Realistic or Modern ~~*Greenville Wordsmiths Collaborative Project [Closed]*~~

[Ettra]

This thread is dedicated to the collaborative efforts of the Greenville Wordsmiths writers' group. Everyone is welcome to read, but only Wordsmiths members may participate. Thank you!

Timothy Adrian, famous children's author, has died. His family is in disarray -- including his younger brother Malcolm, who has turned to drugs to mask his grief. Illustrator Blair Hartley must forge ahead with the debut of her first solo publication while haunted by the passing of her long-time friend and professional partner. Charlotte Kelly, mourning the loss of her former lover, seeks answers for his unexpected departure from her own life. With the assistance of an intimidating lurker named Conroy Robicheaux, Alec Laurent hopes to uncover the mystery surrounding his father's death. Thomas Muller visits his aging mother, Mabel, while she and Liliana prepare for the biggest book reading event that their local Barnes & Noble has ever seen.

Friends, lovers, strangers. All brought together at a hustling, bustling city bookstore.

* * *

The Players

Timothy Adrian
Malcolm Adrian
Blair Hartley
Charlotte Kelly
Conroy Robicheaux
Alec Laurent
Mabel Muller
Liliana Leventree

Jackson Baker
Stanley Copperfield
Zelda Rona
Thomas Muller
Martha "Liz" Epstein
Billy Bob
​

 

[raessanell]

As Liliana skittered around the kitchen of the coffee shop, her blonde curls danced upon her shoulders like the sweetest of golden taffy ringlets. They reflected the sunshine that gently shone in from the windows. There was haste in her steps and the bouncing of her hair; being the manager of the café, it was imperative that things were in tip-top shape for the start of the work day.

“Lilly!” Jake called from the walk-in fridge farther in the back.

Halting her climb up a shelf to reach a cardboard box of plastic spoons, she yelled back, “Yeah?”

“U-uhm......are we out of whipped cream?”

Lilly was not one to make a mistake that detrimental. A hint of doubt was apparent, however, when a worrisome “what?” slipped out.

As she clamored down from the shelt, the young woman of 5’3 could not quite see over her shoulder and placed her small foot on a box that was not quite all the way pushed into the shelf. With a yelp that sounded like a scared puppy, Lilly tumbled to the ground in a heap of curls and an entanglement of apron.

“LILLY!?” Jake's voice rang from the back, followed by the sound of his feet quick and hard on the floor.

Sliding around the corner, a teenager of the ripe age of 17 haphazardly came to his friend's side to ensure she was okay.

“I'm good, I'm good,” Liliana squeaked out, hand to the back of her throbbing head.

“Dude, you just fell onto your back...onto a concrete foundation floor...from almost two feet higher than your own height... I don't think you are ‘good'.”

“No, really, I'll be fine,” She said, lifting herself up and away from Jake's supportive arms. “We open in five - I have to be fine.”

Jake huffed out a sigh and rose to his feet to follow the girl. “You're so stubborn, but not like a mule. You're more like an obstinate kitten,” he said and let out a chuckle.

Blushing, Lilly dusted off her jeans and bottom as she made her way to the front, leaving Jake behind, shaking his head. Her main cashier girl had called off, which meant she was to be upfront for the day. And on an event day, no less.

 

[weimerzoo4mama]

The door swung shut soundlessly, closing out the hustle and bustle of the busy city street behind her. Charlotte drew a deep breath, taking in her second favorite scent, paper and ink. It came only after the heavy aroma of oil paints and turpentine. She smiled brightly at the older woman, Mabel, she believed, who was working behind the counter. Scanning the bookstore, she saw that she was one of the first to arrive since the opening of the doors that morning.

She had been both looking forward to and dreading this day for months. After learning of the promotion in honor of the tenth anniversary of Timothy Tortoise, Charlotte had waffled back and forth about whether she would attend. As soon as it was announced that the reading would be taking place at her local Barnes and Noble, her mind had been made up. It seemed like a sign that it was meant to be, considering the amount of time that she spent in this little corner of New York City. It was finally time to put Timothy to rest.

