Eviterno (AlanxJeff) VI

12

Jeff

The days kept passing, and my heart refused to stop behaving strangely.

I felt a mix of joy and relief when my classes finally started. Keeping my mind occupied might help me stop thinking about Alan and my increasingly chaotic emotions. Charlie and Otom followed me like bodyguards, but it felt more like we were a group of friends. They knew how to blend in and paid attention in class. Sometimes, we even discussed assignments, and it felt really nice.

One afternoon, Otom told us about Alan's workshop. It was one of his legal businesses. To my surprise, even though Alan hadn't gone to college, he was really good with cars. It felt good to know we had something in common.

The other students glanced at me sideways, but no one dared to approach. At first, I thought it was because of Charlie and Otom, but when I observed them more closely, I realized they didn't really have the aura of bodyguards and could easily blend in. On the other hand, I wasn't good at making friends either. It didn't seem right to involve anyone outside our world. And to top it off, my new last name didn't seem to help.

"Shall we go home?" Charlie asked me that afternoon.

"No, I'd like to look for a book in the library," I replied. I didn't want to go home so soon. Sometimes it felt so big.

We entered the library, and I wandered among the shelves. The atmosphere was quiet, with the soft rustle of pages turning and the occasional whisper of students. I started browsing without really knowing what I was looking for. In reality, I just wanted to be alone for a while, to clear my mind. It had been a few difficult days for me; I still had to adapt. Although I won't deny it has been much better than I had imagined.

I grabbed a random book when I couldn't stretch the time any longer and took it to the librarian.

"Alright, under whose name is the loan?" she asked, her eyes fixed on her computer.

"Jeff... Jeff De Hemmawich," I said in a whisper.

I saw her take a deep breath, and her fingers paused for a few seconds before continuing to type. Everyone had different reactions whenever they heard Alan's last name.

"There is no time limit," she finally said without looking at me, with a forced smile. "You can keep it as long as you want."

"Thanks..." I mumbled. Obviously, it was preferential treatment, I thought. Sometimes... sometimes I wished I were a normal person.

"Oh, you're Jeff!" a voice pulled me out of my thoughts, and I saw Charlie approaching cautiously out of the corner of my eye. "Jeff De Hemmawich?" the smiling boy asked.

I looked at him warily. He studied me for a few seconds before smiling contentedly and looking over my shoulder.

"Otom, long time no see!" he exclaimed.

"Do you know him?" Charlie asked Otom.

"Yes, he works at the workshop. He's part of our group," Otom said seriously. "So, you're studying?" he asked the boy.

"Yes, I showed my talent to the boss, and he allowed it," he said with a satisfied smile, turning his gaze back to me. It was strange; I felt that although he was smiling, there was something more that I couldn't read.

"My name is Dean. I'm one of Hemmawich's men. I'm in my third year. If you need anything, just let me know. I've heard so much about you; it's nice to finally meet you in person."

"Thanks..." I replied simply. Did Alan talk about me? I wondered, puzzled. I had realized that Alan was only gentle with me or a few select people. Otherwise, it was hard for him to speak or change his intimidating expression.