Love for the Librarian

The morning air feels good, it isn’t cold like it would have been a few months ago. Just nice pleasant air. The walk goes quicker than I thought. When I reach the school gate I am greeted by a sight that makes my heart sink. There on the steps to the quad is Dylan and Brittney has her arms draped all over him. Dylan has a smile on his face. Just as I thought, I was a rebound. Nothing more. Glad I didn’t change my plans.

I walk past them and go straight to my locker. I am fighting back the tears that are threatening to fall. I take a deep breath and remember that I am not here much longer and then I am off to bigger and better things. Just as I am getting a grip on my emotions an arm is slung over my shoulder. I don’t know who it is but I do not want contact right now. I shrug them off.

“Hey, what happened?” It is Dylan’s voice. Are you kidding me?

“Look, you didn’t have to pretend to be nice to me to get me to help you on your finals. I would have helped you. Right now I think it is best if you find someone else to help you with English. I am going to be busy.” I don’t even turn to look at him. If I do then I will cry.

“Riley, what happened?”

“I am the butt of the joke, right. Little nerd girl falling for the jock. Why don’t you go back to Brittney and tell her all about it. You can all have a big laugh.” I slammed my locker door and stormed off to my class. I don’t even spare him a glance.

DYLAN’S P. O. V.

When I arrived at school I decided to wait on the steps for Riley. Of course Brittney showed up first. She throws herself at me. I have no idea who the hell she is trying to fool with this act.

“Hey, baby. Did you miss me?”

I give her the biggest smile I can muster. “Not in the slightest you viper.”

She doesn’t even lose her grin. She pulls closer to me. Now I am getting pissed. I pushed her away. “What part of I don’t want to be with you are you having trouble with?”

“We’ll see when your new girl kicks you to the curb.” She gives me one of her cocky grins and then saunters off. How did I ever find that attractive?

Kevin points towards the lockers. “She passed by that way. She didn’t look happy.”

Now I am confused. I get up and jog over to where I see Riley getting her books out of her locker. I put my arm around her trying to ease whatever pissed her off. But she just shrugs my arm off. “Hey what happened?” I think maybe it was something to do with her mom.

“Look, you didn’t have to pretend to be nice to me to get me to help you on your finals. I would have helped you. Right now I think it is best if you find someone else to help you with English. I am going to be busy.”

She isn’t looking at me. What the hell is she talking about? I didn’t pretend to be nice to her. We had plans, why the hell is she acting like this? “Riley, what happened?”

“I am the butt of the joke, right. Little nerd girl falling for the jock. Why don’t you go back to Brittney and tell her all about it. You can all have a big laugh.” She storms off leaving me dumbfounded. What the literal hell is she talking about? I don’t want Brittney, I made this perfectly clear to her. How the hell can this still be a conversation? Unless of course she saw Brittney sprawled all over me.

RILEY’S P. O. V.

My heart is shattered, I am numb. I don’t really concentrate. Not that I really need to. After all, the finals don’t mean anything to me. All today and tomorrow are going to be preparation for the finals next week. When it hits lunch time I am still not ready to face people. Katelyn meets me at my class as it ends.

“Hey, girl what’s up?”

“I don’t want to talk about it. I’m not really hungry, I think I am just going to take a walk. I’ll catch you later.” I start to walk off, but she catches me.

“Not a chance. I will walk with you. I am not letting you off the hook until you talk to me. Spill.”

We start walking towards the field. I like to walk around it when I am troubled and Katelyn knows it. She lets me be silent until we start on the track. “When I came to school this morning I saw Brittney all over Dylan.”

“So she is a skank. We all know this.”

“Dylan had a big smile on his face, he didn’t seem too upset to have her there.”

“Well shit. I thought better of him. I guess I was wrong. What are you going to do?”

“I am going to avoid him. I told him that I am not helping with finals any more. I told him that I didn’t need to have his attention to help him, but now I really don’t want to help him. I don’t want to look at him. I know him and his friends are laughing at me.”

“Kevin isn’t. He told me that you were upset and that you needed me. He seemed sincere. I don’t know what all is going on but Kevin didn’t seem too happy about it.”

“Well, at least I didn’t put all my eggs in the wrong basket.”

