unlost

adrianna begins to play, her eyelids falling closed briefly as she feels the melody in her fingertips. she starts to hum the tune, but snaps herself out of it to continue the boy’s banter. “ oh, of course not ! i couldn’t live knowing i let you down. ”

he smiled at her banter, listening to the careful strumming of the guitar, a smile forming on his face as he began to pick out the melody. you’re really good. how long have you been playing for?”

“ yeah, absolutely, ” winnie breathes, and a breeze sweeps overhead that lets goosebumps flourish all over her skin. she spins her palm in the moonlight, glancing over the boy’s phone number, wondering when she’ll wash it off. the thought makes her heart sink a bit. a smile creeps onto her features as she steps forward and into liam’s frame, her arms forming a familiar yet foreign loop around liam’s neck. she nuzzles her nose into the nape of his neck, and it feels warm. familiar. right. “ absolutely. ” she turns regretfully toward the door after she pulls away, a sad smile on her lips. “ goodnight, liam. ”

the sleepy pull begins to pull on liam’s brain, and he has to force his mouth shut to keep himself from yawning. it’s late at night, and both parties have to be tired. feeling winnie loop her arms around his neck, liam wraps his own around her waist, his hands splayed across her back. his chin fits onto her shoulder nicely, and he has to admit he’s a bit sad when she pulls away. his hands linger for a moment before retracting them back into his pockets, a small pout on his lips knowing this was where they said goodbye. “goodnight. i’ll see you soon.” his words are full of hope, and then he turns and starts back to his own apartment, hoping to hear from winnie soon.

“ coffee. yeah. ” winnie nods her head, a shy smile creeping onto her lips. “ i’d really like that. ” the moon continues to glow over them, and she can’t help but get sidetracked as her gaze falls onto the way that liam’s hands sparkle underneath the massive night star. “ i suppose this really is where we should part. only temporarily, though —– i hope. ” a small sigh falls from her mouth, and she tucks a few strands of hair behind her ears. “ before i say goodnight, can i —-, ” she pauses, purses her lips in thought, “ can i hug you goodbye ? ”

“me too,” there had been a feeling in liam’s gut that she’d reject his offer, but hearing that she’d actually enjoy going for some coffee makes him feel a lot better. “just, um, text me when you’re free, then.” they both seem like they want to continue to drag on this conversation, not ready to end the night yet. her forward request surprises liam a bit, but a soft smile settles onto his face, because he would probably let winnie hug him even if she hadn’t asked first. “sure.” he replies, his arms opening a bit to welcome her into them. “but only a temporary goodbye.” the short reminder falls from his lips along with a little laugh.

“ bon iver, ” adrianna repeats, a small nod of her head following. “ of course. i love bon iver. ”

“good,” liam says, a small smile creeping onto his lips when the dark haired girl admitted that she loved his music. “i won’t have to be disappointed in you then.”

“ did you want to hear a song ? anything but wonderwall, i can probably play. —– and don’t interpret that as ‘ i can’t play wonderwall. ’ i can play it just fine. it’s just that there’s this sweet old man that comes by and asks me to play it thrice. consecutively. every day. so, i’m afraid wonderwall’s off the menu. that’s a jolly joe exclusive, sorry. ”

“well darn. that old man is stealing all my song suggestions.” liam smiled a bit, playing with his fingers. he wasn’t going to ask her to play wonderwall, but he did find the old man’s absurd request hilarious. “how about re: stacks by bon iver? that’s not off the list, right?”

andrew nodded to himself as the man explained that they were his to keep. he didn’t know where he’d keep them, exactly, but he was glad to know that he didn’t have to bring them back by a certain date. he could only imagine how slow of a reader he’d be with his lack of experience so he didn’t want to have to stop midway through because of a return policy. “uh, i think that’s it,” he said as he looked down at the two books in his hands, before back up at him. “thank you. for, like, helping me out.”

liam was more than happy to help the dark haired man, not only because it was part of his job, but he felt better knowing he’d made him even just a little bit happier with something as simple as a book. “no problem, i’m glad you found something you might enjoy.” liam smiled, nodding toward the register. “i can help you pay. and if you have any questions, you can just call the store.”

this feels like the end of the beginning, like winnie has stumbled upon a gift, like she’s somehow been given a do-over, and all of the wrong that had been done to her over the years is going to be reversed. “ yeah, ” winnie breathes, and she shoves her hands in her pockets to prevent anything reckless — like reaching out to him, when it’s evident the two should part. at least for the night, anyway. “ i’ve really liked spending time with you, too. ” she rocks on her heels a moment, tugging her lower lip into her mouth with her teeth. “ i’ll call you, okay ? tomorrow. ” because if she just says ‘ i’ll call you, ’ she’ll pick up the phone the second they say goodnight.

