Little one shot to make up for lack of updates. Thanks Amindaya for editing :)

Sorry for not being patient enough, Kasee Lara :(

Book Worms

I think that’s when they first met. I don’t think they had ever spoken before. The first time I noticed them they were sitting four tables away from each other. The blonde with the frameless glasses reading a thick history book. The redheaded one, with his purple framed glasses, zooming through a science fiction novel.

They didn’t talk until the bell rang and they accidentally bumped into one another near the exit door, after putting both books back.

The redhead was considerably shorter that the blonde one and he looked up with the same startled expression the other was showing when looking down. They apologized at the same time and awkwardly chuckled about it.

They left after that.

-

The next day both of them were back in the same seats. They hadn’t noticed each other yet. The blonde had arrived first and grabbed a biology book this time, while the other one had come rushing in ten minutes later and started with the same book as the day before. After a quite boring half an hour, I looked up to find the blonde one sleeping on the book he was supposed to be reading; his cheek was pressed against one of the pages, folding it dangerously. As I was about to go wake him up, the redhead got up and walked to him.

I decided to wait.

He shook him a little and when the other one opened his eyes he murmured, “If you sleep like that Mrs. White is gonna kick you out.”

I frowned. I wasn’t going to kick anybody out just for a silly slip. I just didn’t want kids drooling over my text books and ripping their pages.

The blonde raised his head and gave the other one a lazy smile.

“Thanks….”

After a little hesitation, the redhead went back to his table, and I was ready to keep dusting my desk when I noticed that he wasn’t going to sit back down. He just grabbed the novel and walked back to the other boy.

“Can I sit here?” he asked, but he was already sitting.

“Sure….”

Silence… Good, libraries are supposed to be quiet.

“So…what’s your name?” The redhead asked, opening his book distractedly while looking at his table partner out the corner of his eye.

“Kevin.”

Silence…. How rude. Wasn’t Kevin going to ask him his name back? Apparently not. They kept reading…or at least Kevin did. The other one was still staring at him, probably waiting for the same thing I was.

“Er…. I’m Ray.”

Kevin merely nodded. After that, the bell rang, and they once again left. I resumed cleaning my desk.

-

Kevin didn’t show up the next day. Ray sat by himself at the table near the window. He didn’t open his book, as he seemed really interested on whatever was happening outside. Suddenly, he got up and pressed his forehead to the glass window, his glasses crooked over his nose. He ran out.

I neatly tucked my chair under the desk and slowly walked to the table he had been sitting in. I took the book he had forgotten there and took a peek out of the window. A fight seemed to be going on down there. I could see two boys rolling around on the concrete floor of the school’s entrance. Then suddenly a third boy with bright red hair was throwing himself between the two bodies and pulling them apart.

Ray’s bright green hoodie clashed with Kevin’s black t-shirt as they struggled, one trying to drag the other one away while he kicked at the air and tried to launch to the other boy again.

-

The following week they were back, sitting at the same table and murmuring about who knew what.

“Boys, keep it down. This is a library, not the cafeteria.” I had to warn. It was my job, not like there were other kids there they could bother. They were practically the only ones who showed up at first lunch.

I saw Ray rolling his eyes and Kevin kicking him under the table.

They left laughing together when the bell rang ten minutes later.

-

Sometimes one of them was absent and the other one just sat there to read alone. Sometimes one of them was late and I could see the bright smile the waiting one sent the other when he arrived. And then sometimes, most of the time, they came in and out together.

They were my midday soap opera. I would listen to their conversations and peek through shelves to see why they were so quiet all of the sudden. They sat a little closer to each other every day until it came the point they would almost share a chair. Their legs would brush the other’s with caution at first, with confidence later, and finally it would look like something so intimate I felt a bit ashamed that I was eavesdropping.

I felt, sometimes, like I was the only witness of their relationship. They never came with anyone else…my own little sanctuary was their hiding spot, the place where they could sit as close as they wanted to one another and whisper nonsense into the other’s ear. I was every day a little more permissive, to the point they could bark out laughing and I wouldn’t do more than raise an eyebrow and keep stocking my books.

-

One day I had to run an errand. I left them in charge and hurried to the teachers lounge to fetch some text books a teacher was donating. When I came back they weren’t around. Frowning, I scanned each table, but they were all empty. Oh, well. Everything seemed in order anyway, and I started labeling the books. When they were marked and ready I went to put them in their respective shelves, but I knocked my lamp out and it fell with a loud clank to the floor.

I heard a gasp.

I heard some rustling coming from the far back.

I heard rushed steps and laughter.

I heard the two boys running out of the library before I was able to see them.

-

I didn’t see any of them for about two months after that. One day I was typing some names into the computer when the door swung open and in came Kevin, his blonde hair noticeably longer than the last time he was around. He angrily grabbed some calculus book and sat at one of the tables near my desk. Almost instantly, a flushed Ray came running in. He opened his mouth, then looked at me and closed it. He stood next to Kevin and hunched so he was talking near his face.

They were close, and his voice was strained and angry when he spoke.

“What the hell are you angry about? I’m the one that’s supposed to be angry, you just ran out and didn’t help, you selfish prick.”

“Help you? You seemed to be enjoying yourself, I didn’t want to interrupt,” Kevin hissed without taking his eyes out of his book.

“Enjoying…enjoying myself?!” I cleared my throat; it was my job to make sure they didn’t raise their voices in the library. He lowered his voice. “What the fuck are you talking about, Kevin? He wanted to punch my face in, you know he’s been trying to since-”

“Oh, really? And if he was trying to punch your face in, what were his hands doing on your back? And what was your mouth doing-”

“Look! I’m done with your little jealousy fits. I’m telling you the fucking truth so believe me and stop this, now.”

“Boys…”

“Sorry, sorry. I’m going.” Ray stood straight and turned to the door. He walked without turning and he was out. Not even a minute passed and…

“Like hell…” Kevin left his book on my desk and ran out too, slamming the door. I heard him call for Ray, anger noticeable even in his rough and awkward movements.

I heard their argument even from the back, when I was putting the calculus book back where it belonged.

It was an early end to my spring soap opera.

-

Now one sits at the table near the window. The other sits four tables away, falling asleep on top of it and I’m the one that has to go wake him up, while the redhead looks at us from the corner of his eye.

-

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