I'm Actually Very Good

Today

Day in and day out, I see them walking past me. If I had a mouth, I'd scream or speak loudly, "Over here, choose me." Most days, I'm not even considered, which makes me angry. Why come here if you have no desire to choose something that is great, like me? I mean, seriously, how many times is Janet going to choose them and not even consider taking me home?

Shannon came in last week and picked me up. I got too excited and ended up falling to the floor. When she picked me up, I could tell she was considering choosing me. But no, she put me back in the wrong place, just rude, and left with something more "educational." I know, I get too excited, and when I get excited, I get slippery, and it was my fault. But give me a try, I'm actually very good.

We books have it hard. Once we are released, they display us in the front, by the door, or in the window. Where get to show ourselves off? But once your time out in the open is done, they move us to the shelves. It’s warm here on the shelves, but it’s also irritating. The fussing, fighting, moaning (trust me, you don’t want to know) it’s all so annoying. Tomorrow is a discount event, I’m kinda excited about it, but also offended. I’m actually a very good book and deserve to be purchased at my full price. Okay, I have been here for a while, so maybe ten percent off but no more than fifteen. We will see what happens tomorrow.

Tomorrow

Well, today is the day. And guess what? I was fighting for. YES! I mean, one of the employees fought to keep me out of the Deep Discount sales bin. Raul was the guy. He said, “Come on, man, it’s not that old. And we don’t have that many copies of it left to sell.” That’s right, Raul, there are only a few of me left, and I’m actually very good. So, I’m displayed with the rest of me right near the front of the store. Yes, it’s still the discount table, but I’m back on display, which means I’ll be looked at and considered until all of us (meaning me) are gone.

I’m standing, well leaning with my back cover strong and my front cover, proud to see. The rest of me is lying on the table, but I’m the one who can adjust, every so slightly, to catch the light of the sun when it’s shining on my cover. The illustrator did an amazing job. I’ve caught the eye of a couple of customers. I stayed calm when I was picked up and could hear the groans of those around me when they weren’t. Raul and Samantha even suggested me to a few customers. One was a little old lady who smelled like cinnamon and peanut butter. I don’t even understand that combination. I overheard her say she was looking for a book to give her grandson, who was about to be deployed, and she wanted him to have something that he would always remember her by, a good book that would stay with him. I again wanted to scream, “That’s me. Pick me”, but as a book, my voice is limited to the words written on the page by my author. The old lady did pick me up, she considered me for a long while, but at the last minute, she went with her grandson's favorite author instead. No shade to him, he is the King, and nothing beats tried and true when it comes to a good book. If I’m being honest, I wouldn’t want to go against the King even with his blessing. I mean, he did say, I’m a good read.

Samantha was chatting with a guy who wanted to try something new by someone he had never read before. Samantha walked him right over to me. In her words, “This book is so good. I promise you, you’ll want to put it down, pick it back up, throw it against a wall, search for it just to finish it all in the same day.” I chuckled to myself because she was right, and I hadn’t known she had actually read me. Sadly for me, the guy just wanted to flirt with her. He took me from Samantha’s hands and started flirting with her. He walked around with me, flirting with Samantha, while she tried to help other customers, but put me in the Buy Two, Get One Free table, the savage.

Raul found me, minutes later, and put me back in my place. God bless Raul, always thoughtful, kind, and a reader. The day went on. A few more people came by the table, and although I wasn’t chosen, a few of my comrades were. It’s always good to see when someone is chosen. Another day of being chosen could get you down, but I’m strong. I’ve been here before. I know it’s a long game and I’m prepared. I have a goal, and I will meet it. I’ll be sold by the end of the sale.

Last Day

Well, I am proud to say that almost all of me has been sold. The last paper copy was put on hold for an online order. That just leaves me. The one and only, the last one standing. Although I’m here by myself now, I’m proud to be the final one. Raul, Samantha, and now Kendra have been suggesting me to almost every customer that walks in. I would say that they're trying too hard, I mean, I'm not desperate, but I am the only one left. I didn’t make my goal on the last day of the sale, but that’s alright. Today is the day. I’m going home with someone.

Home

Well, I’ve finally been chosen. It’s a funny story, so who better to tell it than me? This young lady, whom I’ve seen walk the aisles several times since my arrival, always looks for Raul. Well, on the final day of the sale, she happened to come in and she picked me up. However, Raul was busy with another customer, and she, unlike so many of the other savages who just toss books in random places on shelves they clearly don’t belong on, sat me right back where she had picked me up. She left the store without buying anything. Since I can’t really tell time, it’s one of those difficult things for us books to attempt to do while we sit and wait. Anyway, she came just this morning, and Raul was there. She asked him out. Way to get what you want. Raul said yes, and they met on his lunch break. Guess who had been purchased and was able to attend said date? Ha! It was me. The young lady, whose name is Olivia, arrived at the coffee shop before Raul and cracked me open. I could tell she was enjoying me because she didn’t want to put me down, even when she noticed that Raul had arrived. I told you, I’m actually very good.

Well, their date was nice, or whatever you’d say to measure a date that isn’t yours.

Olivia just arrived home and has gotten halfway through me. She sat on this big plushy chair. She’s a keeper. She even shooed her little dog away when it tried to grab me off the chair when she got up. She likes to read with a warm cup of something close by. It looks like Olivia is getting ready to go out, hopefully to see Raul again. She has placed me by her bed, which means, she’ll read me before bed. I think I love my new home.

Finally

Oliva has finally finished me. She laughed, cried, put me down, walked away, tried not to read me, picked me up, and reread what she read and put me down again. When she had friends over, I could hear her talking about me, me. Well, the cherry on the top of the cake, as they say, was when Raul came over for dinner. Oliva had a bookmark in the last chapter, and Raul picked me up and smiled. Olivia said, “It’s so good. I’m almost done, but I kinda don’t want to finish it.”

Raul, “Really?!”

Olivia, “You recommended it and you haven’t read it?”

Raul, “No, actually, I haven’t. I always saw it on the shelf and kept saying I was going to read it. But I never got a chance to.”

Olivia, “Well, when I’m done, you can read it.”

I watched from the coffee table while Olivia and Raul sat down to dinner. It smelled delicious, and as a book, I approve of most of the meals Oliva cooks. They watched t.v and laughed a bit. While Raul was washing the dishes, Olivia picked me up and read my final chapter. She held me to her chest and sighed. Raul walked over with a grin and said, “So, how does it end?”

Oliva, “You’ll have to read it and find out for yourself.”

Raul, “So you highly recommend it?”

Olivia, “I’m telling you, it’s actually very good.”