Hi all, the story I'm posting here is what I worked on for NaNoWriMo 2010. Unfortunately I didn't get to meet the deadline, but I just wanted to post the (incomplete and unrevised) story I wrote little by little in the hopes of continuing/finishing it one day. This story was originally meant to be a graphic novel, and I probably will make it into a graphic novel someday (in the far far future...) but it doesn't hurt to write it out as a story first :3 This is a first draft, so please forgive any plot loops and ongoing ramblings or contrivedness the story may get into... I would love reviews on what you think of the content though, how to make it better, etc!

Btw, the main character is unnamed and the moment (thus the letter K), so if anyone has any suggestions that would be great!

K looked at the map in his hands and, with a sigh, confirmed his destination. His mother had been egging him to get a job since summer break started, and his sister had pushed him to work at this bookstore he was standing in front of right now (presumably so she could get discounts for those queer books she so loved to buy). So here he was, ready to enter the quaint shop stuck between two other family-owned operations. Hesitantly, he took a deep breath before stepping inside.

It had a cozy atmosphere to it, warmly lit, an orange glow reflecting from the neatly stocked wooden bookshelves. Out of the corner of his eye, K saw a teenage boy donning a red apron leaning against one of the shelves, seemingly absorbed in the small book he held in his hands. An empty cart stood next to him, leading K to presume the boy's position as an employee. Seeing no other workers, K reluctantly approached the boy, not wanting to disturb his readings but nonetheless asking tonelessly, ".... Excuse me, I heard this store was hiring?"

The boy looked up, long black bangs swishing to the side so K could see the long solemn face reflecting the warm golden glow of the room. The boy's large brown eyes glanced over K, as if in question, before resting on K's own black eyes, a challenge emanating from his hostile demeanor. K glanced back, unperturbed. The exchange occurred over but a second in silence before the boy replied tersely, "I'll check." With that, he put the book down and walked away, K watching him until he slipped behind the "Employee's Only" door and shut it closed behind him. At that moment, the sleepy apathy that had settled over K since high school began lifted slightly as his interest was raised by the peculiar boy he had just met.