Welcome to Chapter 1 of "Blue Nights: Scares and Love"! How to read: Scroll down to the "Notes and Credits" section below to read the full chapter! Leave a comment if you want Chapter 2, and don't forget to love and star if you enjoyed the start of Chloe and Jack's story!
The rain in October didn’t fall; it annoyed. It was that thin, misty drizzle that bypassed jackets and went straight for the bones. Chloe stood under the dripping awning of the local library, staring at the gray sidewalk. She had a three-block walk to the bus stop, a backpack full of heavy textbooks, and exactly zero umbrellas."Stupid weather app," she muttered, checking her phone. It still claimed there was a 0% chance of rain."You can borrow mine. If you don't mind bright neon green, that is."Chloe jumped slightly and looked to her right. A boy around her age was leaning against the brick wall. He wore a faded denim jacket, a backward baseball cap, and a neutral expression that suggested he wasn't trying to be heroic—just practical. In his hand, he held an umbrella that looked like a localized explosion of radioactive lime."Oh. No, that’s okay," Chloe said quickly, her instinct to avoid bothering strangers kicking in. "I can just run for it.""You'll get soaked," he pointed out. He walked over, held out the handle, and gave a small shrug. "Seriously, take it. I live two doors down. I'm just waiting for my ride, and they're pulling up now."As if on cue, a battered silver sedan honked from the curb.Chloe looked at the green monstrosity, then at the gray sky. "Are you sure?""One hundred percent. Just leave it with Mrs. Gable at the front desk whenever you're back next week. I'm Jack, by the way." He started jogging toward the car before she could even answer."I'm Chloe! Thank you!" she called out over the sound of the engine.Jack waved over his shoulder, hopped into the passenger seat, and the car splashed away into the traffic. Chloe stood alone under the green nylon dome, feeling a strange, sudden warmth that had nothing to do with the weather.The next Tuesday, Chloe walked back into the library. The green umbrella was dried, neatly folded, and tucked under her arm. She felt a ridiculous spark of anticipation every time the library door opened, though she told herself she was just eager to return the favor.She walked up to the heavy oak circulation desk. Mrs. Gable, the head librarian who had worked there since the dawn of time, was stamping a stack of mystery novels."Hi, Mrs. Gable," Chloe said, setting the umbrella down. "A guy named Jack told me to leave this here for him?"Mrs. Gable looked up over her reading glasses. She looked at the umbrella, then at Chloe, her eyes wrinkling at the corners. "Jack? Ah, yes. The boy from the community garden project. He told me someone might bring this back."Mrs. Gable reached under the desk and pulled out a small, yellow sticky note. "He left this for you."Chloe blinked. She took the note. Written in incredibly messy, hurried handwriting was a short message:If you’re reading this, you didn't get soaked. Victory. I lost my favorite black pen near the history section on Tuesday. If you find it, I owe you a coffee. If you don't find it, I still think I owe you a coffee anyway for carrying that green eyesore around.Chloe stared at the note, a slow smile spreading across her face. She looked toward the quiet rows of the history section. The romance books were two aisles over, but as she took a step toward the history shelves, she figured this was a pretty good place to start.
