Page 5Earning pages

The streets towards the center were a bit more crowded, though the term implied many where there were few. I heard two girls my age (more or less) on the streets talking about something they'd done and how they wanted to write it in their diary. Yes, it was about a boy. Though I kind of despised such frivolities, I did like the idea of chronicling what I did every day. Especially tonight could prove to be a very interesting read for people and if I put it on-line, no one would even believe me.

I stepped from the shadows to return among people again and head for the shopping district. I was sure there would be places open at this time of the evening. It was getting late, but not that late that everything would be closed. Though shops where they had diaries may have less ideal opening hours. For me at least.

I got some odd looks from men walking around. A few of them looked at me hesitantly but, as I didn't glance or smile back at them, they didn't dare approach me. I realized that I may have looked a little like a prostitute in these clothes. Even though the pants were not as tight as they would have ought to be then. That thought made me giggle.

A likely looking store with some office supplies and frilly hobby stuff in the displays was still open. There were no other customers and the owner appeared to be cleaning up for the day, but he didn't look at me unkindly. He returned to his work and let me look around the store.

There was a whole part for school, agenda and diary stuff. Most of them were horribly... Well... Girlie. I had nothing against pink, but a vampire (and I felt like one tonight more than ever) writing in a cheerful, white diary with lovely little hearts on each creme-colored page just felt... wrong.

I mentally caught my thoughts spinning out of control and got a hold of myself. Sometimes I could generalize a little too much.

Anyway, there were all kinds of diaries. Even those with little cute locks or more bland ones. It took me some searching until I finally found something I kind of liked. It was a diary with hard cover and pressed pages. The paper felt slightly thicker and rougher than in the others and had no lines. The only downside was that it was fifteen floryns... Not bad, as such, but more than I had.

I could steal it, but, besides having nowhere to hide it, I didn't want to be that bad. Though I'd need a pen as well. Let's start with asking, it would never hurt to ask. And maybe I could make him like me just a little bit.

"Eh, hello?"

The man looked around, he had been looking at me a few times, but with no more than a professional glance. "Yes, can I help you?"

"Well, I really want to buy a diary to start writing a long story, but I don't like the...eh... standard ones for girls or boys. I like this one very much."

He nodded. "Alright, let me walk to the register."

"Eh, but I have one small problem."

He looked back. "It's too expensive?"

"I only have ten floryns for this and a pen."

He looked at me. "Well, I will give this to you for ten floryns, with a decent pen if you will help me clean up the store."

I looked at him and wondered if he would try to do anything else. But he didn't look like the type to take that kind of advantage from girls. Besides, it's not like I couldn't defend myself easily. In fact, this could be fun.

"Alright, I'll help. Just tell me what to do."

"Have you ever worked in a store before?"

"No."

"Alright, put that diary on the counter for a moment and look here." He pointed to a rack of pens in front of him. "Now, this may sound very weird, but it's important that prices are visible to customers. But, since people pick up and often not buy things, they get all messed up." He turned the pens with the price facing us, working from the back to the front. "You start over there with the binders and work your way to me. If you haven't messed up the section you were just browsing, we should be done in no time."

I smiled. "I understand."

I walked to the back of the store, with the binders and saw what he meant. The back ones were nicely facing up and neatly in a row, but it was a mess in the front. I got the ones that were not the right side up from the rack and ordered them on the floor quickly. Then I placed them back and moved on to the next one. Big things were very easy to do. They stayed put when you placed them back and made you feel like it went fast. Small things, especially the tiny notepads, were kind of a nightmare. For some reason even almost twenty pads deep, there was one turned around. It made me wonder if someone had done it on purpose. It was easy to spot from the side, though.

I worked silently and with precision, feeling the logic behind all of this and making sure things were in the right place. All too often a book, cover or pad was among those of larger or smaller size. I was glad that he was doing the pens and pencils, as I could imagine them being a true nightmare. Well, I suppose it was a job.

I had no idea how much time had passed, perhaps half an hour or more, when I was finally done. He had walked passed me and looked at the racks to see how I had done. Apparently he was pleasantly surprised.

"Well done. Alright, let's see about your diary."

I smiled and followed him to the counter, but standing on the customer side while he stood behind it. I retrieved my two five floryn bills and waited for him to speak.

"You've actually done a lot better job than I would have expected. I suppose it's worth some reward at least. How much do you expect to write?"

I smiled. "More than this can contain."

He looked thoughtful for just a moment. "You're lucky then. This pen is a display-model of a really good brand. Maybe handled quite a lot, but still very good. Also, Hold on." He turned around and took one of the packs off the wall behind him. "And these are ink-fills for that pen. That should last you quite a while."

"Thank you." I handed him the ten floryns and nodded politely to him.

"Oh, one more thing."

"Yes?"

"I did notice you were thinking about stealing it. That you chose to ask me rather than do so made me give you that chance. Realize that."

I blushed a little. "I will."

He smiled. "Then, happy writing."

I exited the store and walked away with a pen and two refills in my pocket and a diary in my hand. At least this time it felt earned rather than taken. Less intense, but still worth it. Despite the nagging feeling in my head that I really wanted to steal it. It was an interesting moment, and definitely one I would note down.

The rest of the evening was a little less eventful. I checked up on two of the safe-houses I knew. One was taken, the other one not so safe anymore. In a long-shot I decided to go back to the first safe-house, the one above the factory. It was a little odd having to climb my way up there again, but it felt good. The door, however, was open. Inside was completely empty and abandoned for at least a while. Not that it felt like anyone else had been here. Downstairs was empty as well, all the rooms had been cleaned out but at least here the doors were all intact.

It would have to do for now.

The end of one day, or night. I can't believe she wrote so much or how long it took me. At least the legibility of her writing is improving steadily, making my work that much easier.