Vintage Treasures

Lillian heard the crash of thunder roar outside the window. It shook the house and the old wood creaked in the lonely silence that followed. Lillian toyed with the chain around her neck, spinning the long pendant around. She heard the faint shout of her grandfather through the rain.

"Lillian! Come downstairs, I'm going out today," he shouted.

She sat up quickly, wincing as her stiff limbs stretched. "Coming!" she screamed before rolling out of the bed.

She made her way across the room full of posters and music albums. Stepping over heaps of her dirty laundry, she wrinkled her nose in disgust. She threw on jeans and a jacket and inspected herself in the dusty mirror. Her skin was pale from staying indoors and her plain brown hair was knotted all over the place. Her eyes shifted to her neck which a silver cord with a rectangular shaped pendant wrapped around it. The necklace had been a gift from her mother Lillian had received just days before her death. She sighed and turned away from her reflection. As she stepped down the stairs, the creamy smell of butter and pancakes drifted through the air and filled her nose.

"Hey, Lia!" a cheerful voice came from the kitchen. "Your dad left a few minutes ago. He's very busy these days and he said he probably won't be back until late tonight." her grandpa's voice echoed through the room.

She sighed. Her father was never home anymore. The only times Lillian had time to see him were late at night, where he stumbled through the door, soaked by the rain. She knew that her father was a pretty successful lawyer, but she constantly wondered why her father avoided her since her mother died.

"OK! Pancakes are ready!" he said excitedly. When he saw her disappointed face he frowned. "Ok, come sit down Lia," he said, putting the wobbling plate of pancakes down.

She grumbled under her breath and reluctantly sat down.

"Lia, are you ok?" he said carefully.

Lillian sighed, hesitating before saying, "Grandpa, I'm fourteen now and you don't have to give me the talk about dad." She said, raising her eyebrow.

"Listen to me, ok?" he waited for her to nod before he continued. "Your father loves you very much but he misses your mother a lot. He just needs time to get over her death. We all miss her but he hasn't moved on yet. He's also very busy as a lawyer and he's a bit stressed which is why he called me to help to take care of you. Understand? He isn't ignoring or avoiding you. He's just trying to move on."

Lillian paused, not knowing what to say. "I know, it's just I miss both of them. I understand and I'll try not to be a burden," she said positively, plastering a smile on her face.

"Good! Now let's have those pancakes!" he said, grabbing the plate. "Oh! I forgot to tell you. Can you go to town and buy some milk today? I forgot to ask your dad." he asked.

"Sure, sure," she reassured him. Lillian wolfed down the rest of her plate. "Delicious! Thanks, Grandpa!" She stood up and walked to the door. She grabbed her backpack, jacket and walked out the door.

Lillian's gray bike was parked in the lawn. She hadn't been to town in a while since school ended. She hoisted herself on the bike and kicked the break back. Lillian grinned into the wind as it rushed across her face and into her long brown hair.

The supermarket was located at the side of town. When she saw the supermarket, she steered the bike to a stop and hopped off. She raced inside and was greeted by the smell of fresh vegetables and stale water. Lillian hopped to the dairy section and picked out a carton of milk. She bought it and stepped out into the block. The air was wet and heavy from the storm earlier. The sky started to fill again and thick heavy clouds threatened to burst above her.

Lillian turned towards her bike and realized it was gone. She cursed under her breath and looked around. Suddenly, she spotted a little shop at the corner of the street. The clouds covering the sky made it too dim for her to read what the shop was called. Lillian, having nothing better to do for the moment, decided to explore. She had never seen the shop before, so it was probably a new building. She walked quickly along the street, not wanting to be caught in the storm.

When she got closer to the building she realized why she had never seen it before. The small building was tucked into an alley where you could only see it from an angle. A big sign reading Vintage Treasures in big scrolly letters sat on the building. What a strange name, she thought.

Lillian pushed open the rusty door which caused a small bell to ring, cutting through the silence. She stepped into a dusty room where she was greeted by rows and rows of tall bookshelves filled with hundreds of books. The dusty volumes filled the room with a rustic feeling and it made her feel calmer. Lillian wondered why she had never seen the book store before.

"Hello! What can I do for you?" a voice came from behind her.