Charlotte made her way slowly through the new arrivals, grabbing a few to skim while she waited. She chose a brown leather club chair off to the side, away from the main entrance and morning sun streaming in. Dropping her books and light spring jacket on the chair, she made her way over to the café for her second dose of caffeine of the day. She smiled at the sunny blond bustling around the café as she handed Charlotte her steaming jumbo mug of coffee. Returning to the chair, she nestled in to enjoy a few quiet moments before the event got underway. In no time the quiet would be drown out with what would undoubtedly be a large crowd of children.

Not that she would be bothered by the noise the kids would bring. In fact, she loved it on most days, which is why she continued to work as head of the art department at a prestigious charter middle school here in the city. Kids made her heart happy, especially when they were discovering expression through art. But today had a somber feel to it, at least for Charlotte. This was her chance to finally put the past in the past and move on. Enough was enough. She had mourned for far too long and she was beginning to feel the weight of it. It was time for her to look to her future. Her dad was right. The past was gone, done and over. But her future, a potentially beautiful one, lay ahead.

Charlotte read the first chapter of every book she had grabbed, making piles of keep and return to shelf. She stood to return the unwanted books, placing them back on the front table where she had found them. She walked to another table, looking over a few nonfiction titles, when the quiet tones of women’s voices caught her attention. She heard Timothy’s name and felt her heart skip and then shudder. Her grey eyes traveled in feigned indifference to the corner. Her breath caught at the sight of Blair. It had been years since she had last seen her. She should have known that she would be involved in this event. Turning back to the other side of the store, she mentally chastised herself for the stab of jealousy that tore through her. Stupid, really.

When would this ridiculous sense of betrayal subside? Seriously, this was beyond pathetic and she knew it. And it wasn’t about feeling rejected, but more for the lose of her best friend. A friend whom would have helped her through the terrible loss she had suffered, if only she had been able to share her secret with him. Not that she was the only one keeping secrets. She had felt that there was more to the ending of their friendship than just a regrettable one-night stand. Timothy surely had some secrets of his own. Secrets that she felt he had shared with Blair and hadn’t trusted her enough with.

 

[smnth.oakes]

"Big day at the book store, Coco," Mable sang out as she bustled around the kitchen, grabbing all of her necessities for the day. "We have a huge event scheduled, we're expecting a big turn out, mainly children, but lots of them! Thomas even said he would come into the city this afternoon to see it and take me to dinner after. Isn't that so exciting?" She joyfully spun around, coffee cup and packed lunch in hand, only to be met with the sight of the large tabby cat half asleep on the kitchen chair. "Oh what do you know about exciting, the most excitement you get in a day is when a bird stops to sit on the windowsill."

Rushing into the living room, she grabbed her purse and keys, threw a jacket across her arm, and gently touched the small locket at her neck to ensure it was still there. "I'll see you later this evening, Coco," she called, the front door swinging shut behind her.

Even though she was nearing 74 years old, Mable was as active as ever. She never took the bus, and instead opted to walk the ten blocks to work everyday. She loved early morning in the city, waving and smiling at every person she passed who took the time to look up from the their feet and meet her gaze. She knew all of the shop keepers and street cart owners along her route by name, and would call out a friendly "Good morning," as she passed them by. It always seemed to make her 20 minute walk fly by.

Nearing the final block of her commute, she reached into her purse and pulled out her key ring. On it there were at least 50 keys, the biggest of them being the key to the front of the store. As she slipped into the book store and re-locked the door behind her, Mable called a cheerful "Exciting day!" to the two employees frantically setting up in the cafe. She quickly scooted behind the front counter, placing her purse and lunch on the lower shelving, and grabbed the to-do list she had made for herself the previous day. "Let's get rolling," she excitedly exclaimed as she hustled to the backroom to get everything they would need for the event.