"Where are you going? Curfew at eight." The Harlot — I mean our janitor lady yells.

Her voice drips with tobacco, the type you can only get if you smoke your brains away.

"I need a book for homework. I'm going to the library but return in an hour, Mrs. Harriet."

It takes concentration to lie and avoid slipping and say Mrs. Harlot.

"You better—." We're not on the best of terms.

Kids with a family might have their mom defend them from bullies, but we don't have one in this place, we have her.

And this old hag is the bully.

If the Headmaster calls the orphanage that students abuse each other, we get a beating from her too.

After a few such calls I learned how to keep it a secret. It was a lesson for a lifetime.

I won't miss her in a few months once I'm — homeless.

"Yeah, I better finish that CV."

The Baker Street Orphanage is at the edge of town, on — you guessed it, Baker Street.

It used to be an asylum, and sometimes it still feels like it.

It operates with minimal staff, and the orphans clean and cook too.

This means Sophie eight days a week and whoever helps her that day.

"Where are you going?" Her voice is sweet and caring. It's the same question yet in a different tone.

"My manga is out, but don't tell the Harlot."

I'd fall in love with her but she feels like a mom, or a little sister, depending on the mood.

Once Sophie is gone, the whole orphanage will collapse.

I'm glad I'll be out of here before that. And out of Brooksville too.

It's a quiet town on the Brooks River in the dead center of the States, a place people often forget exists.

It's no wonder when it got such an unimaginative name.

We, proud Americans either name stuff about what it is, — Great Plains, Rocky Mountains, — or put 'New' in front. Or we won't bother, and reuse something that already exists ten times per state.

Sophie shakes her head, waving me off.

It's almost summer, the air's hot in the evening, but days are still short.

The Grande Library is a twenty-minute walk and it's been two weeks since I been here.

After that weird dream, they kept it closed for a week. What a coincidence.

Nobody saw the Aratsuki lookalike but it's not like I asked around.

She's not behind the counter this time, and when I realize who's there instead, I almost turn around.

The crazy emo chick.

"Fuck." With a mutter under my nose, I open the door and face her.

She's such a cutie, but her smile alone creeps me out.

I want to run home but if I came this far for my manga, I should man up.

"Hey Max, you can read?" Her voice sounds hoarse like someone who screams all day.

Before I can react to her casual insult, she gasps.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

"Oh, of course, you did that group project for us, haha."

"Yeah. That was me." It's too late to run now, why is she here?

Let's see if I can disarm her with a half-assed praise.

"You already have a job? So cool. I'm struggling with a CV at home."

Crap, this is oversharing. I can't find the balance.

She raises an eyebrow, a thin black line, halfway covered by her poofy black hair.

She's the cute dark emo type through and through.

"No. I help my dad out, that's all." She notes, swiping off imaginary dust from the counter.

Right, this place is the Grande Library. Her name is Danielle Grande, and I'm an idiot.

"Cool. Cool. I was curious if you sold translated manga here?" Since that strange dream, it's easier for me to speak. I don't stutter as much, and while I still avoid people, I can talk to them.

There's still room for improvement.

"We do, and Princess Knight released today."

She pulls it out as if reading my mind, handling the booklet like some illegal ware.

Seeing the cover my eyes must light up, and then go dull.

"An academy arc?"

It only takes a moment to forget my nervousness at the sight of the silly fantasy school uniforms.

Why would they start an academy arc after a hundred chapters?

"I know. Right? She should be out slicing up the baddies." She slams the manga on the counter. "I have a beef with the mangaka too, for killing that rival character in the last issue."

"Oh, you're a fan?" Color me surprised.

But she doesn't answer, showing off a few more booklets instead.

"We have the Weekly Skip, and some fresh light novels too."

"I'll take the Princess Knight, thanks." Dropping the banknotes on the counter, I pick the manga up, pondering. "Do you mind if I settle in, and read it here?"

"Sure, make yourself comfy." Her eyes light up, and I already regret the question. I take the same spot as last time without thinking to hide from her but also keep an eye out.

Oh, right. This weird scribble is still on the desk. It's off-center, and the lines are wobbly, making it clear that it wasn't part of the design. I drop the booklet on top and settle with a sigh.

"An academy arc, huh?" I flip through the manga, and a mysterious new character shows up. Two even, one must be a dude, the other is a girl with very pink skin and a hidden face.

"God, tell me this isn't a lover's arc too." Shaking my head, I start reading, and Aratsuki finally makes her entry. She's the same tsundere as always, except mourning the loss of her friend.

This reminds me of what happened the last time I entered this bookstore. Was it real after all? It's hard to focus on the pages with my mind wandering off, and my eyelids feel heavy too.

What if the same thing happens again?