the library (ONE SHOT)

the library

She sat alone in a corner. It was dimly lit, and had a cool draft that tickled her bare calves. She was starting to regret wearing the yellow sundress she had picked out that morning. Engrossed in the pages of the weathered old book filled to the brim with poetry, she failed to notice the figure observing her. She seemed so tucked away from society, peacefully unaware of the happenings in the small library. The stranger observing her noted the small blissful smile gracing her face as she tucked a stray piece of her chestnut brown locks behind her ear.

It wasn't until the stranger coughed, startling her that she noticed the figure in front of her.

"Sorry, do you need something?" the girl asked, blushing in embarrassment at her complete lack of awareness.

"You're holding my book." the stranger replied bemusedly.

"Your book?" the girl questioned.

"Yea. My book. I check that book out every Friday." the stranger humored the girl.

"Ah too bad it's Thursday, not Friday." the girl replied mischievously.

The stranger not expecting this reply smiled slyly. " That may be true, but who cares if it's Thursday? Can't I check out my book whenever I like?" the stranger smiled brightly.

"Sure if the book was indeed yours, except this is a public library, so this book does in fact not belong to you nor anyone but little old Matilda who works at the front desk." the girl smiled triumphantly.

Sucking air through her teeth the stranger replied, " see that may be true for you, however little old Matilda happens to love me very much so I doubt she would have a heart attack if i called one of her dingy old books mine."

Biting back a chuckle the girl smiled and said, "dingy? This book is in pretty great shape for its age, plus it's easily the best book in this treasure trove."

the stranger let out a hearty laugh, "treasure trove? This place is caked in dust and I'm pretty sure if you go in the non-fiction section you can hear a couple of teens sloppily making out. What are you some sort of English major?" the stranger let out another disbelieving laugh.

The girl pouted which the stranger couldn't help but find absolutely adorable, the girl's hair had been pulled back into a low ponytail with only her curtain bangs slipping out to provide a veil over her forest green eyes.

The girl let out a snort which alerted the stranger she had been caught staring at this mysterious girl.

A faint blush covered the stranger's cheeks and neck, which only went unnoticed due to her caramel complexion. "I am." the girl replied.

"An English major i mean, well, technically I'm majoring in elementary education with a concentration in English." the girl elaborated.

"Figures" the stranger murmured.

"should i take offense to that miss leather jacket and doc martens?" the girl bit back amused.

"It's Layla actually and perhaps." the stranger smiled.

"I'm choosing to believe that I'm just so smart and witty it makes sense," the girl replied while tightening her ponytail.

"This is the part where you tell me your name..." Layla alluded with a smirk on her face.

"Where's the fun in that? I'll tell you if you guess." the girl replied.

Biting her lip Layla smiled, "okay I'll bite, you seem like a Courtney, hot or cold?"

the girl shook her head, "freezing."

Layla sat down on the floor across from the small beanbag the girl was curled up on. "Okay so not a Courtney, hmm how about this, give me a hint and the first letter if i guess your name you owe me a drink?" Layla drawled.

" oh, so forward huh? I will give you three chances and when you fail, I get to keep the book for three weeks." the girl turned her head staring Layla dead in the eye with a smirk.

"I'm only agreeing because I'm absolutely certain I will win, however you have to have that book memorized by now, why keep it?" Layla questioned.

"Just because you want it so bad, i couldn't possibly let you walk away with the book after you expressed such interest." the girl smiled brightly.

"Fair enough little minx, so what are my hints?" Layla chuckled.

" Your first hint is that my name starts with a 'C' and if you need more then, I guess knowing my mother was a librarian and my father was an English professor may help." the girl winked.

"Ahh a literary name I see.. Hmm Carrie?" Layla asked, eyes full of concentration.

The girl noticed that when Layla focused she had a habit of playing with laces on her black very worn doc martens. She couldn't help but find everything about this sardonic stranger appealing. "Strike one." the girl smiled.

"Not Carrie, how about Calista?" Layla smiled with a flicker of something in her eyes the girl couldn't discern.

Upon hearing the latest guess the girl's teasing smile dropped in shock but she quickly plastered a look of amusement over it. "Nope." she replied leaning forward to get a better look at the tall dark and devastatingly attractive girl across from her.

"Ah, I know what it is! Calypso." Layla bit back a laugh and sat back.

"How the hell did you do that?" the girl replied.

"Do what?" Layla coolly responded, noticing the frustration and shock building in the small girl across from her.

"You actually guessed my name. I mean how common of a name could it possibly be? It's not like I go around with it plastered on my forehead." the girl frustratedly replied.

" maybe not your forehead but apparently you do walk around with it on your chest." Layla laughed.

"What?" The girl glanced down and saw the nametag that read 'Calypso' in cursive purple writing. She had completely forgotten she had volunteered at the boys and girls club before she swung by the library that evening.

Feeling like an idiot she threw her head back and groaned. She had just been played.

"Aww c'mon sweetheart I told you I would win." Layla teased.

"So how about that drink?" Layla stood up offering a hand to Calypso.

"Fine, but I'm keeping the book."
Calypso shook her head.

"Wouldn't expect any less from a minx like you." Layla winked.

The two girls walked out of the library after saying a cursory goodbye to little old Matilda at the front desk.