Saudade (ON HOLD)

CHAPTER THREE

It was my first day since I accepted Layla's offer to join the librarian club. Since there was only a few active members in the club, me and Layla had so much work to do. People used to leave the books on the table, on the couch, or wherever else as they finished reading. So, I helped her to rearrange them back into the shelves.

"Scarlet, please put these on the D section," Layla said after she collected all the books and load me with a stack of them.

"Whoop! They're heavy," I squealed, catching a breath at once.

"Um, do you need help?" she offered.

"No, it's okay. I can handle myself."

There was a brief silence before Layla took a response, "Alright, watch your step, Scarlet," and headed toward the receptionist to receive some visitors.

The library area was quite extensive for a newcomer like me and it wasn't easy to find a section that Layla had directed me to. I couldn't help to hold these things any longer. They're not just all too much, but also bulky and heavy.

I walked down the aisle between a couple bookshelves and found the D section, sighing in relief.

Unfortunately, my maximum height wasn't enough to reach the top shelf. As I forced myself to stand on my tiptoe and reached up, I suddenly lost my balance and being pulled by gravity underneath.

But someone caught me from behind, save me from falling.

"Careful," I heard a low voice over my back, a very masculine but also soft and peaceful.

That gave me a signal to get up immediately before embarrassment would wash over myself. "Sorry," I said-as soon as I recognize a figure of a guy, that I used to wonder about.

And now I couldn't help the awkwardness that filled the air around us.

Or it just me.

His eyes were scanning to my books, remained me feeling uncomfortable as if he was staring at me too.

"Here. Let me get that," he said as he took over the books without even asking for permission. I didn't say anything as a resistance. I was drowned in my own thoughts when he started to set them one by one on the top shelf. "What are you doing in the library, by the way?"

I startled, blinking several times. "Oh. I'm just-helping my friend," was the only response I could give to him.

"Really? Can I help your friend too?"

"No thanks," I blurted out. In the next few seconds, I realized that it was slightly rude, so I tried to collect my voice back and rectifying, "I mean, you don't have to. It was my job as a librarian."

"So you're in the librarian club. That's pretty cool."

"Yeah."

I suddenly felt my stomach tickled by a hundred butterflies as neither of us started talking.

"Oh, sorry, we haven't known each other yet. My name's Sky."

Exactly.

You should tell me before Layla did, Sky Grayson.

The guy paused, but his eyes secretly drifting to my shirt. "Well, Mary-Jane, I-"

"Scarlet," I corrected. Then I checked my nametag to ensure that he was reading it. "That was my middle name."

"I'd like call you Mary Jane if you don't mind," he smirked, showing off his one-sided dimple. "Wait, does it sound familiar? In a movie or somethi-"