Could I grab you to help?” If she got her away from the other customer for even a moment, she could at least ask if there was anything she could help with. “Won’t be too long, promise.” This time directed at the man she was sure wouldn’t be happy about being left. Serves him right.

Diamond was secretly hoping that the woman in front of her that had now stepped up to the desk wasn’t going to bitch and complain about the long usage of the computers by some of the library-goers. That meant the man impatiently waiting on the side had even more reason to justify his yelling at the top of his lungs. She didn’t need him looking proudly and even more of an ass. “Of course!” She said and unlocked her computer. “If you can tell me the name or the author, or even the genre, I can look up in the log where it should be and I’ll be able to find it!” A small smile was on her face, one that was a mix of customer service etiquette and relief that this woman was nice in comparison to the man.

          ❝ AH, I SEE. they don’t make you work all them hours, do they ? ❞ the blonde continued on in speech as she reacted to the second verse with a beaming grin and a clap of her hands. her eyes motioned to the clock as it indicated it was only about a half hour from closing. ❝ in that case . . ❞ tammy disappeared into the backroom for a moment’s time as she grabbed ahold of her bag and the store’s key and flipped the backroom’s switch off. for a person so new to the job it probably wasn’t the brightest idea to abandon ship before the clock gave her the OK, but the great thing about today’s day-and-age was that everything was done manually, through paper and ink. she could simply inform her boss the following day she forgot to clock-out. ❝ right this way, jewel. ❞ she would come up with the nickname based off the girl’s rich name. ❝ on our way you can tell me about all that makes you shine . . ❞ okay tammy, enough with the diamond references. ❝ ya know, like where you’re from, what you do for fun, the whole shabang. ❞ tammy began way out of the shack.

     “Not necessarily,” Diamond answers. “I work from open to 2pm and then I go get lunch. The library is kind of short-staffed so I usually come back to help and end up staying during closing.” She shrugged. At Tammy motioning to the clock, she realized that the girl was going to close the shop and go with Diamond. She had never done that before, closing the place early. Granted, it wasn’t that long until Radioshack had to close. Mrs. Clarke was so specific on closing at 10pm or even afterward if there were people finishing assignments. The nicknames and references made Diamond laugh lightly. She had heard those before, it was nothing new. “Right. Well, there’s not too much to know,” she started. She realized that she couldn’t say I came from a lab that gave me powers and I managed to escape but then I heard some shit was going down so I came back to help, but I was too late and everything is fine. “I’m from a town that’s not too close but not too far. I’m 19, I work at the library. That’s kind of all there is to know about me, really.”

     “They’ve been on that damn thing for almost an hour!” They shouted. Diamond could feel herself getting upset, wanting to punch this guy right in the nose and hopefully break it. But she had to keep this job, for it was her home literally. All she could do was sigh and nod. “I’m sorry about that sir, I will check the activity log on the computer and if it exceeds the accepted amount, I will force them to get off. Now please step to the side while I assist the other people behind you.” Reluctantly, they did but looked like they were ready to yell again. Diamond plastered a small smile on her face, although it was fake and forced. “Hello. What can I help you with today?”

          it wasn’t often that tammy found herself in the library. ever since graduating she didn’t find much need for it. she wasn’t a nancy drew or an einstein. she had no need for particular text books like in high school and her mother’s weekly reading was no longer a requirement as it was in elementary. nonetheless, she was well aware of the children’s films and readings as she took into consideration the hung flyers in sight of participants a time before.  ❝ ah, so you work in the library ? ❞ tammy inquired, still speculating why she would have seen the girl entering the premises a time before, so early on and with groceries in hand. ❝ what time does the library open again ? i’ve been meaning to drop in sometime, but all my shifts seem to be in the afternoon or later. ❞ lie. that was a lie. maybe she was a nancy drew after all. ❝ as for those films, my shift ends in only a couple of minutes. i can show you the way and help you pick out a few if you’d like . . or if those kids do get their hands on the vcr, i could always fix it for you. free of charge, of course. ❞

      “I do,” Diamond answered with a smile. Also slept, changed, and ate there. One would say she practically lived there. The only way to shower was to go to the public gym, work out, and then use the public showers. The showers weren’t ideal with the barely functioning plumbing system, but it got the job done. Sort of. “9am to 10pm. I occasionally have to close a bit later if some kids are staying longer in order to finish assignments.” Not many people knew the hours of the library and assumed it was a 24-hour building. She could recall the few times she had people knocking on the doors at 2am, trying to get in. “I’d love some company! You’d probably know a bit more about movies than I do, so hopefully, you can stop me from picking some really terrible ones. And if the kids mess up the vcr, I’ll definitely give you a call.”

