Althea pursed her lips, grabbing the pencil and writing back I can't accept it. You don't need to waste your money on me, especially not after I was such an ass to you. She tried to hand back the money again, this time grabbing the girl's hand and placing the bill into her palm. She clenched the girl's hand into a fist around it.
Trinity sighed through her nose while she read the note. She finally accepted the number back and stuffed it into her pocket to take the pencil and write back, Then give me the book and I’ll buy it myself
Althea sighed and picked up the book, setting it down in the girl's hands. I won't accept this if you buy it for me, she wrote, biting her lip before she added but if you want to read it, I'd highly recommend it. So far it's just phenomenal
Trinity smiled and wrote back, It seems like a good one. But I’m not going to let this go, I’m buying you this book whether you were an asshole or me to not. I didn’t hear any of what you said Even though it was pretty hurtful to see, but that didn’t matter now.
Althea frowned. I'm not letting this go either. You have no reason to do this for me, and I'm not going to sit back and let you reward me for bad behavior.
Trinity glared at her for a moment before writing back, Fine. What’s your name then? Since you won’t let me buy you a book I’ll just have to become friends with you.
Althea balked when the girl asked for her name. That turned this from embarrassing encounter that Althea would beat herself up about later to a repeated series of encounters with a girl who was far too good for Althea. Tell me yours first.
Trinity. she wrote back and gave her the pencil, eager to learn this girl’s name.
She was going to buy this book for her no matter what.
Althea nodded. Trinity. It fit this girl, somehow. She was hesitant about anding her name over to a stranger, but Trinity probably deserved it. I'm Althea. It's lovely to meet you
Trinity didn’t take the pencil to write anything back. She smiled back and signed with full knowledge she probably wouldn’t be understood. In fact she hoped she wouldn’t be understood this time, Nice to meet you too, Althea, I really like you.
While Althea was by no means fluent in sign language, she knew a few words. She recognized the 'thank you' and her name, so she signed back a brisk whatever before grabbing her notebook and writing I have to go home. I suppose I'll see you around?
She craned her neck to read the note and nod back with a very small smile, “Mhm…” She grabbed a copy of the book and turned away with both books in her arms.
Althea muttered a quiet goodbye before she realized that there was no way Trinity would be able to hear it. Blushing, she left the shop and headed back to her small, cramped apartment.
No, Trinity didn’t hear it, so she went off to buy her two books with the full intention of heading home after. At least that was her intent.
Althea stopped in a park a few blocks from the bookstore to have a smoke, lighting the cigarette with trembling fingers. She cursed quietly, blowing out a fat cloud of smoke with a grimace. Why was Trinity getting under her skin? She was less than nothing, just a strange girl with too much kindness.
Trinity set the books in the passenger seat once she got to her car. She sat behind the wheel, silently wondering how she could get this book to miss Althea..
She ignited the engine and decided just to head home.
The next day, Althea found herself wandering the used book section of the book store, mindlessly running her fingers over cracked covers and occasionally pausing to skim the summary of one that caught her eye.
By chance, Trinity wandered back to the same bookstore she went to yesterday to find a book one of her online friends had just recommended. After finishing it no where, she resorted to the used section, and blinked upon seeing Althea there. She kept quiet, scanning the spines in search of the familiar title. She swallowed, heart beating faster the closer she had to get.
(Sorry about this, but I won’t be able to do tonight as the wifi at my house has flopped and won’t be fixed until tomorrow)
(Oh dear alrighty!)
Althea had become enraptured in a book, a promising biography about a woman named Henrietta, and begun walking backward to the checkout. She didn't notice Trinity until it was too late, and they'd collided in a painful tangle of limbs on the ground. "Are you alright?" she asked, forgetting that Trinity couldn't hear her.
Trinity yelped as the wind was knocked out of her. She staring up at Althea with a taken-aback expression. She didn’t hear Althea’s question so she didn’t respond.
Althea blinked at Trinity for a few seconds, awaiting a response before she remembered. You good!? she signed, hands shaky with adrenaline from the fall.
Trinity read her hands and nodded. She rolled out from under her to brush herself off and rescue the book she’d dropped.
Althea did the same, pulling her now beaten book off the floor and rising to her feet. She pulled out her notebook. I’m so sorry! Are you alright?
She read the notebook and took out a pen from her pocket to write back, I’m fine. I wasn’t stalking you I promise. She grinned.
Althea laughed, holding out a hand to help Trinity to her feet and using the other to write. Sounds like something a stalker would say, Miss Trinity
Trinity laughed when she read it, I swear, I only was looking for a recommended book. she set the pen down and pulled out her phone from buried in her pocket.
Althea raised her eyebrows and tilted her head towards the phone, clearly curious about why Trinity had gotten it out.
She typed out on her notes app with a thumb and showed it to Althea, Can I have your #? she looked back up with an inquisitive, hopeful expression.