liam isn’t exactly sure what it was about winnie that made him want to ask her to stay with him longer. maybe they could walk back and forth between their apartments until the sun came up, that would put an end to their issues. when he moved to providence, liam wasn’t sure who he’d meet, and he had to say winnie was one of the best so far. “maybe we can grab coffee sometime soon or something.” he suggests, hoping she’ll agree. of course, he wants to go get coffee with her, but there’s the added bonus of delaying their goodbye, which he knew was swiftly approaching.

winnie smiles as she watches the permanent marker ink slowly onto her skin. liam is so delicate with it, so careful, and she cannot help but wonder if he is like this with everyone he encounters. as he finishes, she rolls her wrist around, inspecting the boy’s handwriting. “ nice work. far beyond legible. you should be proud, ” she teases, taking back the marker and placing it back in the pocket where she found it. i guess i should probably let you get some sleep now. why does that statement sound so terrible ? winnie doesn’t know, but she wants to, so she attempts to understand in the only way she knows how to. “ liam, ” she says softly, her lips pursing in thought, “ why don’t i want to say goodbye ? ”

“thanks. i figured you should at least be able to read it.” he gave a small chuckle at the end of the sentence, not sure how the two should leave this conversation. they’d had a good time thus far, and liam didn’t want it to end, truthfully. it seemed like winnie though the same thing, though, as there was a certain tension in the air, neither of them moving an inch. “i’m not sure.” liam said, rocking back onto his heels. “but i don’t want to either.” the fact was said quietly into the warm air, just the two of them standing outside her apartment building. “i’ve really liked spending time with you.”

as liam said that they had plenty of other books for andrew to choose from, a small smile finally teased up at his lips in genuine gratitude. he didn’t know if he would make this a regular occurrence - really, he was expecting this to be a one time deal - but he was starting to think that it wouldn’t be half bad to come in here and browse the shelves if liam was helping him out. “alright.” he nodded, stuffing the batman graphic novel under his arm as his hands began to flip through the pages of watchmen instead. “uh - i’ll take both of these, then. i’m not gonna need to return them, right?”

hopefully liam was being even remotely helpful. he couldn’t tell if the customer was just being nice and saying that he liked the books, or if he now had a genuine interest in graphic novels. but watching him intently flip through the books made him feel a little bit better about the situation. “nope, once you buy them, they’ll be yours.” liam nodded. he wasn’t sure if the other wanted to see any other books or go about browsing on his own now that he had a better feel for the store. “is that all? or do you want to look around some more?”

winnie’s head nods, a small smile matching the one that appears on liam’s countenance. “ your number, ” she repeats softly. “ yeah, i’d like that. ” her palms push themselves into the pockets of her dress ( a dress with pockets, what a blessing ) feeling for her phone, only to find it with a dead battery when she pulls it from the pocket and attempts to tap the screen. “ damn, my phone’s dead, ” winnie explains, patting her pockets for something to get liam’s number with. she feels around for a few more moments, until she surfaces a lavender sharpie —- winnie’s favorite color. “ here, ” she says, extending the permanent marker to the boy. “ you can use this. write your number on my hand. ”

liam is glad that his suggestion of exchanging numbers isn’t taken as too forward or creepy by winnie. he’s just happy to have another possible friend in this new town. watching as she digs in her pockets for her phone, liam sees the look on her face when she tries to turn it on and it doesn’t light up, indicating that it’s out of battery. when she announces that it’s dead, liam is about to suggest that she can just put her number in his phone until she starts digging in her pockets again, stopping him short when she pulls out a sharpie. taking it graciously, liam takes her hand gingerly in his own, scribbling his number in his best hand writing on the back of her hand. “there.” he said, recapping the sharpie and handing it back to her. “i guess i should probably let you get some sleep now...”

“ look — i’ll try my best, i promise. do we need to pinky swear on it to make it official ? ” winnie extends her pinky finger to liam half-teasingly. she can see the complex more clearly now, still quite awake this evening for whatever reason, as there’s a group of people quite noisily shooting free throws on the basketball court. “ north carolina, nice. los angeles is beautiful. i was in cali for a while; i wonder if we bumped elbows a time or do. i bet that we did. ” it’s a funny though, winnie realizes, the idea of stumbling upon someone as scintillating as liam in the sunshine streets without even acknowledging it. the thought almost disappoints her. a heavy sigh falls from her mouth as they approach the stairwell to her apartment, and she spins herself lightly to face him. “ well, here we are, ” she says softly, her gaze driving around the community of apartments. “ i’d invite you in, but i’ve already taken so much of your time tonight that i don’t want to keep you from anything else tonight and—, ” she stops, leans forward, and presses a kiss to liam’s cheek. “ thank you, again. for everything. ”

“pinky swear.” he repeated, a goofy grin on his face as he wrapped his pinky finger around hers for a moment, a laugh bubbling out of his lips at how childish this seemed. “we might have. i was attending ucla, but i was out in the city a lot when i didn’t have anything to do.” it was funny to think that they had that in common, especially since they were now living on the opposite side of the country in what was considered a pretty small town. what were the odds that they’d both end up here? when she stopped, liam looked around, taking in the little complex that she lived in. it wasn’t far from his own, just on the other side of the park where they’d met, and he’d walked by this place a few times since he’d been here. when she pressed a kiss to his cheek, liam was surprised, considering the two were still strangers of some sort. “you’re welcome.” he nodded, giving her another smile. “you know, i should give you my number. you know, in case you’re ever out here late at night again and need someone to walk you home.”

