[ paper lanterns ]

alaska hale // eighteen // london

[runaway-pj]

“Well it shouldn’t.” PJ replied, “I don’t see why one person having something to be glum about should make everyone else glum even though it doesn’t affect them.” That’s what he never understood. He rarely ever let someone else’s emotions affect his own. Only if the person meant something to him and there weren’t very many of those left for PJ.

PJ smirked too, “Well you know what they say, curiosity killed the cat. Or whatever…” He then shrugged, “I don’t do much because there isn’t much to do I suppose. I just chill, I guess.” He leaned forward a little on the front of his feet. It was barely noticeable but it showed his interest in the conversation, “And what does a girl who works in a small bookstore do for fun around here then?”

[alaskahales]

“Perhaps it shouldn’t-- but it does. Hasn’t someone randomly shooting you a smile ever brightened your day? A barista once drew a smiley face on my cup and when I looked up at him after noticing he smiled at me and then it made the rest of my day. It’s the little things-- no?” Alaska rambled. It was probably because she was often such a cynic that Alaska liked to talk about things like that. Somehow, she believed that through convincing others of the world’s perks, she could convince herself. That and she had mentally set herself the challenge to make this mysterious young man to smile. It would probably be difficult, but Al was up for it.

Alaska simply shrugged, “I guess its a good thing that I’m more of a dog person then, huh?” she joked with a soft laugh. With a raised brow, Alaska thought about her answer. She was a little surprised he seemed to care enough to continue the conversation, but she wasn’t going to deny him of an answer, “Well, she reads. I would’ve thought that’ be pretty obvious,” Alaska replied, clicking her tongue before pulling a smug grin as she felt accomplished. "And what about you? Do you just loom around small bookstores with a permanent Grumpy Cat frown on your face?"

[runaway-pj]

There was something different about this girl. He had been rude to her, she was rude back but now they were having a conversation. Sure they hadn’t even exchanged names yet but they were talking as if they knew each other. She didn’t look at him as though he had just murdered her cat like many people did. She didn’t seem to be the kind of person who would cross the street when he was walking but someone who may even come up to him and say hi if they were on a first name basis. And they may just be that soon enough.

“Nah, not really.” PJ answered in a somewhat amused tone. It didn’t get exhausting per say but he sure didn’t enjoy being so glum. It’s not like he could stop it. But that wasn’t something he was going to tell a complete stranger no matter how pretty she was. PJ returned the girl’s scoff with another one, “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

[alaskahales]

And once again-- more questions. Damn does this guy come off as defensive, Alaska thought to herself as she rested her elbows upon the countertop casually. “Well it sure seems to be draining out the smiles from everyone else,” she joked, laughing softly, still referring to his rather glum expression. Alaska could tell there was something more but she couldn’t quite pinpoint it, and for some reason she couldn’t get her mind off of trying to figure him out. 

Rather glad no other customers were entering the shop, Alaska wasn’t sure why but she didn’t want this conversation to end. At least not yet. She was pulled back to the present conversation when he replied. Alaska’s eyebrows rose up high at his scoffed response before her expression faded back into an amused smirk, "What can I say?” she said, leaning forward on the counter and resting her chin in her hands, “I’m a curious soul.”

[runaway-pj]

“Sure.” PJ said in a teasing way. Or what was the closest thing to him teasing. His sense of humor had been at an all time low lately. Probably because he no longer had someone to be humorous with or any reason to be so at the moment. Still, he was sort of teasing her because he could tell it wasn’t the first time she had snapped at someone. Maybe the first time she snapped at a customer but all the same, she looked feisty and certainly not a very rarely snap at others kind of girl.

PJ almost smiled when she said that. Almost. The girl didn’t understand how right she was. But he wasn’t gonna tell her that “Don’t get yourself worked up, love.” He said, using a pet name he called a lot of people by, especially when they were attractive girls who he didn’t know the name of, “I just have one of those faces.”

[alaskahales]

She wasn’t sure how to feel about her current conversation with this mysterious guy. He looked around her age, but something about him made it seem as if he was prematurely aged. Perhaps he’d experienced a lot of hardships or just grew up in a questionable home-- either way, Alaska could tell this guy grew up to be very independent prematurely. It was either that or he just had one hell of a sad and serious looking face.

