Neither Here, Nor There

2

Books are my friends. I've never been a really social type of person. So when a flyer got posted for help at the college library, I signed up immediately. When I had gotten my room key and maps and everything, I had received a lanyard with a name tag.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Taking a closer look at the lanyard, I squint to see the letters written beneath my name.

Born December 3, 1996. Great. I sigh. I don't think it's really necessary to put my birthday on a name tag. I peer at the picture. It's not horrible. But it's not amazing either. My mom took a picture of me when I had finished a jazz band performance. My hair was slightly missed but my suit looked great.

I put the lanyard over my head and then check myself out in the mirror.

A boy with longish black hair and blue eyes stares back at me. My clothes are simple, just jeans and a grey T-shirt that says 'Live Deliberately' on it in white letters.

I grab my room key and my backpack which had my textbooks in it. I nearly forget my phone but remember right as I was about to close the door. I check my watch: 8:30. Perfect, the library opens now and my first class is at 10.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"So you're Quentin-" the librarian squints her eyes to see my last name on my ID badge.

"Sims," I offer, smiling. She nods appreciatively at me and then hands me a stack of books.

"Let's see how good you are at shelving books," she challenges.

I resist rolling my eyes at the old woman sitting in front of me. I am good at this, I know it. I did it in high school and in middle school as well.

Within a matter of minutes I am back at the circulation desk tapping my fingers anxiously on the counter, waiting for my next assignment.

The librarian narrows her eyes at me. "I am Mrs. Donners," she says.

Oh great, how nice of you to introduce yourself now. I force myself to nod. "Hello."

"You will be shelving books, helping people find stuff and working at the service desk," she tells me.

I grin, barely able to control my excitement. I don't know why, but I am looking forward to this new job.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Excuse me?" A girl walks up to me, giggling. She glances back at her friends who were nodding enthusiastically. "I need help finding um, erotica material for my lit project."

"As I understand, that assignment doesn't come until the second semester," I recite from memory. I had been given a list of the literature syllabus for no reason whatsoever. "But I'd be happy to help you find whatever you need," I add when I see her roll her eyes.

"Do you like, wanna hang out sometime?" She's asks me, flirtatiously. She leans over the counter, giving me a generous view of her chest. Something about her just turns me off.

"No, no thank you," I say politely. I fiddle with the ID around my neck. "Do you want me to check the systems for a book you might want?"

But the girl now has lost interest and wanders back to her friends.

"Ashely Haynes," a voice says from a few feet away.

I turn around to see a buff looking guy walking towards me.

"In other words, sex on a stick," the guy chuckles, winking at me.

I just stared at him for a second and then shook my head, "excuse me, do you need anything?"

"Name's Thaddeus," the guy introduces himself. "But you can call me Thad."

"I'm Quentin, or Q," I tell Thad.

Thad dramatically sighs, "I know that, dipshit." He leans on the desk casually. "It's on your name tag."

"Now that all of the pleasantries are aside," I begin, somewhat irritably, "how may I help you?"

"Oh yeah, does the library have any Playboy magazines?" Thad asks me, winking again. I wish he would stop doing that, he's going to look gay to any passerby.

I make a show of looking it up in the catalogue on the computer. With mock sadness I tell him, "I'm sorry, it looks like we don't have that."

Thad shrugs and then walks off towards the girl he called Ashley. I watch him as he places his hand on her ass and the other on her shoulder. She smiles at him, flips her hair and as they are walking off, Thad slaps her butt gently.

I roll my eyes thinking sarcastically, 'great, now the few people I know are hoes, sluts, players and old lady librarians.' My day is going to be absolutely fabulous.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The lecture hall was empty when I first arrive. I take a seat in a chair near the back of the room. My phone starts to buzz and I take it out, glancing at the screen. It's just a text from my mom telling me to have a fantastic day. How kind.

People begin to show up and the once silent room becomes noisy with the sound of students talking to one another excitedly.

"Hey!" A friendly looking guy slips into the seat next to mine. "Name's Daniel." He holds out his hand for me to shake and I take it.

"Q," I tell him, wincing as he continues to shake my hand. Daniel looks down at our hands and then let's go of mine, grinning sheepishly.

"My bad," he laughs. He opens his mouth to say something more but then the professor walks in.

"Anyone who talks from now without being called on will be dismissed," the professor tells us, glaring at the group of chattering girls. "And ladies, I strongly suggest keeping away from the guys so they won't be ah... What's the word? Oh, distracted."

A few of the guys snicker and fist bump.

"I am Dr. Henry, and no, you may not call me Mr. Henry." Dr. Henry says as he walks over to a pull-down screen. He pulls it down and then pulls a remote control from his pocket. He points it at a projector he had already set up.

The projector whirred to life and an image was plastered onto the white backdrop.

A swirling nebula brightened the room slightly.

"Excuse me?" A girl in the front row raises her hand.

Dr. Henry calls on her.

"I thought this was a music course," she says rudely.

"I thought that in high-school you learned to not question a teacher," Dr. Henry shoots back.

I sigh; this will be a long year.