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battyaboutbooksreviews · 10 months ago

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🦇 Icebreaker Book Review 🦇

[ Find my review on Goodreads | Storygraph | Instagram ]

❓ #QOTD Ice skating or hockey? ❓ 🦇 Anatasia "Stassie" Allen is SO close to qualifying for Team USA alongside her competitive figure ice skating partner, Aaron. Also a student at Maple Hills College is Nathan Hawkins, captain of the school's hockey team. Unfortunately, a messy misunderstanding leaves both teams sharing an ice skating rink; a hitch in Stassie's rigorous schedule that could impede her efforts. Can Stassie and Nathan get along enough to help one another succeed, or will they only butt heads (and skates)?

💜 Given how much this book was hyped last year, it's no surprise that's brimming with plenty of romance tropes and smut. However, the story's true strength lies in its mental health representation, including the benefits of healthy communication to strengthen relationships and ongoing therapy. Both MCs are interesting, layered characters (though I have a few issues with Stassie, Nate is one of those bookish boyfriends you just want more of). Anastasia is a relatable female MC who recognizes her faults and strives to work past them. Nate is protective, a problem solver, a shield. They're well-matched. I also have to say I fell in love with the hockey boys, who are absolutely adorable.

🦇 Unfortunately, it felt like the author was trying to check off a long list of tropes for the sake of grabbing readers. The relationship relies on sex as the real catalyst (and suddenly all their tension and animosity is gone and forgotten) when Stassie and Nate could have developed a little more before sleeping together. The issue of them sharing a rink VERY quickly disappears as the main source of conflict, in exchange for a lot of 'can't keep their hands off each other' smut. The new source of conflict becomes Aaron, who is exhausting as an antagonist. While Stassie recognizes that Aaron isn't the villain in her story, he's painted as one until the very end, and the solution seems so simple that it's a shock Stassie didn't consider it before. The justifications for his behavior aren't enough, and there aren't enough positives to outweigh the negatives. While Stassie and Nate experience growth through their relationship, I wish we'd seen more development outside of their relationship with one another. They tend to exist in a cute, romantic bubble ("playing house"), leaving the bulk of their character development to occur when they're apart. Needless to say, this story has a weak plot for how long it drags on.

🦇 Recommended to fans of the Addicted Series or spicy BookTok favorites.

✨ The Vibes ✨ ⛸️ Enemies to Lovers 🏒 Spice ⛸️ He Falls First 🏒 Sports Romance ⛸️ Ice Skater x Hockey Captain 🏒 Grumpy vs Sunshine ⛸️ Mental Health Rep 🏒 Forced Proximity ⛸️ College Romance 🏒 Part of a Series

❝ “I know you don’t, but you’re worth defending. Every cut, bruise, every single pang of anger or frustration. It’s all worth it. I’d throw my last punch defending you because you deserve to have someone be that person for you, and there’s no one more qualified for the job than me.” ❞

❝ She’s taught me communicating doesn’t mean everything is perfect, it doesn’t mean we don’t disagree. It means we work through the imperfect bit together, and if we don’t agree, we at least know why the other feels that way, even if it’s not going to change our minds. We’re still individuals, but we’re individuals together, and I never knew relationships could be like this. ❞

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bubbles081021 · 5 months ago

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I'm registered for classes and am planning on buying a little something for those that are Call of Duty fans such as my partner and myself. 🤭

The job hunt for that in veterinary is what is hurting right now. Hoping to get a new hoodie and a mask to start off my cosplay journey with the first paycheck I get after being hired on!!

Cute little hoodie from my favorite cosplayer that I can't wait to get! Love Pigeon Boy!! Wish me luck on the job hunt!

#pigeon boy milo #college #college student #romance author #college life #pre vet #veterinary #veterinary receptionist #equine #cosplay #call of duty #call of duty cosplay

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lilibetbombshell · 6 months ago

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onceandfutureclotpoll · 6 months ago

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Title: Caesura

Author: StormDancer

Rating: Mature

Summary: Merlin is a writing prodigy with the world's most angsty case of writer's block; Arthur is an overachieving Econ major struggling to escape his father's shadow. Together, they fight crime!

Well no, they don't. But they do fall in love.

