forum The Grand Library

Started June 13, 2018 by @Bri_Soto

tune

All are welcome, ordinary and extraordinary, regular and irregular visitors. (We'll not have a template, just stroll in and describe yourself as you go. I'll have the starter prompt in a few moments.)

Bridgett Smith smiled as she flipped the sign on the front door to OPEN. She had just moved into the area and was thrilled to finally be opening up a library! She pushed a stray lock of dirty blonde hair behind her ear as she headed to the front counter. /I wonder who will come in first/ She thought.

(Thanks u fren)
Jay walked into the library nervously. He felt a bit self conscious for being basically the only one there, but went to look at the books as he did every day anyways. He had been teaching himself to read here, and it was a means of escape from his parents for a short while.

Bridgett grinned as she saw Jay. She finished shelving a small stack of books then went over to say hello. "Hey, Jay! How are you doing today?"

"Er, h-hello, Bridgett. I'm… good." He lied, smiling weakly. He always hated lying; his parents lied all the time and he didn't want to be anything like them. But the seven year old boy was frequently told he was never to say anything about home.

Bridgett's grin softened. She couldn't tell if he was telling the truth, but she hoped he was. "That's good." She tilted her head, contemplating him.
"Hold on, I'll be right back!" She said before rushing through a door to grab some cookies from upstairs. He looked like he could use a warm chocolate chip cookie.

Jay watched her leave before picking up a random book from the shelf and trying to read its title. His heart was pounding from the lie, but he tried to put it out of his mind. B… no, P? What is this about? He flipped the book over, trying to figure out if the words were easier on the back. Nope…

(How did you make italics? I've been trying but it won't work for me! Awesome tho)
Bridgett glanced around her messy kitchen and spotted the plate of chocolate chip cookies she'd made earlier. She touched one with her fingertip. Still warm, perfect! She grabbed the plate and ran back downstairs.
"Want a cookie?" She asked cheerily as she found Jay again.

(Put little *s on either side)
"Cookie?" Jay cocked his head to the side, looking at the tray with a confused look on his face. "What's that?" The book lay loosely between his fingers, and he still couldn't figure out what it was called.

(thanks my dude)
Bridgett felt like someone had stabbed her in the heart as she watched the utter confusion in Jay's eyes at the thought of a cookie.
"It's a delicious little treat. Trust me, you'll like it. Here," She placed one in his small hand that wasn't occupied with a book and took one for herself, "Just take a bite and tell me what you think."
She smiled and took a bite of her own cookie, watching Jay curiously.

Jay hesitantly accepted the cookie. Is it safe? I think I can trust her… He gently set down the book before taking a bite of the cookie. I think it's good! Not poisoned at least, and doesn't smell like alcohol. The book had stood out to him earlier because of the colorful cover picture and intricate lettering that, little did he know, spelled out "Peter Pan."

Bridgett raised her eyebrows questioningly. "So, what do you think?"
She looked at him, then the cookie, then the book, and back to him. Peter Pan… Good choice.

"It's… it's good! What's it made of?" Jay looked down at the book. He wasn't able to read it, but he could at least identify the colors. The boy was wearing green, as was the shiny flying girl. The title was golden, and it was curly and fancy looking.

"It's got sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, baking soda, salt, flour, and chocolate chips! I'm glad you like it!" Bridgett smiled widely at Jay.
He was definitely one of her favorite little boys that came in to the library. She pointed at the book he was holding. "That's a good book, don't you agree?"

That's a lot of things… "Er… I've never read it. What is it called?" He traced the letters with his finger, wondering what they meant. His long, messy, copper colored hair fell into his hazel eyes. It appeared to have never been trimmed, or very rarely. The length wasn't severe, closer to medium, but it was enough to be noticeable. He wore clothes that were obviously too large for him, and not in great shape either.

Bridgett squatted next to him to be more his height. "It's called Peter Pan. It's a lovely book."
She looked at Jay for a moment, watching him carefully trace each letter with his finger.
"Would you like me to read it to you?" She asked softly.

Does she know I can't read? Jay made eye contact with Bridgett, hesitating before nodding. "S-Sure. Um, what… what is it about?" He sat down at one of the tables, his legs dangling several inches from the ground.