Never I Thought

Chapter 2 - Not You Too

"No way, you're doing that too?"

I turned around sharply and came face to face with Robin, his eyes excitedly scanning the page. It didn't matter how much anger he had he never would show it. Even when belittling me he still looked happy.

He ran a hand through his brown, fluffy hair and reached into my hand to steal the pen away. I let the pen go before he could grab it and it fell against the board, the string keeping it from dropping to the floor. As he grabbed it, I quickly took a step back to give myself some space, seeing as Robin had no idea about person bubbles.

"Let me guess, you're in need of being tutored because if you don't raise your grades you won't get to play football," I said, folding my arms.

He shot me a grin, "not at all, Alyssa Mcurth, I want to help others, build their confidence in their classes and school."

Great, make me out to be the bad guy, I thought.

Then Robin leaned in, way too close for my liking and I breathed in his minty cologne, "it also looks good on applications. And as you mentioned before, for the youths."

I raised my eyebrows, unimpressed by his eavesdropping skills. It took everything in me to not grab that pen and cross my name out aggressively but then he would win and I didn't want him to win. So I stood up taller and pressed my fingers against his chest, pushing him back so I could get away. If I stayed near him any longer, I'd burst into flames and my body would melt like wax.

"Oh, Alyssa, is that you?" The librarian, Miss Lad, called out, "I could use your help if you were available."

Robin moved to the side and I walked off, a little too abruptly, over to Miss Lad, sitting at the desk near the entrance of the library. I forced a smile onto my face.

"What can I do?" I asked.

Miss Lad pointed at a pile of maths textbooks on a table nearby, "would you be able to deliver these to the maths staff room? I've been meaning to do it all morning but I just got more paperwork I have to finish by this afternoon."

I nodded and started to pull the textbooks into my arms, quickly noticing their heaviness that I almost caved against. Miss Lad pressed her lips together in thought and looked around.

"How about your friend, Robin, take some of that weight?" She suggested and I internally groaned.

"We're not friends," I said but her voice had been loud enough to catch Robin's attention and he strutted over.

"I'd be more than willing to help," he said and grabbed the whole pile from my arms with ease. I bit the inside of my cheek trying not to say anything offensive with the librarian right there.

"Well, seeing as you, Robin Kempt, don't seem to need my help I'm sure you can complete the journey alone," I clasped my hands together.

"Nonsense," he said and placed a textbook in my hand. One textbook from the twenty he held. I glanced over at Miss Lad, hoping she'd say something but her attention had already waned elsewhere and I figured if I was to leave now, it would paint me in a bad light.

I rolled my eyes and turned on my heel, walking out the library doors. Maybe if I walked fast enough I would lose Robin but he was swift, following like a cute puppy.

Not cute, I told myself, lost.

Like a lost puppy.

I walked ahead in silence, all I wanted to do was find a quiet place to study and now I had been roped into doing tasks with Robin. Just like always, I had tried to avoid him and just like always, he found a way to stick around and pester me to death.