Ren & Wade RP Part 23

 Ren knew they needed to be serious with the books in the basement because Roni was an expert. She felt a little bad that she and Wade hadn't been more industrious in investigating old books.

Of course, Roni started pulling books from the big pile and putting them in some stacks of order. Of course, Ren didn't know if she was helping or not. And then Wade yelped waving a book in the air.

"Look what I found the original Bambi! And it's in German! I think," he said that had to be worth something. 

"Don't we hope," Roni said taking a photo of it for the site he knew of. "These are some very old books. Pricing them is one thing, finding a buyer is another."

Ren hated the musky dusty smell. Roni looked at Wade's eyes. 

"Why aren't you wearing a mask, like I asked?" Roni tilted his head a bit perturbed. 

"Oh," Wade stretched it across his face.

"It might be too late, now." Roni sighed. "You're going to get a bad case of dermatitis." He told him he should have worn goggles.

"Goggles?" Wade scowled a bit bewildered.

Roni sighed. "This is such a mess," he shook his head but went back to piling books as if they needed to start somewhere. 

Ren could feel her body already wanting to wane away from the work that Roni started, but she didn't want him to think she didn't want to help. And Wade kept going as if he'd keep at this all night, perhaps.

Of course, forty-five minutes later they knew they couldn't take much more of the dank basement. They were all sitting in the dust.

"Why would Miss Lily do this," Wade shook his head as if this was such a ridiculous job.

"I'm sure it was all too much for her. She probably thought she could handle it," Roni nodded.

Ren pulled her knees up so she could rest her head as she sat there in thought looking up at the mountain of books. "It's just...she wants to do so much for the community." Ren reminded them she'd gotten an old copier that didn't really work. "The bookstore is not a library, but I have a feeling she wants it to be."

"Yeah, she's got a lot of ideas," Roni mentioned how she was having Open Mic Night in November.

"Open Mic Night?" Wade winced as he was starting to scratch at his neck.

"Oh, god, your eyes are swelling shut," Ren took a serious look at his face which was breaking out into a rash.

"Don't tell me we have to go to the doctor, again," he fretted as he batted at his eyes. 

Ren sighed. "Quit being so stubborn." She got him up. "I think we should quit for the day."

"You two go on," Roni said.

"But..but the last time we were here, we got locked in and had to go to the roof to get down," Ren didn't want that happening to Roni.

"It'll be fine," Roni said he could do it on his own. 

"Just be careful, don't lose your phone," she told him as she helped Wade up the stairs to the door.

"OK."

"Promise you'll call," she said. "Even if you don't need anything, just call, OK?" Ren felt bad about leaving Roni in the basement of the bookstore. She'd hate for something to happen to him.