Life Designed (Life Plan Series Book 1), Eliza Taye [great novels .TXT] 📗

April didn’t say anything, so he added, “Actually, I have a lot more admiration for you, April.”

Those words garnered her attention. She looked up at him, her caramel eyes quizzical. “Oh really? How so?”

“You work here in the library by yourself from opening to closing. You carry all the books and keep this big place clean all by yourself. Yet, you are always nice with a chipper attitude.”

April huffed, tapping a pencil against her lip as she replied, “I don’t know about chipper, but I do try to have a good attitude.”

“Why? Everything sucks over here. Nothing is nice and no one gives you a break. We don’t even make enough money to use the transporter every day and whoever assigns us our jobs clearly doesn’t consider the distance we have to travel when assigning multiple jobs in a day. I think I’ve walked more today than in my entire life combined.”

April’s first thought was to say to him well, that’s why no one would choose to become an Undecided, but she reconsidered when she registered the level of exhaustion on Garrett’s face. Both eyes were bloodshot as if he hadn’t slept in days and his shoulders slumped over with weariness. If this was the way he looked after just one day’s worth of work, how would he survive the next week, let alone the rest of his life with the Undecided?

“It isn’t easy, Garrett. I try to be bright for others because compared to most, I don’t have it as bad. I’m fortunate enough to have a job I don’t have to walk far to within the Undecided sector. Yes, I may work from 8am to 8pm every day without a day off, but I am paid a fair wage for it.”

Garrett wanted to ask her how much she was paid for working at the library, but he knew it would be considered rude, so he kept his mouth shut.

“Go ahead and take a nap. This could take some time and I can’t close the library any earlier than 6pm. So, you’ll be able to get at least one hour of uninterrupted sleep.”

Garrett wanted to ask how she’d guessed his sleep was being interrupted, but his head lolled to the side and he succumbed to sleep before his mouth could even formulate the words to ask.

“Mrs. Shaffer! I’m here,” announced Opal breathlessly as she entered the front door of the shelter.

“OPAL!” shouted Annie and Minnie in unison as they tackled her, embracing her in a bone-crushing hug.

“Hi, Annie, Minnie, do you know where Mrs. Shaffer is?”

“I’m right here, Opal. Alvin’s with me too.” Mrs. Shaffer gently pulled Alvin from around the corner.

The little boy was nibbling on a sandwich going slow to make it last. When he saw Opal, he suddenly hurried up, gulping down the sandwich with a few short bites.

“Hi Alvin, my name is Opal.” Opal leaned over, hands on her knees to get eye-level with the boy, a warm smile on her face.

“Yeah, so what do you want?”

“Alvin,” chastised Mrs. Shaffer.

He glanced up at her with an incredulous gaze. “What? People are always super nice to you when they want something back.”

Mrs. Shaffer laughed. “So, is that why you think I’m so nice to you?”

“Yeah, you want me to keep coming back here to eat so you aren’t stuck with all these little mindless kids all day,” he responded.

“Alvin! That’s not a nice way to talk about the other children.”

“Well, it is true, isn’t it?” Alvin shifted his gaze from Mrs. Shaffer back to Opal. “So, what is it you want from Alvin?”

Opal had to resist laughing at this kid’s scruffiness. He looked like a child but acted closer to an old geezer. “Well, I do want something from you, Alvin. I heard from Mrs. Shaffer that you know where the new Undecided young man lives.”

Alvin’s face brightened as he realized Opal was probably from the Decided sector. If she was looking for the guy from that morning, he must have meant a lot to her. Getting her to pay him for information would be a walk in the park.

With a smug smile, he replied, “Yeah, I saw him this morning. I’m on my way back to that part of town. I can show you if you’d like.”

“That would be wonderful.” Opal held out her hand for him to take.

Alvin eyed her hand with disgust. “What do you think I am? Some little kid? I don’t need to hold your hand.”

Opal’s eyebrows rose in surprise as Alvin brushed past her and out the front door.

“Well, are you coming or not?” he shouted.

Opal looked to Mrs. Shaffer, then at Alvin impatiently tapping his foot, then back to Mrs. Shaffer with a puzzled gaze.

Mrs. Shaffer laughed again. “He’s quite a character that little one. Acts like he’s ten times his age.”

“Come on, I’m not going to wait forever,” pressed Alvin, scowling in her direction.

“I’ll see you later, Mrs. Shaffer. I’ll drop back by after finding my friend.” Opal hurried off to join Alvin.

Alvin led her down the block and then halted, spinning around to face her. “I’ll show you where your friend is staying, but it’ll cost ya.”

Opal narrowed her eyes slightly at the little boy. “How much?”

Alvin smirked and swatted his hand in the air. “Ah, not much, just a low fee of ten trecins.”

“Ten trecins?” Opal narrowed her eyes further. “How do I know that you’re going to show me where my friend actually lives and not con me?”

Alvin’s mouth dropped and his eyes grew wide. “What? How dare you think I would scam you! I’m not a con artist. I’m just a guy who’s had a tough break. Look, I’ll help you out, you help me