“ you’ve kept it well hidden. i applaud you, ” winnie smiles. she nods, makes a mental note to spend some evenings at ‘ books on the square, ’ and continues to walk. they’re almost to her house now — she can see the parking lot of her complex a few blocks away — and she frowns. “ thank you, you know, for walking with me. we’re still a bit from my place, but i figured i should say something before i forget. i won’t make this a habit, i promise. unless you want to take more walks, in which case i’ll just lose the alcohol. ” her nose scrunches teasingly, and a comfortable silence expands between them. “ where are you from ? ”

“thanks. i try to fade into the background as much as i can.” it was nice getting to walk with winnie, one of the few people he’d spent more than ten minutes with in the town. he was hoping that her apartment was a little bit further, not wanting to have to say goodbye just yet. “the walking isn’t too bad a habit. just don’t make it a typical tuesday night thing to get drunk on park benches.” liam joked, bumping his shoulder against hers in a joking manner. “i’m originally from charlotte. in north carolina. i moved here from la though.”

andrew’s expression practically shifted completely as the book was placed into his hands. sure, he would joke about the fact that he felt as though he was in the third grade again ( and there was no doubting that he may regret buying this and keeping it in his house ), but it was oddly …. satisfying. if he went to the register and bought this, then it would be his; a little story all his own. with that realization, it was a little easier to understand why people actually enjoyed reading. “oh, uh — well, thank you. yeah.” his fingers flipped open the cover, his eyes scanning the words in front of him and immediately skipping towards a page with a picture. it couldn’t have been too hard to get through. “actually, um … do you have any other good ones? like, right now?” he flipped to another picture. “it could be anything, really.”

liam was surprised on how the boy seemed to soften and go into deep thought when he finally handed the book over. it hadn’t seemed like a huge deal to liam, he was around books all the time and people came in and out each day buying different books. but seeing andrew’s very childlike wonder at the idea of picking out a book was cool for liam to see. “yeah, we have a ton more.” liam said, taking a moment to scan through the shelf to see if he could find one of his favorite titles. finally finding the yellow and red book, liam pulled it off the shelf. “this one’s a little bit heavier, but it’s basically a cult classic. it’s what really put graphic novels on the map.” he said, handing watchmen over to andrew.

Eddie leaned against the counter, taking in the setup Liam had for himself. Books left behind by various customers scattered across the wooden top gently leaned against each other and tipped towards the computer. It didn’t look much different than his own room, but as hard-working college students who could expect anything more? “Hey.” He glanced at the computer, trying to see if he recognized anything at all. “I know that feeling. I had a few issues when I transferred here. They tried to place me in a few classes that I didn’t need, but you just gotta keep hassling them or proving them wrong and trust me you’ll be taken out.”

“yeah. they have me taking a few placement exams, so i’m trying to study so i can get placed in the higher level classes.” liam shrugged, glancing back at the material on his laptop that had become so ingrained in his mind over the past two hours or so. “what are you looking for today?” liam asked, in reference as to why he was in the bookstore. liam couldn’t lie, when he wasn’t working, he liked to stop in from time to time. it was a nice, quiet spot, perfect for studying or just getting your thoughts in order.

“ it’s on providence place, ” winnie smiles, surprised that liam’s new —- but then again, that would explain the unfamiliarity of his face. “ for what it’s worth, i never would’ve suspected you as a rookie. you play it off well. ” she continues to follow the dimly lit streets that lead to her apartment, though she slows her pace a bit. while she does want to get home, she enjoys the light conversation with liam, and the thought of it ending causes her to frown. “ okay, ” she nods, taking his word on the promise. “ i’ll trust you. ” and suddenly, she can see it. like a slideshow, images of her visiting liam at work pass by slowly in her mind, and it doesn’t seem awkward at all. in fact, it feels anything but out of the ordinary. “ what’re your hours ? ” 

“thanks. i’ve been trying to avoid the whole new guy conversation but it becomes pretty obvious when i can’t find my way around.” he shrugs. liam didn’t want his identity around town to be the new kid, but he would need some help from a few people so he wasn’t completely lsot for the rest of his life. walking a little bit slower when winnie’s steps got shorter, liam didn’t want to rush the girl. “i’m usually working nights right now, just because i’ll be going back to school soon and i’ll have classes during the day.” he says, hoping that winnie will think about coming to visit him. liam doesn’t have many friends besides eddie, and that’s because they work together and he was the first person liam actually met in providence. he could use some more friendly faces around town.