《Dan's Shoppe of Oddities》Chapter 5: Plans
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Dan sighed as the sun leaked in through the window, with a groan he rolled over, and attempted to go back to sleep despite the light. With a contented sigh he sunk into the bed once again, there was however something not quite right, and it wasn't allowing him to go back to sleep.
Though he had rolled over this side of the bed was warm, abnormally so. And opening his eyes he found the answer, laying there sleeping with an innocent look of peace on her face was Amani. With another sigh he sat up in the bed and looked around.
He had made sure to give her the main bed, and he was instead sleeping on the pull out bed, and yet there she was when he woke up.
She really wasn't making it easy for him.
He poked her in the face with his finger, and she made an annoyed sound and she pulled a soft frown on her face. He smiled at her, and poked once again, only to have a louder dissatisfied sound and deeper frown to reward him. He poked her one last time, but instead of waking her she simply opened her mouth and chomped down on his finger.
He didn't know wether to laugh or cry.
Pulling his poor gnawed finger out of her mouth he resorted to more aggressive measures. Grabbing the blanket at the foot of the folding bed he gave a great tug. She made a displeased sound and reached around for the blanket, before curling up in a tight ball for warmth when she could not find it in her sleep.
Honestly, what would it take to wake up this girl?
He looked at the old grandfather clock in the corner.
9:15
Part of him missed having the daily routine of school, just two days ago if he had woken up right now he would be well over an hour late to his first class.
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The other part of him loved it.
For the first time he could remember he could choose for himself when to get up, when to do what he wanted when he wanted, it was honestly liberating. After spending a brief moment reveling in his freedom he got back to the problem at hand, what exactly to do with this Genie girl.
She looked so content sleeping there on the bed, with a sigh Dan picked up the covers that he had just pulled off of her and placed them back over her. She had a tough day yesterday, perhaps he would let her sleep in today.
Dan didn't know what he would do if he was in her situation, her entire world disappeared and was replaced as she was held prisoner in a glass bottle. It was a miracle she hadn't gone on some murder rampage when she had seen what had happened to her home.
Yeah, it was rough for her, he would let her sleep in today, but only today.
With a slight smile he left her to dream and went to get the shop ready to go for today, he was going to open the store by ten today, a little later than normal, but as they said better late than never…
[Teacher lounge]
Sara Lawrence sighed as she sat down in the teacher’s lounge. It was a spacious well furnished room, complete with a large screen tv; currently displaying the local news anchors as they prattled on local going ons, a pool table, and even a foosball table. In the far corner there was three vending machines and a microwave.
She pulled her phone out and opened up the internet app, still there was a map location from her last search.
321 E Merchant Street.
Here tucked between a winery and a trendy outfitter was the shopfront of a small antiques store, and it was here she would be visiting after her last class of the day.
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“Ah Ms Lawrence! How good to see you!” a voice called out as a man entered the teaching lounge. Sara shivered involuntarily when she heard that voice.
The man it belonged to was by no means a bad looking individual, in fact if anyone said so then they were lying to themselves and everyone else. He was a tall and well built individual with soft brown hair,deep green eyes, and immaculately dressed in a suit he definitely was an easy person to look at.
The issue was the personality of the man under that suave exterior. He had a history here at the school that no one talked about, how he was still in the schools employment was a mystery to her. The list of female students he had had associations with was quite long, and the worst part of it all was the ring he wore on his finger.
He was married, but this didn't stop him.
He was the worst kind of man in her opinion.
“Listen, me and a couple others are going to the bar after school, care to join us?” he asked, putting an arm on the chaise lounge and leaning in too close for her comfort. She honestly doubted there would be any other people there, he would likely make some sorry excuse like they couldn't make it or something along those line.
Did he think she was stupid? Or was he that sure of his own charm?
Conceited.
A brilliant idea popped up in her head and she smiled slightly. “I'm sorry Mr. Richardson, I have some pressing matters to attend to this afternoon.”
“Oh? Pressing? Maybe I can help with them?” He asked, trying a different angle.
“I doubt it.” she said with a small laugh.
“Why is that?”
“Because I am going on a date tonight if you must know,” she lied with a sweet smile, but under that smile there was a hint of malice. “I doubt my date would be to happy if you showed up to ‘help’.”
Richardson paused, his eyes turning cold, and a fake smile on his lips. “I think you might be correct, who exactly is this date?” he asked, his suave facade cracking ever so slightly.
“Allen,” a large hand landed on Richardson’s shoulder. “I don't think that is any of your business now is it?” the owner of that hand was an old bearded man that taught chemistry, Mr Albert if she remembered correctly. He had always seemed like a kindly old man in her opinion, and this only further concreted that point.
Richardson stiffened up, and turned slowly towards Mr Albert. “No,” he said, his smile wavering slightly, showing the angry and annoyed person beneath for a split second. “I suppose not, if you will excuse me.” he said, before walking out of the lounge with a sour look on his face.
Mr Albert looked down at her, flashed her a wink, she returned the gesture with a smile and he went back to his chair to read his newspaper and sip his coffee. Sara blushed as she thought of what she had just said.
A date wouldn't be bad would it?
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