Tristan and Loraura stood outside Mr. Fritts' store, looking up at the sign above them.
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"We have to hurry, we have to hurry, we have to hurry!" Tristan said, running toward the front door of the store with Loraura close behind.
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As Tristan walked into the store, he was met by Mr. Fritts, who was sitting behind the front desk doing paperwork.
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"Oh, look who finally decided to show up," Mr. Fritts said, looking up at Tristan and taking off his glasses.
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"Sorry, sir, I know I'm late," Tristan said.
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"Well, I think you're a little bit earlier than last time, so that's something," Mr. Fritts said, shaking his head in disapproval. "Huh?" He said as he looked over at Loraura. "And who is this?" He asked.
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"Uh..." Tristan looked over at Loraura, trying to hold back his panic.
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Loraura looked at Mr. Fritts and smiled kindly. "How do you do?" Loraura asked, bowing her head. "My name is Loraura, and I'm a—"
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"She's a friend of the family!" Tristan said, cutting Loraura off, knowing where her story was going.
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"A friend of the family, huh?" Mr. Fritts asked in surprise. He stood up from his seat. "Well, any friend of Tristan and that old monster is always welcome here." Mr. Fritts extended his hand to shake Loraura's.
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"Monsters?" Loraura asked, confused as she shook Mr. Fritts' hand. "What kind of monster are you speaking of? An ogre, a beast, or gods forbid, a dragon?" Loraura asked in panic.
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"Uh." Mr. Fritts began to laugh awkwardly. "Well, he has been compared to such things before."
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"Hey, Dad, is Tristan here yet? I refuse to stack all of those boxes alone!" Danny said as he ran into the front from the back.
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Danny's eyes stopped on Loraura, and he froze, not moving an inch. Within seconds, he ran toward Tristan and grabbed his arm, dragging him into the back.
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"What are you doing?" Tristan asked, confused.
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"Dude, who the hell is that girl?" Danny asked, grabbing Tristan's collar.
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"Um, that's Loraura... and she's a friend," Tristan said, looking away from Danny's prying eyes.
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"Your friend? Why didn't you tell me that you had such a hot buddy?" Danny asked.
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"She lives far away, super, super up north," Tristan said, scratching his head. "And before you even start, she's not looking for a boyfriend, so keep your grubby hands away from her," Tristan said, arms folded.
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"Well, damn, you lucky bastard. I would do anything to live with such a goddess," he said, letting out a sigh.
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"Yeah, I bet you would."
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***
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To Tristan's surprise, the day went by quickly. Loraura adapted fast to the new working environment, and every customer that visited the store left with a smile on their face. It was almost as if Loraura's presence alone brought good luck to the store, and soon the day came to an end.
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"Thanks so much, Mr. Fritts, for giving Loraura a job. It really meant a lot," Tristan said, shaking Mr. Fritts' hand.
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"It was no problem, my boy. The young lady was very helpful today," Mr. Fritts said with a smile.
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Loraura smiled upon hearing Mr. Fritts' compliment. "Thank you so much, sir."
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"No, thank you, young lady. Now, with your help, maybe we can teach both of these boys how to work hard." Mr. Fritts laughed, causing both Tristan and Danny to blush.
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"Well, we're going to get going," Tristan said, his cheeks red from his own shyness.
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"You guys have a good night," Mr. Fritts said as he watched Tristan and Loraura walk out of the store and down the lit-up streets toward their home.
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Loraura and Tristan walked down Elmwood Avenue. As they journeyed through the many crowds, Loraura noticed how Tristan's eyes searched through the hordes of people.
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"Tristan, who are you looking for?" Loraura asked, curious.
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"Well, there's a homeless woman who hangs out around here," Tristan said with a small smile. "I like to check in on her when I have time."
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Loraura's smile grew, and her cheeks turned red as her eyes seemed to sparkle as she looked at Tristan.
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Seeing Loraura's eyes, Tristan turned away, unable to bear the weight of their supposed admiration. "It's no big deal, I'm just helping out a friend."