          TO SAY THAT tammy was not confounded by the bearing of another in a place she thought only herself to be filling the sustenance of, would be far from the veracity of her retort. though, there was found comfortability when she realized it was only diamond; a girl she met a time before and would find again in a time unexpected. a time she would not question just yet, but something she would ease into once the opportunity was provided. ❝ hey there’s nothing wrong with a good kid’s movie ! between you and me, i still watch my little pony when nothing else is on. ❞ she affirmed, a slight titter escaping the kernel of her lips, ❝ unfortunately we only have vcr players here, but in the plaza over you can find family video. they have great films like the new back to the future or if you’re not into that, footloose. regardless of the different genres, they’re two of my favorites. ❞

      “A majority of the movies I watch for most of the day end up being the movies I play for the kids in the library,” Diamond said with a chuckle as she shrugged a little. “CareBears and Strawberry Shortcakes get tiring after watching them on repeat for an entire day.” The library opens from 9am to 10pm, and since it’s her home, it gets even more tiring. As cute as the cartoons are, she doesn’t enjoy them the same way the children do. “Right. I mixed the two up, my bad.” Her cheeks flushed red in embarrassment and she cleared her throat. “Honestly, I’ll probably end up coming back before the end of the day. Either the head librarian, Mrs. Clarke, will accidentally break it, thinking it was already broken and try to fix it,” she started. “Or some of the kids will be running around, bump into the stand and knock the VCR onto the floor and shatter it. Or some pissed off, loud teenager will pour soda on it because I told them to be quiet.” She shivered in fear at the thought. The library didn’t get as much funding for technology, so if any of it had to be replaced, it came out of either Diamond’s or Mrs. Clarke’s pockets. “I wish they made protective cases for them.”

(¸.• ♛ → “So what do you think?” The raven haired girl couldn’t help but ask that looking now at the person that was just there showing the shoes that she was wearing or well, that she was going to buy. “Those look good?”

@diamcnddove

   Diamond wasn’t really paying attention to her surroundings, she was completely in her own thoughts about what shoes to buy. The same pair that fell apart after three weeks of work or a new pair that definitely more durable but costs more money? “Yeah,” she answered out of instinct when a voice had asked her a question. She assumed she was being spoken to; she hoped she was being spoken to, so she wouldn’t look ridiculous answering a question. She looked at the shoes in the girl’s hand and her eyes widened in awe. “They’re, uh, gorgeous, actually. You should definitely get them.”

         she’ll  scowl  at  her  familiar  for  a  moment  ,   there’s  no  surprise  that  he  was  a  troublemaker  here  ,   but  it  still  IRRITATED  her  from  time  to  time  ,   no  matter  how  much  she  loved  him  .     “  he  didn’t  scratch  you  or  anything  ,   right ?  i  think  he’s  just  mad  i  didn’t  give  him  tuna  today  .  ”    will  pet  salem’s  head  ,    to  calm  him  perhaps  .     “  or  maybe  i  should  just  let  him  out  loose  ,   maybe  he’ll  appreciate  me  more  if  i  do  .  ”  

   Diamond shook her head and waved her hand dismissively. “Not at all.” She peeked down at her boots, barely seeing any damage. Not that she would’ve cared. These were her only shoes and she hardly cared if there was going to be any damage to them. Even when they do get damaged to the point that they weren’t wearable, she would just toss them and buy another pair. “Maybe he just needs tuna and adventures to be a happy cat?”

