Jade is filled with relief at the fact that she didn't drop her books or knock someone over.

      "I'm such a klutz," Jade mumbles, looking up to meet the chest's eyes. He's tall compared to Jade's small, five foot two frame. He has hazel eyes, something Jade always had a preference for regarding attraction, though she'd never dated anyone who possessed them as a trait.

      Before Jade fell too deep in her thoughts as to why she's attracted to hazel eyes, she snaps out of it. She just bumped into the poor guy and is now just standing here like a deer in the headlights; she isn't about to fall all over herself, as she usually does, to attempt to rescue herself from the embarrassment. Jade doubts this guy cares about her clumsiness.

      "It's quite alright, it happens to the best of us." Mr. Hazel Eyes said. 'Yeah, that's what we'll call him.'

      Jade feels her stomach flip, "In my world, it only happens to me." She replies to his polite response, trying to laugh and brush off the fact that she practically faceplanted into this innocent bystander.

      "That's everyone, I promise you. Almost everyone traumatizes themselves from embarrassing experiences, and their mind distorts their memory to make them feel like the center of everyone's attention." He smiles gently, speaking clearly, "But nobody saw it, and I can promise you, I don't mind."

      Jade nods, "That's actually really helpful to think about, thank you for reminding me about that. See, when I think about a humiliating moment, half of my brain tells me that, and the other is saying, 'everyone remembers.'" Jade looks back up at Mr. Hazel Eyes to see a slight smirk of amusement on his appealing face.

      "Sorry," Jade looks to her feet, feeling heat creep to her cheeks and ears, "I'm sure you didn't come here to listen to me ramble on about nothing."

      "If I minded, I probably would've walked away," He shrugs, "What's your name?"

      "Jade," In her mind, her reply is slow, "You are?"

      "Oh, I'm Eli." He smiles again, "Pleasure to meet you."

      "You too. Hey um, are you from around here? You don't seem like you are." Jade asks, arching a brow, and awaiting the answer she already knows. There was an aura about him that didn't match everyone else's.

      "No, I'm not from here. I've been traveling quite a bit as of late, trying to find the place I belong." Eli takes a breath, looking around the store, "From the looks of the city, I think I might've just found it."

      Butterflies flutter in her stomach, he speaks with such conviction, and of course, he's not talking about her, but the tone of his silken voice makes her feel as if he is. "What brings you to this bookstore then? The quirky section?"

      Eli gives Jade a chuckle, "Can a man not enjoy literature anymore?" He's definitely a man, Jade sees how he holds power just in his voice and the way he stands, Eli was no measly guy or boy, that's for sure.

      "No! I didn't mean it like that at all!" Jade groans in agonizing frustration, "My jokes aren't funny, are they?"

      "Hey now, I'm sure they are," Eli took a pause, "Just not that joke." He smirks as gives her the playful jab.

      "Well, what books interest you?"

      "I have varying interests, but generally, I like the books from different periods in history," Jade finds his smile is more to himself this time as he speaks, "I find them quite entertaining."

      "Ah, well, I like stories from different time periods as well." Jade finds herself failing to piece this Eli together. He speaks differently, holds himself with confidence, and looks robust; nowhere near as frangible as Jade seems to be. Though she's never seen this man before in her life, he has an air of familiarity that she can't quite place. She's felt like that with many people though, like that guy who looked like an actor in one of her favorite TV shows on a flight. 'I'm just thinking way too much.'

      "Well, I hope to see you around then, Jade." Mr. Hazel Eyes says, nodding to her and walking off to disappear between the tall black shelves of the book store. It's a little bit of a bummer that he didn't ask for Jade's number, or even for some dumb social media app handle she never uses for the purpose of communication, but he didn't show any signs of being into her anyway, Jade shouldn't be upset about that.

      Jade takes a moment to think about the encounter she just had, and still can't quite grasp it. It seems like just a casual conversation, but also like it's something more. Again, Jade internally scolds herself, she knows she's just thinking above, and beyond the level rational human beings do. Shaking it off, she walks back to Ellen, sitting in the chair and placing the books down.

      "I have a plan." Ellen states before Jade can let a word escape her mouth.

      "That would be?" Jade questions skeptically, knowing Ellen's plans always involve some type of 'fun' that isn't Jade's idea of it.

      "We're going to go to a club, you're going to invite Kage, you're going to dump him, and you're going to have some fun." Ellen says to Jade, almost like a mother ordering her child to do the dishes.

      "Hey, Elle, I know this sounds super unimaginable, but you're not me, and you're not my mom."

      "Just think about it for a second, though! You and I both know that the only way for you to dump that guy is for me to be with you so that you don't chicken out or find an excuse. Plus, it's been a while since you've gotten out," Ellen gives Jade stern, wide eyes like she's telepathically saying,'I know you better than you know yourself.'

      "Aaand, even though you say you hate clubbing, by the time you get there, you have so much fun! Don't even deny it!"

      Jade sighs, "You're right, I know. But if we're doing this, you're buying me food, alright?"

      "Oh, for sure!" Ellen giggles mischievously, looking like a kid on Christmas morning. "Speaking of food, do you want to go get some while we're out? Ooh, ice cream too!"

      Jade smiles, "You know I can never resist good food, or anything sweet."

      Ellen shrugs nonchalantly, "I'm just amazing that way, call me the all-knowing Ellen."

      "We all should worship and bow down to you." Jade says playfully as they make their way out of the bookstore; and now, Jade wishes she had asked for a bag.