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the-golden-comet · 2 months ago

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✨💋Friday Kiss Tag💋✨

I have awoken from a DEEP slumber to present the Friday Kiss Tag. Get them smooches ready (or if not a kiss, get those writing shares ready 💛✨)

Rules: From your story/WIP, post a kiss. It can be any kiss, from familial pecks on the cheek, forehead kisses, platonic smooches, to full-blown makeouts

Rules for non kiss: Share a snippet of your writing!

Oh boy oh boy do I have some from YWIMC to choose from now. Let’s go with this steamy one 🧞‍♂️❤️‍🔥✨~

Once their pulses no longer rang in their ears, and their hearts were content and full, Ali pulled his head away from the pillow to look endearingly at Noah. Their faces were hot and flushed red…..Noah’s considerably moreso, a generous coating of rouge painting their visage. That same gorgeous face that left Ali smitten upon seeing Noah sleep that first night, more than how Allah already smote him. Gingerly, Ali leaned down to kiss Cauldwell again as Noah hummed in satisfied bliss into his lover’s mouth.

As always, I will leave my Friday kiss as an +open tag, and also gently poke my tag list. Happy smoochin! 💋❤️✨

👇✨Tag list for writing snippets below. DM me if you’d like to be added 👇✨

Tag List for writing tidbits (lmk if you want + or -)

@autism-purgatory , @jev-urisk , @talesofsorrowandofruin , @ragin-cajun-fangirl , @wyked-ao3 ,

@glasshouses-and-stones , @alinacapellabooks , @gioiaalbanoart , @tragedycoded , @deanwax ,

@dyrewrites , @honeybewrites , @drchenquill , @paeliae-occasionally , @lychhiker-writes ,

@thatuselesshuman , @kaylinalexanderbooks , @katenewmanwrites , @zackprincebooks , @fantasy-things-and-such ,

@finickyfelix , @billybatsonmylove , @madi-konrad , @houseplantblank , @far-cry-from-finality ,

@froggy-pposto , @fractured-shield , @avaseofpeonies , @topazadine , @thecoolerlucky ,

@theaistired , @willtheweaver , @rivenantiqnerd @somethingclevermahogony , @noxxytocin ,

@leahnardo-da-veggie , @addicted2coke-theothercoke , @illarian-rambling , @mysticstarlightduck , @the-letterbox-archives ,

@ominous-feychild , @saturnine-saturneight , @words-after-midnight , @sableglass , @cowboybrunch ,

@yourpenpaldee , @moltenwrites , @pixies-love-envy , @davycoquette , @writeahurricane ,

@nczaversnick , @greenfinchwriter , @oliolioxenfreewrites , @lavender-gloom , @smellyrottentrees ,

@aintgonnatakethis , @thecomfywriter , @pluppsauthor , @michellekarnold , @flurrysahin ,

@authorcoledipalo , @jadeglas , @spookyceph , @astramachina , @48lexr ,

@inseasofgreen , @agirlandherquill , @saebasanart , @leatafandom , @justabigoldnerd ,

@pippinoftheshire , @just-emis-blog, @aalinaaaaa , @badscientist , @dearunreliablenarrator

@worlds-tallest-fairy , @rhikasa, @eccaiia , @theink-stainedfolk , @theverumproject

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zaramonzel · 7 months ago

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Beyond Rivalry

Valerie rushed across campus, her arms full of books as she tried to get to her next class on time. Dodging groups of students along the hallway, her foot caught on uneven pavement. Books flew as she crashed down with an "oof”.

“Need a hand?” came a familiar voice. She looked up to see Jason standing above her, arm outstretched in an offer of help. With a scowl, she ignored his hand and began gathering her scattered notes and textbooks.

Jason and Valerie had a long history of competition that stretched back to their days as rivals on the debate team in high school. Where Valerie was studious and meticulous in her preparation, Jason relied more on charm and quick wit. More often than not, Jason’s gambles paid off, earning him wins over Valerie in several occasions.

Their rivalry only grew stronger once they both ended up in the same university. It seemed their classes were constantly pitting them against each other, whether for top grades on essays or leading opposing sides of mock trials. Neither was willing to give an inch to the other.

