Lost Image

"Hey, dude you gotta stop reading," my friend said. "I don't have to," I answered.

"C'mon let's just play or something," my friend insisted.

"Just go play on your own," I answered. "Well, you're no fun," he said.

"Why don't you read?" I asked.

"That's boring man," he said.

"Suit yourself," I replied.

It was the end of classes. We got out pretty early so he insisted that we play.

I'm not into that stuff.

Instead, I went on to the bookstore.

~As I got there~

"Oh, Welcome Zero," the shop owner greeted me. "Hey," I responded.

"You're here early," he said.

"We were dismissed pretty early so I thought I'd go here," I said.

"That's good, and we actually have new books arriving later so stay a while," he said.

"Thanks, sir," I answered as I start looking for a good book to read.

~~

"Do you like to read?" Someone asked me.

"Yeah," I said without making eye contact.

"Well it's pretty obvious since you can't even look at me," the person said.

"Let me just finish this okay?" I said.

"Fine fine, I'm gonna read a book too," the person said

as that person sits beside me. I looked and saw that she was a girl.

You could see her very excited while reading a book.

She noticed that I was looking at her so she starts looking at me.

She smiles and says "you finally look at me," she said as she laughs.

I look away and start looking for different books.

"Awww cmon don't give me that," she says.

"Fine!" She says as she grabs a book and reads it.

"Zero, you shouldn't be like that to a lady," the owner says to me.

I looked at her.

She looks angry but she's got that cute look.

"A-are you angry?" I asked her.

She moves away and keeps reading.

"I-'m sorry," I said. She starts to smile and looks like she's holding her laughter.

"Are you serious?" I said as she starts bursting into laughter.

"Did you actually think I was mad?" She said as she kept laughing.

"Fine, I'll see you next time," I said.

"No, wait," she said. "I'm Jewel," she said.

"What's your name?" She asked.

"Zero," I said. "Why not one?" She said as she starts to smile. I look at her seriously.

"Yeah not really funny," she said.

"Well, I better get going," I said.

"Okay Zero, maybe next time?" She said. "Maybe," I answered.

"Hey sir, I'm gonna get going now," I said. "Okay now Zero," he says. As I start to walk home.

~The next day~~

Before I went to school, I decided to go to the bookstore.

I saw a mister shop owner sweeping in front of his store.

"Good morning sir," I greeted.

"Oh Zero, Goodmorning," he greeted back.

"What brings you here?" He asked.

"I just wanted to see the new books you talked about yesterday," I said.

"Oh, I thought you would say that," he said.

"here, I know you'd like this book," the owner says as he lends me a paper bag with two books inside.

"Woah, this looks really cool! thanks, sir," I said happily.

"Daaaaad, where're the new books from yesterday!!" Someone was shouting.

"Oh Ummm," The owner reacts.

"Daaaaad where is--" she stops as she sees me.

"Z-Zero?" She said.

"H-Hi," I said. She starts to blush and runs back into their house.

"Oh, Jewel's your daughter?" I asked mister.

"Not biologically," he answered.

"So she was--"

"She was an orphan," mister said.

"I adopted her after knowing what happened to her parents," he added.

"Does she know?" I asked.

"She, does," he said with a smile.

"I better get going then sir," I said.

"Okay son," he says.

I start to remember how she looked when she saw me. I blushed.

"She looked cute,"

~~

As I was walking I gazed upon the books mister gave me.

I saw that every book was new and I haven't read anything like that yet.

As I start to look at each book, there was one book that caught my attention.

It had no designs in front. It had no title. But it was complete. I start reading it as I slowly walk to school.

"WAIT!!!," someone said.

I looked and saw Jewel running towards me.

She looked so exhausted so I stopped and I walked towards her.

As she got to me she starts to catch her breath.

"You-- shouldn't-- read that-- yet," she said as she kept taking deep breaths.

"I haven't finished it yet," she said.

"But it looks complete," I said.

"No, silly, it still doesn't have a title," she said.

"Sheesh Dad really had to give this to you," she said jokingly.

"Hey Jewel," I said. "Yeah?" She asked.

"Shouldn't you go to school too?" I asked.

"We clearly look like we're batch mates," I added.

"No, I can't," She answered.

"Why not?" I asked. "I won't let you know, it's a secret," she says as she gives a cute smile.

"Okay okay," I said.

"But can I ask you one more thing?" I asked. "What is it?" She said.

"You know you're adopted, right?"

"Did dad tell you?" She asked.

"Y-yeah," I responded.

"No, I'm not adopted," she said.

I was surprised. "W-what?!" I said.

"But I bet dad told you something else," she said.

"My mom and dad got into an accident," she said.

"My relatives couldn't take care of me so I was taken to an orphanage," she added.

"I was 5 at that time when I was taken there," she said.

"How'd you feel?" I asked.

"I didn't know, it always feels so sad at night," she said.

"But, a few months later, someone was looking to adopt me," she said.

"Your dad?" I asked.

"Yep, It was him," She said while smiling.

"Apparently he lost his memories because of the accident," she said.

"But she still recognizes her little girl," she said happily.

"What about your mom?" I asked. "She's--" she didn't finish as tears start falling from her eyes.

"I shouldn't have mentioned that," I said.

She starts to laugh while crying.

"Don't worry, it was in the past," she said.

I hugged her. I hugged her for so long.

"Stop crying," I said. She hugs me.

"I will," she replied, sounding cheerful as she is.

"Why don't we tell your dad?" I asked her.

"Tell him what?" Jewel asked.

"That you're really her daughter," I said

"But, I already am" she replied. "I meant if we tell him that he is your real father, by blood," I said.

"I guess it makes sense," she said. "Okay, let's do it," she added.

As we stopped talking, we started to run back to the store.

"DAAAAAD!!" Jewel shouted.

"Whoaaa, you two?" Mister asked. "What's wrong?"

"I got something to say," Jewel said.

"Before you say anything," mister said, "Zero, you already read most of the book right?" He asked me.

"Umm, yes sir," I said.

"Did you get to the end?" He asked me.

"I didn't, but I actually took a peek at it before reading the contents," I answered.

I start to remember a text written behind the back cover.

"Y-you already knew?!!" I surprisingly said.

"Already knew what?" Jewel asked.

"I never forgot my lovely little girl," mister said as tears start falling down his eyes.

Jewel starts to cry as well.

She runs towards mister and gives her a huge hug.

I smiled at them and decided to get back to school.

End.