In Between Seasons

CHAPTER 3: That Dusk

They left the library and made their way outside the school. Tyler has always been a conversation-starter. He gave Sasha questions that were answerable by yes and no. Sasha was too hesitant to give too many details about herself, but she realized he was not that bad at all.

"I have always been in love with books. And the library will always be my favorite spot in school," he said as they took the stairs.

"Me too," she responded timidly.

"I love fiction and reading poetry. I love the idea of plunging into different worlds and being in different bodies. It somehow felt real."

"Same. I love poetry too. I could spend my whole day at home reading books. It's my free therapy."

"I heard you're the editor-in-chief of the school paper. That's pretty nice, huh?" Tyler said trying to make Sasha more comfortable.

"How did you know?"

"I am a student here, so I had the copy."

"One more sarcasm and I am going to push you off the stairs."

"Kidding. I read your articles and I love rereading your short stories. They were unpredictable, and I love how you embroidered your words with our imaginations."

"Wow, thanks for the kind words. I honestly don't know how to take a compliment." Sasha, although trying so hard to hide her dislike of the man she's with, can't deny that Tyler was not like how she imagined he would ever be. Plus, he loves reading, which makes him a man with substance and purpose.

"Just take it. I said it because I meant it. Take it. It's for free." He flashed that prettiest smile of his.

They reached the burger stand, and he ordered them a double patty burger each. Sasha was drooling from the smell of mayo and mustard. He was looking at the frying pan with amazement.

"Tell me what was your most favorite piece that you ever read?" Tyler once again lit up a pretty good starter.

Sasha, out of excitement, unconsciously let go of her defenses. "I had this one piece submitted for the school paper, which was written by someone anonymous. And I was amazed by his poem. It was written so superbly and has all the perfect structure and measures. I like how it was written and how the writer became that imaginative. It was one of the best things I read. And that's why, without any hesitation, I put it on paper so many more people could read."

"May I know the title so I can read it later when I get home?"

"The Moon and Her Stars," Sasha shared confidently. "It's in the school paper's first volume last school year. I won't be put to shame for recommending that."

"Wow. It's nice to know you admire it. But your poetry was incomparable. Nothing will beat the things you write."

"So, you read that already? It was one of the best. Don't argue with me." Sasha, although confused, was still trying to do her refute.

"I swear it was no good."

Sasha paused from chewing and gave Tyler a curious look. "Don't tell me..."

"Let's just keep that piece anonymous," Tyler said shyly.

"You were the one who wrote that awesome content? Wow. I can't believe it. How did you write that? It was one of the best things I've read in my entire life!"

All of a sudden, Sasha realized she was starting to get more comfortable talking to him. Especially after she found out that he was the writer of the poem that was stuck inside her head for months. All of a sudden, her interest was boosted and he became a different person to her, unlike the way she used to have her first impression. Tyler was soft-spoken and talked with authority. They started talking about a lot of things. He knew how to fill the ineptness with stories that were aligned with Sasha's interests. He started telling her about his history, and she was stuck there listening attentively without her noticing it.