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Loraura quickly grabbed Tristan's hand. "That couldn't be more untrue," she said with joy. "Truly, the dedication you show to those around you is a wonderful thing."
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"Um... thanks," Tristan said, not really knowing what to say in response to Loraura's sweet words.
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"How about the both of you get a yourselves a nice big room." Tristan hearing a voice noticed Janice standing right beside them and let out a surprised yell, quickly pulling both hands away from Loraura's embrace.
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"Janice! What are you doing here?!" he exclaimed.
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"Well, you know I'm kind of homeless, so... yeah," Janice replied sarcastically, a smirk on her face.
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"I think the better question is, what were you two lovebirds about to do, huh?" Janice teased, getting all up in Tristan's face with a cocky, perverted smile.
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Tristan could barely contain his embarrassment. "Hey now, it isn't like that. We're just friends," he said, averting his gaze away from Janice.
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Janice looked at Tristan with suspicion, almost as if she could see through him entirely, making him feel uncomfortable. "Uh-huh," she nodded skeptically.
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"Well, either way, the name's Janice, Janice Virgen. Nice to meet you," Janice said, walking past Tristan and holding her hand out towards Loraura. "But of course, my friends just call me Janice, and any friend of Tristan's is definitely a friend of mine."
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Loraura smiled and shook Janice's hand. "It's very nice to meet you, Janice. My name is Loraura," she said warmly.
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"Loraura is a friend of the family," Tristan quickly added.
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Janice smiled kindly as she listened to Tristan's explanation. She didn't say it, but she knew Tristan wasn't telling her the whole story.
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Tristan smiled as he watched Loraura and Janice shake hands. He truly appreciated how Loraura seemed to get along with his friends. As these thoughts passed through his mind, he heard the rumbling of a small growl from Janice's stomach.
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Tristan looked annoyed as he stared at Janice. "Janice... what happened to the $20 I gave you on Monday?"
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Janice looked away in embarrassment as sweat beaded on her forehead.
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"I still have it," she mumbled.
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Tristan crossed his arms, his disappointment palpable. "Yeah? Then why haven't you used the money I gave you to get something to eat?"
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"Fine, dammit! I used up that money yesterday!" Janice's cheeks turned a deep shade of red from the embarrassment.
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"What did you use it on?" Tristan clenched his fists, shaking with anger.
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"A lllllooootttt of junk food," Janice admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
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Tristan closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He knew he shouldn't be surprised; Janice wasn't the most responsible person and giving her a $20 bill was practically asking for trouble.
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"What am I going to do with you?" he sighed.
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Janice giggled softly. "Sorry."
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Tristan turned to Loraura. "Loraura, please keep Janice company while I go get her something to eat."
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"Okay," Loraura replied cheerfully, clapping her hands.
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Janice and Loraura watched as Tristan walked away. Janice looked at Loraura and smirked slightly.
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"I gotta say, Tristan is one lucky man to have such a beauty by his side," Janice remarked.
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"Oh no, I consider myself the lucky one," Loraura replied earnestly.
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Janice leaned in and whispered, "How far has your relationship gone? Have you guys kissed?"
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Loraura looked confused. "Kissed?"
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Janice's eyes widened. "Yeah, don't tell me you two haven't done anything yet. What exactly is your relationship?"
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"Tristan and I have a contract with one another, a contract that states that I will be by Tristan's side at all times forever," Loraura explained matter-of-factly.
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Janice didn't quite understand what Loraura was saying—it all sounded too complicated—but she did understand one thing.
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"Well, either way, thanks for taking care of him, but it probably won't last," Janice said, wearing a forlorn expression as she thought about Tristan's smiling face.
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"What do you mean?" Loraura asked, her curiosity piqued.
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"You'll see soon enough. Live with him long enough and you'll see all of the burdens that follow him," Janice replied, her tone sombe
***
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Author notes: Please support my work on Patreon for early access to new chapters. https://patreon.com/DarkMatteromniverse
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