As Valerie stuffed her notes back into her overflowing bag, Jason crouched down to help. “Let me carry some,” he offered. “Don’t want you taking another spill so close to exams.”

Valerie glanced up at him, frustration and reluctance clear on her face. But with a heavy load herself, she knew refusing his help meant being late. “Fine,” she relented curtly, “but I expect them back unscathed at the end of class.”

She handed him half of her books without further complaint and they walked in tense silence toward their shared lecture. While grateful for the help carrying her books, she remained wary of his intentions. Four years of cutthroat competition had taught her not to let down her guard, even for a moment.

As they entered the lecture hall, Jason returned the stack of books to Valerie. "Try not to trip over your own two feet next time," he said with a grin.

Valerie frowned. "Just stay out of my way," she shot back, brushing past him to find her seat. She could feel Jason's eyes on her as she went, his smug smile undoubtedly still in place. The game was far from over as long as they were classmates, and Valerie was determined not to lose the upper hand.

In the weeks following, Valerie kept her head down and focused on her assignments. At the library one evening, she happened to glance up and notice Jason sitting at a nearby table, books and papers spread out in his usual unorganised fashion. Their eyes met briefly before Valerie gave him a weary nod of acknowledgment and returned to her work.

To her surprise, Jason soon came over with a fresh cup of coffee. "Looked like you could use a pick-me-up. Mind if I join for a bit?" he asked.

Valerie regarded him carefully but saw only friendly sincerity in his expression. She was loath to admit it, but company did sound nicer than solitude for once. With a small nod, she granted permission.

Before long, Valerie found herself seconds away from tearing her hair out over her half-written paper and Jason noticed her distress. "My place is just down the block if you need a fresher workspace," he offered. "No distractions, I promise."

Weighing her exhaustion and the promise of a productive workspace, Valerie decided taking a risk might pay off.

The short walk to Jason's place passed in companionable silence, each lost in thought. As they climbed the stairs and Jason unlocked his door, Valerie took in subtle hints of Jason beyond rivalry—photos of loving family, stacks of worn books. Surprisingly, his flat was very well tidied.

"Make yourself at home," Jason invited. Framed degrees and awards spoke of his strong determination to achieve, yet walls displayed posters reflecting deeper passions.

Valerie set up her notes and laptop at the large glass-top table. She realised this was the most space she'd had to work in weeks. But soon her concentration broke—stomach rumbling loudly at the scent of…pasta?

She turned to find Jason pottering about the kitchen. Pots simmered on the gas stove while herbs and vegetables awaited knife-work on the pristine marble island counter. Shelves held an organised array of spices, oils and equipment. She hadn’t noticed the kitchen when she came in. The way he hummed softly as he cooked seemed so...normal.

“You cook?” Valerie asked curiously. Jason was full of surprises it seemed.

Jason glanced back with an easy grin. "What do you think this kitchen's for? Decoration?"

Valerie blushed, caught off guard. “I didn't realise..."

"No point in takeout when home cooking is healthier and I enjoy cooking,” Jason replied as he placed a plate of chicken pasta in front of her. "Have a taste first. You look exhausted."

The smell of the food lifted her fatigue. Valerie accepted, touched by his thoughtfulness. Over dinner, easy conversation flowed as old biases fell away. Where once she saw arrogance, Valerie now glimpsed a thoughtful humour and sincere passion beyond self-interest.

By the time they finished dinner, night had fallen. A calm quiet had settled over the city as Jason brewed a pot of coffee on the stove.

"Want to talk more outside?" he offered. Valerie nodded, curious to see the view of the twilight skyline from his balcony.

With steaming mugs in hand, the pair retreated to the balcony to unwind further under the soft glow of string lights. As they conversed through the evening, Valerie felt the stress of deadlines lift completely from her shoulders. She felt at ease to open up like never before.

Jason listened with empathy, sharing his own story of persevering through loss to become a role model for his younger siblings. Valerie began to see not a rival but an empathetic soul with deep care for others.

Hours had slipped by unnoticed. Reluctant to leave such rare intellectual harmony, Valerie lingered longer, questions turning from academic to personal. Tucked among throw pillows on the rug, conversation deepened into dreams of making a change in the world.

