The Air Singer (The Cantors) Read Online Free Page A

mousy brown hair that peeked out above his ears. He spent most days at the gaming center a few stores down and enjoyed computer role playing games more than real life. If ever there was an example of being uncomfortable in one’s own skin, Sean would be it. He had stopped into the shop one day to get coffee when Tally was working and after seeing how intimidated he was by life in general, Tally bought him his coffee and gave him a small tumbled tiger eye stone for confidence. Sean had come to the shop to see Tally every day she worked since.
    “Right on time, the only guy you encourage.” Kate was not a fan of Sean’s. She often called him a stalker and thought his ‘friendship’ with Tally was bordering on obsession.
    “Be nice!” Tally whispered to her friend before leaving her at the table to greet Sean.
    “How are you Sean?”
    “Good, good.” Sean avoided eye contact with everyone he met and Tally was no different. “I made it to level five on the new Culture of Swords yesterday.”
    “That is awesome . Did you meet anyone on the chat?” Tally tried encouraging Sean to meet real people rather than just the characters on the video.
    “ No, just the regular crowd was online yesterday.” Sean took a sip of his coffee and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. “How are you doing Tally?”
    “I’m fine. Just a few readings today.”
    Sean looked past Tally to see Kate sitting at her table. “Well it looks like I’m interrupting, so I’ll see you later.”
    “Yeah, I don’t have all day here!” Kate yelled from the back.
    Tally turned around and began to walk ba ck toward her table. “Shut up Kate!”
    “Humph!” Kate just crossed her arms and dropped her shoulders.
    Tally returned her attention to Sean as he walked out the door. She knew he wasn’t stable, but he appeared harmless. His energy always seemed lopsided. It was strange to Tally, but she assumed that it was because of an emotional trauma that never healed buried somewhere in his memory.
    Tally walked back to her table to try to enjoy her coffee before it got cold.
    “I don’t know why you encourage him. He’s weird.”
    “ He’s eccentric and shy. He just doesn’t know how to act in front of people. I won’t ostracize him more just because he’s different.” Tally leaned back in her chair. “It can be lonely when people think you’re strange.”
    Tally knew too well how mean people can be when they are scared or don’ t understand you. Memories from her childhood were littered with the taunting and teasing of people who didn’t like the quiet girl who always seemed to stare into their souls. As a young child, she could hear a person’s thoughts as if they were speaking to her. Often, she would stare at the person and watch the hues of his aura flow from one color to another as his thoughts changed from one topic to the next. Until she grew older, she never understood how unnerving that could be. She learned to shield herself not only from people’s thoughts, but from their words. It took many nights crying herself to sleep to find the strength, but when she did, she promised herself to never treat someone the way she had been treated.
    “Whatever, he gives me the creeps.” Kate began spinning an amethyst marble. “So are we going back to the Taproom tonight?”
    “Has it been a week already?” Tally knew what night it was. She hadn’t enjoyed a full night’s sleep since meeting Roland and it bothered her how much she wanted to see him again. She decided not to go back. Wanting someone that bad after only speaking with him for minutes could only mean trouble for her.
    “Yes ma’am and I need a night out. Are you in?”
    “Not tonight. I need to get some sleep.”
    “Well I’m not going by myself.” Kate faked a pout, “ Want to have a girls’ night? You, me, bad reality shows and a pound of chocolate?”
    Tally laughed at the thought of her and Kate gorg ing themselves on chocolate but she needed to get some rest.