Ethel liked working late at the theater, usually, especially when she got to run the projector. It allowed her peace and quiet, to play films that she couldn’t play during the day.  Tonight, however, was an exception. She’d had to play hostess to a late night premiere: Under the Cherry Moon. The theater was empty as could be, save for a small cluster of Prince fangirls and an overeager couple down in front. She couldn’t blame people for not showing up, the film wasn’t good, but she was unbelievably bored. When the door opened on her little projection booth, she turned and prepared to talk to her boss about the bad ticket sales. She relaxed, though, upon seeing who it really was. “You’re not supposed to be up here, y’know.” she teased, grinning a little.

      The head librarian wanted Diamond out of the library, claiming the girl spent too much time there, even for an employee. But it was a secret home, of course she would be there 24/7. Extra money and a stern voice pushed the brunette out the library and to the movie theater. She didn’t have friends, hadn’t really made any. She didn’t know how to. So as she waited in the line to get a ticket, she listened all around her for was movie was the one everyone wanted to see. Alien. She had heard about the movie in the library plenty of times. It was bummer that the second she stepped forward and asked for a ticket to see Alien, the employee told her with a fearful voice that tickets for the whole day were sold out. They offered a ticket to Under the Cherry Moon. “P-Prince is in it!” they stuttered out. With no hesitation and a smile on her face, Diamond took it. She loved Prince. Walking in, she was hit with the smell of extra-buttered popcorn and the laughter of everyone around her. She tried to find her way to the showing room but instead found the projector room. Her cheeks flushed red in embarrassment and she gulped. “I’m sorry!” She whispered. “I--I can’t find the actual entrance into the actual seating area. They don’t...have any guides or maps anywhere.”

          IT WAS ONLY day three on the job and already tammy thompson felt as if she had radioshack figured out. all there was to do was clock in, make sure the computers were running, the radios transmitting, and the phones receiving before she would plop atop the stool behind the counter. every now and then a mother and son would walk in looking for toys and gadgets, businessmen would come in to inquire about their new cellular or car phones, and every now and then she would be kept busy with a walkie talkie that had been dropped off the day before to fix. a majority of the time the store was near silent and all you could hear was the ticking of the seconds that felt more like minutes, and eventually, when all work was done, you would fall into a dream state that lead you to forget where you were, what time it was, and what was going on. tammy was near it when she finished up all the tasks scheduled for reparation and in retaliation she would come up with the idea of plopping in a new cassette tape to liven the atmosphere, ❝ what’ll it be today .. ?  ❞ she muttered aloud as she shuffled through her options, unaware of the figure that entered the store not long before, as her back stood to the door.

       Living in the library was difficult when the head librarian wasn’t aware that Diamond had made the empty room in the back her home. A majority of the videos on the library were only education, and a good portion of that was for children. She had watched all of them at least once on her own, maybe twice more when she was having groups of children watch videos that they wouldn’t remember while their elder siblings did who knows what in the corner of the library. She didn’t mind, half of them slid her a few bucks to watch them. It was easy, the girl was good with children and the videos made them laugh. But Diamond needed videos that would make her laugh. Thundercats, The Smurfs, and DuckTales weren’t cutting it anymore. So she walked into Radioshack with only one goal in mind: Find good movies that were worth watching a million times at low volume in the back of the library to go to sleep. Diamond’s eyes landed on the back of the blonde girl’s head and she cleared her throat before she could talk. “Nothing important. Just,” she paused, “trying to find a few movies that are actually good. All I watch these days are kid’s cartoons.”

@1986start  !

          “   —-   in  my  defense  ,   this  cat  has  a  mind  of  his  own  .   ”    cue  her  going  on  her  toes  ,   picking  him  up  from  the  other’s  lap / shoe   ,   a  small  glare  in  her  eye  at  the  cat  .    “   sorry about salem  ,  again  .   i  really  ought  to  start  closing  the  windows  of  my  apartment  ,  hmm  ?    ”     she  jokes  to  the  best  of  her  ability  ,  with t he   SQUIRMING   black  cat  in  her  arms  .   

Diamond didn’t mind cats; she never really minded anything. It wasn’t the needles and harsh electric shocks of curious scientists. It wasn’t the brute force of guards trying to subdue her. The cat’s claws felt like a five-year old’s playful nudge in comparison. “No need to apologize,” she reassured with a small smile. “Maybe he’s just adventurous and lonely, but closing the windows would be safe so he doesn’t get hurt.”