As midnight peeked in, the long night of lively discussion had taken its natural toll. Valerie found her eyelids growing heavy, lulled by the fire's warmth and calm of Jason's voice. Before she knew it, consciousness slipped away as her head rested comfortably on his shoulder. Jason soon noticed her breaths had deepened and evened out in peaceful slumber.

Dawn's rosy light filtered into the apartment as Valerie stirred from a deep slumber. As consciousness slowly returned, she realised her cheek laid against a warm surface rising and falling in a steady rhythm.

Blinking awake, Valerie slowly lifted her head and was stunned to find her impromptu pillow had in fact been Jason's shoulder. She must have drifted off there as their discussion ran late into the night.

A flush crept over Valerie's cheeks at the intimate position she'd unwittingly assumed. Her eyes flitted up to meet Jason's, afraid of what she might see—annoyance, discomfort, impatience to be rid of her intrusion.

But Jason merely smiled, an expression so tender it somehow soothed Valerie's embarrassment. "Good morning. I hope you slept well," he said softly.

Too mortified to speak, Valerie could only nod. Yet as Jason casually offered breakfast to start the day afresh, she sensed no judgement in him - only care that she feel at ease.

The following week, Valerie strode across campus, mentally preparing for an ethics debate. Spotting Jason ahead, that familiar spark flared anew—a desire, not for closeness, but to best him in intellect once more. She quickened her pace.

“Review the Marx case, Jason. Wouldn’t want your argument to become predictable.”

He turned, grin widening as if waiting for her challenge. Their eyes met and Valerie found herself caught in the deep blue of Jason's gaze.

"Marx, is it? Trying to stack the deck with your area of expertise, I see,” Jason replied teasingly. "Lucky for you, I'm always eager to dive into critical theory. Lead the way and enlighten me, oh wise one."

Valerie felt a smile tug at her lips in response to his good-natured jesting. It seemed their familiar competitive spirit remained, but the accompanying edge had dulled into something...warm, almost playful.

Their discussion wound its way from Marxian analysis to more personal matters. As they talked, she found her eyes drawn again and again to Jason's passionate expressions, the languid curves of his lips and hands gesturing. Valerie was surprised to find how much she enjoyed getting to know this side of Jason.

When their hands brushed reaching for the same book, she felt a sudden jolt, a fluttering pulse of energy that made her breath catch. Their gazes locked and she saw the tenderness in Jason's gaze mingled with amusement at her blush. All thoughts of the texts fell away, leaving a profound stillness where unspoken questions lingered in the air. Was it her imagination, or had the space between them grown charged?

“I was wondering…there's this new art exhibition opening downtown this weekend. Would you care to join me?” His hand rose shyly to rub the back of his neck, such a hearteningly boyish gesture that Valerie thought was only done in movies.

Unable to resist teasing this rare moment of exposed sentiment within him, she grinned, “Are you asking me out on a date, Jason?”

Jason met her teasing with a smile, a becoming pink still colouring his cheeks. "Yeah, I guess I am. I was thinking dinner after, if you're free."

Valerie was caught off guard by Jason's vulnerable boldness. It was unexpectedly endearing coming from her usually composed rival.

Four years of competition between them since high school. While she spent evenings researching all sides of an issue, making sure she matches his vigour argument for argument, Jason always seemed to skate in moments before their matches and still snatch victory from her. It was a dance they knew well, one fuelling underlying feelings she refused to acknowledge. It frustrated yet impressed Valerie to no end. Beneath the surface irritation, an undeniable spark had ignited between them from their first clash.

Until now, with his coy yet meaningful question lingering open in the air. All at once, Valerie realised how far they'd come. She thought about how taking this new path with Jason meant venturing into unknown territory. While the future was unclear, in these couple of weeks, Jason had helped make her feel like taking that step wasn't something to fear.

“The exhibition and dinner sounds nice," she replied. "I'd like that."

Jason let out a quiet, relieved laugh at Valerie's acceptance. Beneath his usual confidence, he'd felt nervousness like never before in putting himself out there.

Valerie had always been the one to keep him on his toes through their debates, approaching each topic with unmatched dedication and rigour. Charm and improvisation could only get him so far against her strategic questioning.