“Speaking of which. Here comes Kevin.” I look over where Katelyn was looking and I see Kevin jogging up to us. He has a big smile on his face.

“There are my girls. I couldn’t find you guys. Luckily some guys told me they saw you headed down here.” He comes up between Katelyn and I, throwing his arms around both our shoulders. I reacted and put my arm around his waist. I feel Katelyn does the same.

“I guess I figured that you would be on team Dylan. So I just wanted some time without dealing with him.” He pulls me towards his chest.

“I was never on team Dylan. I told him from day one to treat you right. It wasn’t until later I realized how awesome you were. I am glad I chose you.”

“Thanks Kevin it actually means a lot. I was starting to really feel like shit.”

“So enough of that asshole. I say we have a night.” Katelyn starts. Then looks at Kevin. “Ok, you can come too. My house we raid the liquor cabinet and take a break.”

“Oh, yeah I am in.” Kevin smiles.

“Yeah, you’re right I do need a break. I will have to call my mom. She is expecting me and my aunt. Let’s go right after school. Are your parents out of town?”

“You better believe it.”

“Then none of us have to go anywhere.” I look to Katelyn to see if that is cool with her, she just shrugs. I know her and Kevin have history, but things seem to be working out fine with them.

“Awesome, I will tell my parents I am at Dylan’s they won’t ask questions. Never do. Plus if he doesn’t cover for me I have plenty of shit to throw at him.”

“Great, now if I can avoid him the rest of the day I will have a pleasant end to a fucked up day.”

“I didn’t think that ace students partied on school nights.”

“Kevin, you have much to learn. Besides a fucked up day by any standards warrants lots of alcohol I don’t care what your grades are.” I give him a grin.

“I knew you were awesome. I will meet you guys by the gate after school. I have to go work on my alibi. You two stay cool. See you in a bit.” With that Kevin takes off.

“I swear that guy is giving me whiplash.” Katelyn smiles at his retreating body. “You know last night he apologized to me. I couldn’t believe it. I am far from forgiving him, but it is a start. Plus the fact that he has my girls back is a plus.” She throws her arm over my shoulder where Kevin was.

“Kevin is starting to seem like good people. Maybe he matured recently.”

“Yeah, maybe. Anyway how did you know that my parents were out of town?”

“You said we could raid the cabinet, that means that they left and didn’t say when they are coming back again.”

“Yeah, they are bitches. They were all like, hey Katelyn we are going away for work we don’t know how long it will be. Yeah, that means like a month. Do they not even realize that I will be gone by then?”

“Maybe they don’t even remember how old you are.”

“That is a possibility too. I am glad I have had your aunt though. She was like my second mom.”

“Hey I just had a thought, so after school when we come back here. You and I run the library together. You are taking business, I am taking library science. It is perfect.”

“Well, duh. You are stuck with me for life. I am your sister from another family.”

“I think that is just best friends.”

“No, we’re sisters.” I laugh at her stubbornness.

“Alright sisters. Besides, I think we are closer than sisters.”

“Well, we are certainly closer than I am with my sister. She grew up and took off leaving me behind. She didn’t give a shit either. Anyway, enough of the cry baby bull shit. Kevin is sleeping in the guest room.”

“Well, duh, I am not sharing a bed with him.”

“I sure as hell am not repeating that experience.”

“So, I have to find a way to avoid Dylan in P. E. Do you think that Mr. Harman will let me work in the office?”

“Oh, hell yeah. That man loves you. You are the only T. A. for P. E.”

The bell rings. “Well time to put that theory to the test. I’ll meet you at your car after school.”

“That’s right Party.”

“I am so getting drunk tonight.” Not something I usually do on a school night, but right now I really don’t care.

I head to Mr. Harman’s office to see him packing up for the field. “Hey, Mr. Harman, do you need me on the field today? I was kind of hoping to do something in the office.”

“I thought you liked spending time with Mr. Matthews?” He cocks his eyebrow at me.

“I think I need a little space right now, is that alright?”

“No problem. I need someone to start clearing out the locker rooms. Start with the girls and put the box by the door. I have two boxes over there. One for each locker room. Do the girls today and tomorrow do the boys. Let me know next week if you want to return to the field. I will have other stuff if you don’t.”