“Oh, I see,” the brunette stayed silent for a moment, watching him with an amused smirk upon her lips. She could swear the corner’s of his mouth almost tugged upwards-- but they didn’t. So close."Does it ever get exhausting? You know-- looking so glum all the time?” Alaska huffed, letting a soft amused scoff escape her lips, “I wonder what people with depressing-looking faces like yours do in your spare time anyways.”

[runaway-pj]

PJ couldn’t help but smirk slightly. This girl was feisty. Even if it was just a little bit. He could see the signs of her anger. She crossed her arms, she huffed and then, even though he couldn’t see her hands behind the desk, the muscles moving in her arms told him she was clenching her fists. He had become very good at reading body language. In the line of work he had just left behind, you had to be good at it to stay alive. Or at least that’s what he had thought. He shook his head, “Don’t worry about it. Snapping doesn’t bother me.” And it didn’t. Something as petty as snapping could hardly bother him.

Turning back around, it was PJ’s turn to cross his arms. He took a good look at her. Long, dark brown hair, hazel eyes, small nose and overall a very petite figure. Not someone that he would underestimate though. The smallest ones were always the ones to look out for. He raised one of his eyebrows at her, “Why’d you say that?”

[alaskahales]

Alaska raised a brow at his comment, “Um alright?” she said confusedly. At least he wasn’t going to file a complaint over her sudden snap-- some previous customers already have but Alaska’s boss wasn’t getting too many interested potential employees so he stuck her her anyways. “It was a one time thing anyway,” she lied, shrugging it off. Alaska was prone to snapping every now and then-- a side effect of her acute bipolar disorder.

She felt herself tense up slightly when he looked at her like that. Most people either looked right through her, others checked her out and admired her beauty-- he seemed to look into her. It was unsettlingly different from what she was used to. Shaking herself out of it, she looked at him with a teasing smile, "Because you’ve got a really depressing look on your face.”

[runaway-pj]

PJ wasn’t even sure why he went into the book store. He just had to be out of the house because Mars’ mother was home. Sure, she didn’t go into the guest room but he thought it was safer to be out of the house when she was in and these days, more often than not, he played it safe. She didn’t know he was around but PJ had now made it his mission to make sure Layla was safe. She was the last of his friends, even if she didn’t see him that way since he and Eli had left her.

The book store looked empty and PJ didn’t want to be in a crowd right now so it seemed like the perfect place. But he didn’t think about the fact that being the only one in the store meant that whoever was working there would bother him. He turned to look at the girl. She looked just a little younger than him and sh was definitely beautiful but PJ wanted to be alone. So, without thinking, he said, “I don’t remember asking for help?”

[alaskahales]

"Well firstly there’s no reason to be so rude,” Alaska huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. Occasionally customers like this one would make their way into the bookstore and she’d have to deal with them. She was sick of being pushed around just because she was a woman and an employee-- so occasionally her snark would get the best of her and it would come out on the job. “Ugh I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap,” she apologized quickly, clenching her fists behind the desk to calm herself down. 

As she found herself calming down, she noticed there was something different about the young boy around her age. Sure he had rather sharp features such as his high set cheekbones, distinct nose, prominent eyebrows and quite the mane of golden hair, but there was something else. “Uhm wait,” she called after him as he seemed to be leaving, “I asked if you needed any help because you look like you could use some.”

[alaskahales]

Among the scattered books and cozy bookshelves, Alaska sat and read. Business was far from booming today and the rest of the employees decided to take the rest of the day off and leave Alaska to work at the bookshop on her own. It was no trouble because there weren’t even any customers. She sat comfortably cross-legged on the floor with a book, her back leaning against one of the bookshelves. She was rereading the Uglies series for what was probably the fourth time. 

Alaska was so immersed in the book that she barely heard when someone entered the bookshop. It was when she heard a bit of shuffling of feet and a book fall to the ground that her attention was drawn to her surroundings. “Hello?” she called out curiously. Getting up with the book still in hand she peered over the next row of bookshelves to see a blonde young man, “Oh hello sir, can I help you?”