Secretly, it was what he admired most about her—the way she challenged him to constantly raise his own standards as well. Over the years, their clashes had stirred in him not just sparks of debate, but something more intimate he'd shoved down, fearing it would make him vulnerable.

"I'm looking forward to it,” he said with a grateful smile.

Valerie felt a blush rise to her cheeks in response. Though they had reached new understanding, old habits died hard. She couldn't resist the opportunity to regain footing with a witty retort.

"Getting sentimental now, are we?" she teased, raising a brow in challenge.

Jason let out a short laugh, rising readily to her bait. "Wouldn't want you to think I've gone soft.” He leaned back, adopting an air of casual smugness. "Just you wait until the weekend—I’ll have you singing a different tune by the time I've dazzled you with my artistic expertise."

"We'll see about that.” Valerie's eyes gleamed.

#romance #rivals to lovers #rivals to friends #writeblr #creative writing #fiction #short fiction #short story #flash fiction #microfiction #new adult #young adult #writing #writerscommunity #writers on tumblr #author #college romance #college

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broke-art-girl · 8 months ago

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"21 Detectives." by Broke_Art_Girl

Fandom: 21 pilots, MCR, P!ATD, Melanie Martinez, Billie Eilish, Corpse Husband +more.

Summary: Tyler Joseph has always been a normal kid, until senior year, when he starts hearing voices. After being told he was a mind reader, he moved to Rosewood Academy, a school full of people with supernatural abilities just like him. He has no idea what he's doing. But after making a new friend he feels like his abilities can help aid in finding the two Missing girls from Rosewood.

Words: 4k+

Characters: Josh Dun, Tyler Joseph, Melanie Martinez, Billie Eilish, Corpse Husband, Gerard Way, Brendon Urie, +more

AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/53017801

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wheresurboytonighthelookslikeenj · 1 year ago

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pop culture casting adults as high schoolers is understandable but it really does skew with people’s perceptions on how we look. like. the grade 12s are adults and even they are significantly kid-looking. i found a ya romance set in high school at the library and reading the more mature scenes gets really strange when i remember that these kids are supposed to be my age and i realize the author imagines that 16 year olds look like 18-19 year olds

#me yelling at this random millenial author they would not have sex like that #people should stop writing high school books if they dont know what high schoolers look like.#you dont want hot high school romances you want hot college romances

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empress-of-hugs · 2 years ago

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Oops! ...I Did It Again

Click on the title to read on AO3

“He’s back,” Emily whispered in a sing-song voice as the doors of the bookstore parted to allow passage to a gangly young man. JJ immediatly looked toward the door, hissing at her friend to be quiet. She felt a treacherous blush creep up on her cheeks as he did an awkward little wave and said hello.

JJ swallowed down her nerves and gave him her sweetest smile. “Welcome back!”

“Yeah, er, good to be back?” he almost phrased it as a question and JJ involuntarily chuckled.

“Feel free to browse, I’ll be right here if you have any questions,” she managed to squeeze out the words, barely hearing them over the erratic beating of her heart.

“Er, thank you.” He didn’t say anything more, simply turning into the non-fiction aisle.

JJ took a deep, calming breath. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Emily giving her a sympathetic look. JJ smiled at her, feeling her nerves subside just a little bit because she could share them with Emily. A customer materialized in front of her, and JJ put on her customer service face as she checked the older woman out. In the meantime, her eyes followed the young man through the store as he wandered from section to section, picking up books and placing them back on the shelves. Every once in a while, he’d throw a longing look at the cash register. JJ saw him check the price tag of a book about ancient Egypt before he placed it back on the shelf. She finished up the transaction with her current customer and turned to see if she could help the young man who was now visibly agonizing over the price of a thick book about Irish mythology.

“That’s a good one,” Emily said to him. JJ hadn’t noticed her friend straightening out the books on the aisle next to the young man and startled almost as much as he did. “My friend’s reading it. I’m gonna borrow her copy after she’s done though, it really is expensive.”

