Enchanted

Oneshot

A/N: I know, I know. I should be updating Losing You. I blame Roxy, Archie, and her royal awesomeness, Taylor Swift.

Forcing laughter, faking smiles, same old tired lonely place

The keys kept jingling inside Archie's right pocket, a futile attempt at drawing attention, as if the lifeless pieces of metals were asking to be found. A little exaggerated, but a fitting comparison since the set of keys was not supposed to be in his possession.

As he approached the end of the hall, he unlocked his mobile with his fingerprint and switched to airplane mode.

Despite the late hour, rules are still rules.

He convinced himself that it had nothing to do with him escaping the grandiose fundraiser being thrown in the main building's ballroom.

He slowly looked around, the warm fuzzy feeling brought by nostalgia completely evading him.

Minor renovations were proposed two summers ago to incorporate a touch of modernity and innovation in what was known to be the oldest building in campus. Aside from the whimsical art installation that welcomed guests and students two floors below, the three-storey structure also boasted non-toxic and eco-friendly solar panels.

But the maple hardwood flooring remained - clean and dutifully maintained, but undeniably old. Every step he took produced an eerie creaking sound that people would associate with a horror film.

He chuckled. He used to be one of the silly boys that spreaded terrifying stories about the building - lies that kept their small group's sanctuary peaceful and private.

A deeply buried memory prompted him to turn left, and shortly he was greeted by a set of double doors, made from the same wooden material he was walking on.

He ignored the sign stating that the library closed three hours ago, and reached for the set of keys inside his pocket.

Manong Noel, the caretaker he and his friends pranked and eventually befriended during their sophomore year, marked the correct key with white tape, so he could easily find the piece of metal that would fit the key hole.

He promised the old man a good bottle of whiskey, a generous offer he declined. The caretaker proudly shared how he's been living a healthy life in the past five years since Archie and his friends graduated, claiming that they were terrible influences on him.

Exhausted from his 17-hour flight, Archie leaned his right shoulder on the wooden panel, fully expecting it to support his weight as he was inserting the key. To his surprise, the door eased back.

Noel, you old man.

He shook his head as he returned the keys inside his pocket and entered the huge empty room.

Either the caretaker intended to play a prank on him, or he was becoming increasingly forgetful in his old age. While not too concerning for a 64-year-old, Archie still pulled up the calendar on his phone.

He kept walking aimlessly, avoiding shelves and tables by sheer luck, while creating a reminder to have his assitant clear a couple of hours off his Wednesday schedule two weeks from that day, so he could pencil in a consult for the old caretaker.

"Hanggang 7 PM lang bukas yung library."

Shifting eyes and vacancy, vanished when I saw your face

Luckily, Archie had a strong grip on his phone, so it didn't slip from his fingers. His heart, however, is a completely different matter.

What the actual -