The Other Librarian ✔

1.

                                                                   *****

   This wasn't how I expected the day to turn out, I hadn't bargained on the turn of events, never in my life would I have believed this. I had began today like any other day, woke up early as usual just so I could make it early for classes. The only thing that had seemed remotely different from my usual routine was the box of cookies I packed that now laid scattered on the floor at my feet.

The cookies that were intended as a gift. A shiver ran through my spine as the incident of the day rushed through me.
 
"What do you mean by the other librarian?" I could remember Eunice asking me this morning with a light scowl on her face.

I hadn't registered her question to mean anything then, I had being more concerned about getting out of the crowded hallway filled with every person I'd rather avoid. School wasn't really one of my favorite places, being a high school student wasn't really a thing I enjoyed, the library was the only part of this school that I found endearing. Maybe if I was the only student in the school I wouldn't find school so appalling.

"I mean the other librarian, the young man that stays at the library aside from the lady that sits at the door," I had emphasized to her, caressing the cookies with a smile on my face, while also trying to mask the flush growing on my cheeks. Thinking back to how the librarian had saved me the other day still left me a little embarrassed.

"I had no idea there was such a person at this school," Eunice argued, her face further contorting into confusion.

"You would if you spent more time at the library," I replied, not finding it surprising. Not everyone in this school had an idea who the other librarian was, I was sure of this because I also had no idea until the day he had helped me and told me about his presence in the library all along.
 
Eunice balanced the books on her hand, a mischievous smile spreading across her face, definitely trying to cajole me into giving in to whatever she was about to suggest. The cunning little fox. "I'm sure that other librarian wouldn't mind you giving me a piece of these cookies."

Her hands stretched towards the box in my hand, trying to pry it off, but I countered this by slapping her hands away.

"It's a gift, and it wouldn't remain so if I let you dip your silly hands into it."

  Eunice pouted. "Come on, Janice, you can't keep your cookies away from me. Why are you even giving him a gift anyway?"

  "It's a thank you gift, he helped me," I said. "And do not worry, I made a lot, so you can eat as much as you want when we get back home."

  Eunice had given me one of those cute smiles of hers before she ran off to join her other classmates, while I had made my way to my locker, and deposited the box in there. With a smile on my face I made my way to class, feeling way better about school than usual. The reason for this I couldn't really say, but I know it all has to do with the single fact that I'd get to repay the librarian today for helping me out the other day.

  Mum usually told me that I wasn't the kind of person to stay indebted to a person for long, she had told me this after I spent a whole night knitting head warmer to give to a stray dog that kept me company on my way home one time.

  I really couldn't explain why I did that, but I believed that a favour should be returned no matter what, it was part of the laws of life, wasn't it. But Mum had eventually chalked it all up to the single fact that my fifteen years old heart was just too kind to forget a favour.

   I did like that.

   Which is one reason why I couldn't ignore the favour the librarian did for me. I had being trying to get a book of a shelf when the ladder I was standing on caved in to my weight, I would have definitely broken bones if he hadn't being there in time to catch me.
 
  My cheeks further heated up as I remembered that day. I had at first thought he was a senior student at our school, he sure did look like one, with his dark hair, hazel eyes, and cute boyish smile. He hadn't being dressed in much aside a white shirt, black pants, and sneakers. But I was shocked when he told me he was the librarian. Too embarrassed to even react I had left in a hurry, without even properly thanking him, and today I was going to rectify that.