He nodded solemnly and placed the book back on the shelf. At the counter, JJ fingered her own copy. It was laying on the shelf just under the fake-marble surface. She read it in between her other duties, since a small bookstore in an all-but abandoned mall didn’t exactly need a two-woman team. But the owner didn’t want them to be alone in the store, so they always worked in pairs. JJ had often wondered if that was why the books here were so much more expensive. She watched as the young man picked up the book again, flipping through the pages one last time before shooting another look at the register. Without thinking, JJ grabbed her own book and held it up, hoping that her smile came out right. She watched his Adam's apple dance as he swallowed before nestling the book in the crook of his arm.

She lost track of him as he disappeared between the shelves again. Soon after, a small group of people all wanted to check out at the same time and JJ could no longer spare the time to look at the young man still roaming the store. Emily moved to stand beside her, opening the other register as they did their best to get through the throng of customers together. Soon enough, they’d all but cleared the lot and Emily smiled at her as her last customer walked away.

JJ’s stomach tied into a tight knot as she suddenly saw the young man again, walking up to the counter. She was too busy checking out an old man with a whole stack of books; he was going to check out his books with Emily. JJ sighed under her breath and focused her attention on the customer in front of her.

She always tried not to judge the people who bought the trashy romance paperbacks from the basket by the door, but it proved hard to ignore the fifteen scantily clad women on the covers of his fifteen books. He made her feel a little uncomfortable as he asked her if she ever wore pretty dresses like the one on the cover of this book here. JJ just shook her head a little as she scanned the barcode.

“Are you sure? You’d look great in something like this.” He held up one of the books and JJ just barely glanced at the picture on the cover. The woman was wearing a pink dress with a split going up all the way on her side, high enough that JJ was pretty sure that the lady wasn't wearing a bra. She shook her head again, taking the book out of his hand so she could put it with the others in the plastic bag. After she sent the old man on his way, JJ glanced around the store. That guy was probably long gone by now. She sighed.

“I’m sorry, he really shouldn’t have asked all that,” a quiet voice called her from her thoughts and she looked up into the face that always managed to brighten her day.

“It’s okay,” she said as she pulled her long hair out of her face. “Some people are like that. I’m used to it.” She carefully looked at the register next to her, but Emily was nowhere to be seen.

“She said she had to go take care of something urgent,” he told her sheepishly as he placed a small stack of books on the counter. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“Oh, no. Not at all!” Relief crashed through her body, making her feel light as a feather. “That’s my job, right?”

“Right,” he said quietly and JJ internally scolded herself for pushing him away.

“I mean, I like my job. You know?” She tried to salvage the conversation.

“I guess you get to see all the new books before they even hit the shelves, huh?” His eyes fondled the YA book that Emily had carelessly left out on the counter. The bookmark was a shirtless picture of Emily’s favorite actor, cut out of a magazine and stuck to a piece of cardstock. JJ swallowed and pushed the book and its embarrassing bookmark aside.

“Yeah. Sometimes we even get a book for free so we can read it and recommend it to people.” She motioned to the book with the insultingly childish-looking cover and the far from childish bookmark. All the books he was checking out were so far out of that book’s league that it made her feel a little dumb for enjoying books like the one Emily was reading.

He nodded politely. “I don’t have much time for fun reading anymore. I kind of miss it sometimes.”

She looked up at him. His expression was unexpectedly soft and he picked up the book Emily was reading, turning it so he could read the synopsis on the back. “Oh, I remember reading the first book of this. I didn’t know it was a series.”

“The second book just came out,” JJ said breathlessly. “Almost a decade after the first one.”

“Yeah,” he sounded excited. “I read the first book as it came out. I really enjoyed it. Is the sequel any good?” He looked at her with warm, happy eyes and JJ couldn’t stop the waterfall of words from falling down her lips.

“It’s amazing! Much better than the first one, even. Louise is convinced that after what happened in the last book, Jean has turned into a bird that flew off with the rest of the flock, and she goes to find him. It’s a bit heavier than the first book, but that is what makes it so great! There’s so many feelings involved and you can really emphasize with Lousie and Ronnie – Ronnie is a new character, by the way, but he’s super cool. He’s kind of like this big nerd, but in a totally amazing way – he knows so much stuff and he’s hyper-rational, which is a beautiful contrast to Louise and the whole quest that they’re on. And she can really rely on him to – I’m sorry,” she finally caught herself. “I’m rambling again, aren’t I?”

