Dainty and Dauntless

This time:

I went fishing last night. With me I had the brightest lamp, and the sharpest hook. The sea was vast, and I longed to catch a fish; one so big and healthy... one that could be you but wasn't you.

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Two months of high school were left and Ethan Valer had a girlfriend now. It wasn't Natalie of course. Her name was Helen and she was from the third year, young, beautiful and cheery.
The two would be seen strolling around in the evenings. Natalie did, many times, and she'd look the other way just as many times. She didn't deserve such hurt. But very soon he would be out of her sight and hopefully out of mind in a few months that would follow. That reality was the hurt that she couldn't avoid.
The final exams were so close. Natalie stayed up late with revision and consulted more from the teachers. A week to the exams, Ethan Valer dropped the evening strolls and frequented visits to the library. During that time, the two barely saw each other.

The finals took three weeks. In classrooms and study halls, clusters of students were hunched over their desks, scribbling away at last-minute notes or solving practice problems, their faces a mixture of concentration and fatigue. Some had books and notebooks spread out in front of them, their pages crammed with highlighted lines, sticky notes protruding from the edges like colorful flags marking important sections. Calculators clicked rapidly, and the occasional frustrated sigh broke the silence as a particularly tough problem or concept resists understanding.
The school library was another hive of activity. Rows of computers were occupied by students typing furiously, finalizing essays and projects that are due. The quiet rustle of pages turning, the soft buzz of whispered discussions, and the sound of typing keys blending into a soundtrack of focused effort. Some students took advantage of the sunny weather, sprawled on the grass with textbooks or gathered in small groups for impromptu study sessions. In between study sessions, the conversations inevitably turned to the future. Students discussed their plans for college, trade schools, gap years, or entering the workforce.

The finalists were seating their last paper that chilly morning with anticipation for the stressful round of exams finally coming to an end. When the bell rung to signal the end of the exams, sighs of relief were heard in the room. They had made it through high school. With the exams done, many planned to return all the books they had borrowed from the library throughout the whole period.

"Could you please help take mine too, Natalie? I really have to be somewhere right now, and it might slip my mind to return the books today.

"I thought we would take them together, c'mon Elise". "I know l, just help me out please."

"I will go with you in her place," Natalie frowned. "I'll help you carry them too," Garf added.

"Well, hand them over and get going. Muscleman over here has offered his help"

"Thanks, you guys. They are all in here," Elise handed the bag to Garf and left in a hurry.

When Natalie and Garf proceeded to the library, it wasn't yet back to its usual tranquility, but not loud like it had been for the past month. A few books were still left on top of the tables and some computers still occupied. They managed to check-in each book and were done in a few minutes.

"Now since that's been dealt with, I'll head out".

"Okay, see you soon"

As Garf disappeared out the door, Natalie took a quick glance around the room again. She went on to collect the books scattered around, returning each to their specific aisle. The last book was at her favorite desk and spread wide open. She looked down into it, furrowed her brows and bent towards it. She read a few lines from it and giggled, then picked it up and swiftly turned to read the title as she sat down. She surprisingly found herself thinking about Illai and his preferences, this was the kind of books he would enjoy. Natalie had a pleasant time reading the two pages and felt the need to leave it on that table, spread out like she had found it, in hope that maybe someone else would find it, hopefully Illai. Through the windows, it was becoming windy outside and Natalie hugged herself. She picked up the book, finally deciding to return it to the shelves and slowly made her way to the back. Ahead, she could hear synced giggles so she stopped for a minute and a held her breath. A cozy library for a cozy couple in this cozy weather, she blushed at the thought.
But the weather outside was getting worse and she wanted to get back to the dorms before it could pour down. She lightened her paces and decided to quickly glance at them just as she passed by their shelf. When she did, Ethan Valer was seated in a corner with Helen snuggled in his chest, leaning in for a kiss. She turned away fast and walked on. She returned the book to some random shelf. She walked in silence to the wall at the back of the room, plopped to the ground, and hugged her knees. Her brain was blank and chaotic at the same time. She dropped her head back and stared at the void ahead. The clouds outside had turned to a dark grey and as the wind continued hollering outside, the murmurs grew lesser until no voices were heard. Everyone had abandoned the library. Eventually, hard rain dropped down to the earth, slowly increasing in intensity until it was a heavy pour of rain. Natalie's eyes glimmered with tears and she rubbed her palms on her knees repeatedly, holding her breath. It was building up, the pain, from the depth of her heart. When her mouth began to quiver, she let out a deep sigh and both her eyes watered. She was going to allow herself to cry out loud. This had to be it.
She fought the urge to shout it out, shaking her head to refrain from spelling it out. As she bit down on her bottom lip and looked to the ceiling, she yelled out,
"Ethan freakin' Valer". She breathed, "I hate you"
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