“Thank you Mr. Harman. I appreciate it.”

“No problem dear. I will let the students know that they need to pick through the boxes for their personal items before they are donated. Normally I would have had this done next week but I figure what the hell.” He shrugs like it isn’t a big deal.

I grab a box and head for the girls locker room, I figured that the girls would have been out on the field by now. I was wrong. Brittney and Rachel were still there. When I came in they decided it was time to harass me.

“Thought you were someone didn’t you.” Brittney sneered at me.

“I never thought I wasn’t someone. Everyone is someone. Like you are a bitch, that is your title. I embrace my title. I am a nerd. I don’t need some jock to come along and tell me I am different. I am sorry that you need someone to validate who you are.”

Brittney sneered at me even more then got in my face. “He never liked you. He played you in front of everyone. And everyone knows it.”

I glared back at her. “Do I look like I care? I was fine before he came along, and I am fine now. So who really got played?”

She pushes me out of her way and Rachel follows after her. I set down the box and started collecting things. I knew he was playing me. Just hearing the words hurt. I am alone now. It is ok to let the tears fall. So I do.

Dylan’s P. O. V.

When Mr. Harman came out to the field without Riley. I was confused, She has been logging things all week. Where is she now? I have been looking for her all day. I knew she would be here and it would be the one place that she couldn’t avoid me. Go figure she would find a way to continue to avoid me.

“Alright so today we are going to play a little game of soccer. Divide up into two teams. I will let you guys pick teams as long as they are even. Get to it.”

While the students start to divide into teams I make my way to Mr. Harman. “Hey, Mr. Harman, where is Riley?”

“She wasn’t needed out here today. I have her cleaning out locker rooms. Which reminds me. Hey, everyone listen up.” He hollers to the student body. “I am having the locker rooms cleaned up, if you are missing any items make sure to check the box by the door. I will be donating the items at the end of the year. So if you have anything left behind, now is the time to get it.” Then he turns back to me. “Get on a team Mr. Matthews.” I can hear the resentment coming off of him. Obviously it has not been missed on him that I have hurt Riley. I knew he liked her, I mean after all she is the only student that he calls by their first name.

I turn back to the field, I don’t need to piss him off anymore. Brittney runs up to me. “You are on my team, baby.” She tries to slide her arm around me. I step away from her.

“Keep your hands to yourself.” I sneer at her. I thought it was funny when she was trying to hit on me. It wasn’t until I found out that Riley had seen it and thought it was reciprocated that I was concerned about it. I looked around and found Kevin, maybe he heard something from her.

When I approach Kevin he shakes his head at me. “I told you that she would find out. She is not pleased.”

“Maybe it started out that way, but that isn’t how it is now. I feel for her. Is she avoiding me?”

“Like the plague dude. Oh, speaking of which, I need you to cover for me. If my parents do call looking for me you tell them I am in the bathroom and can’t answer. I am staying at your house, got it.”

“Where are you really staying?”

“The girls and I are having a little fun. She is upset and needs time, and perhaps a bit of alcohol to drown you out. So, you are my alibi. I can’t tell my parents I am staying the night at a girls house. They think low enough of me as it is.”

“Kevin, you have to know that I am not trying to hurt her.”

“I can see how you look at her. But the fact is that you started this whole thing to piss off Brittney. You wanted her back. Well you got her. Congratulations you won. Just drop it dude. Leave her alone.”

“I can’t.”

“Yes, you can. Give her some space. Maybe she will talk to you again this century. I am just glad that I get to be her friend. I am actually hoping to get a little closer to Katelyn, but hell I will be happy just to hang with them. They are actually pretty cool.”

“I know that. Kevin, please where are you going tonight?”ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

“I am not going to tell you. I am their friend. I will pick them over you. Sorry dude, you’re burnt.”

“Kevin, help me out here.”

“No, I told you in the beginning that this was a bad idea. I am not helping you dig yourself out. You know that Brittney is going to throw this back in her face. She is going to hurt her even more. You made this mess, you need to fix it.”

Mr. Harman calls over all of us. “Start the game, I want to see some footwork. No standing around.”

I am not happy about it, but I play the game.