He smiled at her, a happy, sincere smile. “No, it’s fine! I have a tendency to ramble on about stuff too.” He hesitated for a moment, looking at the display of books just off to his left. “How much are they?”

“Nineteen-ninety-nine,” JJ said without hesitation. “Do you want one?”

The look on his face soured a little bit as he checked his wallet. “Maybe next time. My paycheck comes in two weeks…”

JJ threw him a sympathetic look. “I feel ya…” She grabbed the books he brought over to the counter and quickly scanned them before putting them into a bag.

The whole time, he just stood there, looking a little awkward as he clearly eyed the books on the display. JJ couldn’t help but see it; the haunted look in his eyes as he weighed his wallet on the palm of his hand.

“You know,” she suddenly said, unsure where the words were coming from, “you’ve been a regular customer for a long time now. Let me take a quick look to see if maybe you qualify for a discount or something.”

His eyes turned to her, careful hope pushed down to their depths and beyond. “You really don’t have to.”

“Oh no, I want to,” she assured him as she quickly typed something into her terminal. “Oh, see? You do qualify for a discount! Tell you what, with the books you’re buying today, if you add the novel, and I add the discount…” she did a quick bit of math in her head. “You’d basically be getting the novel for one dollar. How does that sound?”

He smiled at her, an uncomfortable smile. “Are you sure you can do that?”

“Definitely.” She pushed down her own insecurity and gave him a beaming smile. “And then, next time we see each other, you can tell me if you enjoyed the second part of the series. I heard a rumor that if it sells well enough, they might go for a third installment.”

That might’ve been the words that pushed him over the ledge, JJ mused as the young man reached out and grabbed a copy of the novel. “Alright then,” he said softly. “I’ll read it tonight.”

JJ eyed the thick book as she scanned it and added it to the bag. It had taken her almost two weeks to read it – and she had the luxury of reading on the clock.

>>>...

Spencer breathed a sigh of relief as he left the mall. The cute young woman at the bookstore always made his heart race and his palms go sweaty. But she also made him feel happy, and light, and so, so very awkward. And to top it all off, the bookstore she worked at was always far more expensive than the one near his university campus. Spencer shook his head a little, what did he keep coming over here for? Why put himself through all that? She wasn't any more friendly or kind to him than she was to other customers. She never looked at him the way he secretly looked at her. And yet, every other week he was back here. Spending money that he couldn't really afford to spend just to hope that she'd be the one at the check out. Just so she would smile at him. At least this time he'd apparantly qualified for a discount. His overflowing bookshelves were good for something after all.

He lifted the stately-purple bag with the pretentious logo and searched in between the heavy books for a piece of flimsy paper. After a few moments of searching, he found it. Spencer carefully fished the receipt out of the bag. His eyes searched for the discount code that she'd written down for him. She'd told him it was good until the end of the semester and it had no limit on how often he could use it. Spencer didn't know much about marketing and such, but he did realize this was an unlikely kind of promotion. She must've made a mistake somehow.

His eyes ran down the lines of overpriced books until he found the word 'discount'. Something felt off, and Spencer's eyes were drawn to the word before it. 'Employee discount' it read. '15%'.

Spencer blinked. His eyes traveled down toward the end of the receipt. It said he'd been served by 'JJ'. And to 'have a pleasant day'. Lower still, just above JJ's beautiful, rounded handwriting, it said: 'Employee discount applied. Employee #164075. Jennifer Jareau.' Underneath it, she had scribbled a phone number, followed by the words 'call me'.

The rest of Spencer’s day was spent agonizing over JJ’s note. He tried to talk to his roommate about it, but Derek didn’t seem very interested. He’d taken just a quick look at the receipt before telling Spencer to ‘call the girl’. But how could he possibly do that? He must be misunderstanding something. There was no way anyone that cute would be interested in him of all people.

By the time he finished his dinner and left the dining hall, Spencer had just about decided that he could never show his face at that bookstore again. His wallet would thank him. His heart already ached with an emptiness he couldn’t quite understand.

“Hey there, Pretty Boy!” An arm came to rest around his shoulders as Derek caught up with him. Next to him walked Penelope, Derek’s best friend who he swore he wasn’t sleeping with. Yet at least a few times a month, Derek would be a no show at their dorm room after going to hang out with Penelope during the evening.

