On Purpose

~6~

I spent my Thursday morning doing nothing. Na-da, zip, pow.
After dropping Jessie off at her house last night, I drove around her block thinking about Isabelle.
I wondered if she caught onto my lie about my name.
I walked into my kitchen and pulled out a tray of ice from the freezer. I bent the ice tray and popped an ice cube in my mouth like it was a piece of chocolate.
I took the tray to the kitchen and turned on the TV. I wanted to do something today. Have a reason to smile, or joke. And as I thought about, Isabelle came to mind. I didn't know if she worked at the library or was just going there like me and Jessie did.
I got up from the couch. There was only one way to find out.

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When I walked in, the familiar hard aroma of hand sanitizer shot up my nose again, this time it nearly killed me.
I walked to the front desk and smiled to one of the librarians. She was young and pretty, maybe around nineteen.
"Hello, I think I saw you last night. You must be a fan of books." Woman, I'd use a book for a fire before I pick one up and read it.
"Yeah, I'm here looking for a friend, she comes here sometimes." Her eyebrow lifts, but there's a smirk on her lips.
"Isabelle?" I let my shoulder's slump. As I hear her say Isabelle's name, I now feel stupid for showing up here. I met her yesterday, why do I keep having a feeling that I need to talk to her?
Maybe I have someone to make fun of. I can't remember having a friend, so having Isabelle is helping me with my break up, although I don't care, but I can't get Jessie off my mind and that's not heathy on my part. If bullying Isabelle and getting bullied back means Jessie isn't in my mind, then I'd take it.
"How'd you know?" I asked the girl who was looking around, I'm guessing for Isabelle.
"She was talking about you all night after you and your ex-girlfriend left." Damn it Miss. Apologize, tell the whole world about my break-up why don't you.
"Yeah, where is she?" I skipped the part that Isabelle was talking about me, which means I'm worth talking about. Unless she was talking shit.
"I think she's upstairs in the children's section." My eyebrows raise.
There were only two floors in the Library. Adult was downstairs along with children's so parents could be close by. If children are upstairs now, did they move teens on the first floor?
"Where is the young adult's section?" She leans a bit closer towards me and I lean back a little.
"The basement, they have a club for the teens." I managed a nod and took a step back.
"If Isabelle's upstairs, that's where I'll head." She nods and I bolt out of there.

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It was nice upstairs too, but it looked more like a daycare rather than a library.
Instantly I spot her talking to a kid and handing her various of books and for the first time, I see her smile. I've seen her smile at me before, but it's always a teasing smile that we both give each other. This smile was full of love and affection.
It brightened her eyes and her hair was in a cute side ponytail and made her look like she was one of the kids and I found myself coming to a halt to stare at her.
She stands and the kid giggles while running away. The upstairs wasn't so big so she spotted me watching her. I was ready for an eye roll, but it didn't come. She waved at me and I took it as an invitation to approach her fully. So I did.
She turned to fix some books and looks over at me.
"Missed me already, Dip-Noodle?" I smirked and crossed my arms while leaning on a shelf.
"Maybe a little." I waited for a reaction, but not one came.
"I'm working, wanna help?" I nod as she hands me some books she was holding.
"Do you know your ABC's, Dip-Noodle?" I shrugged.
"A,C,D,B?" I raised an eyebrow, "Excellent" She applauded for me and went back to stocking the shelves when I rolled my eyes at her.
"What time do you get off?"
"Well, I'm not working today, I'm here for my niece. My sister wanted her to see me, but she didn't know I wasn't working today so I just met them here." I nod but trail off. "You said you were working." She shrugged.
"I know I did, I thought it'll make you leave."
"I'm still here."
"I see that." She said, and gave me a smile.
I like it, how soft she was now. No bullying, or teasing. We smiled at each other and talked lightly. Part of me wanted to tell her I enjoyed her company, and I wanted to continue hanging out with her, but that would be weird on my part. She was the girl, I was gonna let her do the talking about us.
"Where is she? Your niece." I spoke, when she didn't.
"I gave her a book, you were staring at me like I was picking my nose, maybe you saw her." I saw her, but I was mainly staring at you.
"Yeah, I saw her. Speaking of nose, how's yours?" I felt her gaze on me while I put a Doctor Sues book on the shelf.
I gave her a smirk and waited for a smart-ass comeback from her.
"Soon, a doctor will be asking you how's your nuts if you keep messing with me." I smiled and all of a sudden, I felt her finger poke into my cheek. When I turn my face in her direction, her eyes were on a book.
"What are you doing?"
"You have a dimple." She dug her finger deeper into my cheek, touching my teeth.
"I know that, now get your finger off my face, I don't know where your fingers been. You could've been touching boogers and whatnot." I heard a small laugh come from her.
"My hands are harmless." She says, her smile deepening.
"I'll be the judge of that." She smacks my arm, while it didn't hurt, I grabbed it and said, "Ow, you hit like a dude." Her smile wipes off and I turn around.
"So, why are you putting away books if you're not working?" She reached onto the cart and grabbed another book.
"I don't know, habit I guess." I could tell there was something behind the scenes she wasn't telling me. I could see it in her shrug, her calm demeanor. The way her arm slumped when she put another book away.
"You wanna talk about it?" I asked, meaning it.
"Why? You don't do anything but joke around."
"Wow, you must really know me." I say, reciting my words from when I first met her.
"No, and I sure as hell don't want to." She said, playing along. And just by her doing that made me feel all buttery inside. It made me wanna puke.
The last girl who made me feel like that, was Jessie and she ended up leaving me. Not on my watch was I letting another girl butter me up and leave me. I'm slipping, big time.
I straightened up and threw on my cold act again.
"Yeah, that makes two of us." I said, my tone cold now, but she took it as a joke.
"Aww, did I touch a nerve Dip-Noodle?" She reaches out to poke my cheek again, but I grab her wrist and look at her. "What in the world is a Dip-Noodle?" I asked, still holding her wrist in my hand. Her hand looked so tiny in mine, like I was holding a five-year-old's hand.
"I don't know, it slipped out when I was mad at you. If I could guess it would be because you have perfect dimples and noodle's for brains." I raised an eyebrow.
"I'm guessing my dimples attract you?" I teased, but she turns away.
"Puh-lease." She rolled her eyes.
"I'd rather get hit by a Starbucks door than date you." That made me laugh.
"You already got hit by a Starbucks door, so that means you're left with dating me." I say, following her down the aisle of shelves as she pushes the empty cart.
"Are you asking me out?"
"Do you wanna go out?" I asked. Answering her question with a question.
"Like, as friends, right?" I nod, thanking god she said the F word.
"Okay, what time?"
"How about now?"