“Derek told me about receipt-girl,” Penelope said, wrapping her colorful shawl around her shoulders a little tighter. “You should totally call her.”

“I dunno, guys…” Spencer said softly. “She’s way out of my league…”

“So what?” Derek smiled at him. “She chose to give you her number, didn’t she?”

“I suppose so…”

“You dummy,” Penelope cut in. “She clearly wants you to call her. So call her. Chicken.”

Spencer threw her a mock frown. “Hey…!”

Derek mocked him further by making a few clucking sounds and Spencer felt himself pull back. “I just don’t know what to say, guys…” he whispered softly.

Penelope shot him a reassuring look. “Just say hello. Hi, my name’s Spencer. I’m the cutie you gave your number to at the bookstore. The one that wears these god awful knitted vests all year round. Yeah, that guy. I promise my lack of fashion sense has not yet contaminated any of the other parts of my brain – in fact, I’m so smart that I read your damn book over dinner.”

“Hey!” Spencer called out, feeling genuinely hurt by her words. “My mom knitted this for me! And also, I haven't finished the book yet. I still have a few pages left.” He hugged the novel tightly to his chest with both arms as he shot his only two friends a pained look.

“I’m sorry,” Penelope said, and she seemed to mean at least some of that. “But I doubt you didn’t finish it yet.”

“Like I said, I have a few pages left…” Spencer didn’t explain that this was only because he somehow felt that finishing the book would push him further away from that beautiful person who’d encouraged him to buy it. It didn’t make any sense to him, either. And Derek and Penelope definitely wouldn’t understand.

“Lemme see,” Derek suddenly said – his hand already taking the book out of Spencer’s hand. “A Bird’s Cry,” he read out loud. “Is it good?”

Spencer pulled a face. “The first book was great. Back when I was eight…”

“Ah…” Derek chuckled a little. “Worried she’s not smart enough for you?”

It was painful to hear him pinpoint Spencer’s biggest fear just like that. Spencer swallowed. His eyes studied Derek’s face. Derek’s eyes searched his face. Eventually, Derek sighed.

“Look, Kid… I dunno what to tell you. But she seems like a nice girl, right? Go take her out for some coffee or something, see if you have anything more in common. That’s the least you could do after she put herself out there like that.”

Spencer shook his head. “I can’t…”

Behind Derek, Penelope rolled her eyes. “It’s coffee, Spencer. You love coffee.”

“I do.” Spencer nodded. “And honestly, I’d love to take her out for coffee. I’d love nothing more than to talk to her – even if I have no idea what to talk about.”

“Just…” Derek slid a hand across his closely cropped hair. “Just… compliment her shirt. Don’t stare at it, though. And… and maybe ask her what she thought of the book. Or, if you don’t want her to find out you thought it was boring, talk about… I dunno…”

“Irish mythology? She was reading the same book I bought.”

“She was reading an Irish mythology book?” Derek deadpanned. “A book that you bought because you were interested in it?”

“Yeah…”

“Then why did you buy this one, you dimwit?” He gently bonked Spencer on the head with the thick paperback.

“Because… I dunno. I have good memories of the first book. My mom read it to me.”

He watched as Derek and Penelope exchanged a Look. Then, Penelope looked back at him. “Alright. So. You talk about Irish mythology. Sure. And compliment her shirt. Or her earrings. Or her necklace. Don’t do all of it. That’s kind of creepy. By then, knowing you, you should’ve probably finished about five cups of coffee and it’s time to let the poor girl go home to recover from your caffeine-fueled frenzy. And then, if you still like her, you ask her to grab some lunch come Saturday. It’s that easy.”

Spencer helplessly shook his head. “It’s not. I can do the complimenting, I practiced that with my mom.” He ignored the slightly awkward look the other two exchanged and soldiered on. “And I can talk about Irish mythology as much or as little as she’d like. And there’s plenty of other things I’m sure we can talk about, but I just can’t do it.”

Derek’s sigh seemed to come from somewhere around his toes. “Alright, I’ll bite. What’s the actual problem then?”

Spencer bit his lip for a moment before shyly looking up to meet his friends’ gaze. “I just spent my entire food budget on books. Again.”

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