Seven

Three

I'm a bad person. Good people don't update at 11 in the night. 4 DAYS AFTER. I'm sorry

Three

I phoned Ash to meet me in the library. We both shared a common love for books, but apart from that we were as different as chalk and cheese.

She preferred romanticism, and sugar and spice and all things nice. She was the type who stayed up late, avidly reading clichéd novels. She had a thing for fictional bad boys, and was one of those who shipped both themselves and the fictional female lead with the bad boy.

On the other hand, I preferred nitty- gritty details, and perhaps dark under themes. I had pored through shelves of Nancy Drew and later advancing to Sherlock.

We were fourteen, with a crude idea of worldly knowledge.

As I walked the way to the library, I couldn't help but wonder which new novella I could hide in the covers of. Perhaps some new gripping mystery was hiding in those racks.

Ash was a pretty girl with auburn hair and quick wit. I was her friend hidden in the shadows. I was never hidden in her shadows, but that's what people assumed me to be.

The library's chime jingled as I made my way through the stacks of books. I heaved those of last weeks' on the table, and went out to discover some new fantasy land.

The old lady at the counter smiled when she saw me, and gave me a toffee. I was a regular here, and I often helped around here by organizing and restacking the shelves.

The bell chimed again, alerting me to Ash's arrival.

She came bouncing towards me and we hugged, while the old lady had to deal with her overflowing counter.

She whispered something in my ear, but I couldn't understand. She shook her head with disappointment, but the mocking glint in her eyes told me something was up.

Oh the library! It was majestic in its own sense. A corner shop, with a pleasing scent of old books. It had rows of shelves, and there were little nooks and crannies that we had bagged as our own.

But first, we had to find a book. It's pretty tough, you know, when you're browsing with a friend.

We browsed the bookshelves, and embarrassed each other with books we had mistakenly read.

I smiled fondly at the memory of me giving her 'Fairy Tales' as a gag gift.

After a while, she had to go to some fancy dinner, so we said bye, and waved like maniacs.
She mouthed the words 'Good luck'.

What was that all about?

Something was definitely up.

The sun was setting. Pink and orange, purple and blue patches of sky created a mesmerizing view.

Feeling poetic, I decided to reorganize the shelves and help clean up the library. After all, we had made quite a mess, and there was nothing more entertaining than randomly finding a book.

The pleasant atmosphere convinced me that nothing could go wrong.

In between the rows of shelves, there was a specimen of the male gender sitting, or rather relaxing on a bean bag. He was decidedly cute, with jet black hair, and pale skin. He must have been a bookworm judging his lack of tan and the way he was engrossed in the book.

He couldn't have been much older than me, but there was something about him on which I couldn't put my finger on.

He must have noticed a presence, because he looked up. Brown, familiar eyes. We made eye contact. We gave each other a forced smile.

"Melinoe"

"Donn"

He nodded, and went back to reading

Experience taught me not to interrupt someone reading, so I sat down and started reading myself. We sat in comfortable silence.

Until he decided to break it, of course.

He cleared his throat. I looked up.

"Sup?"

"I'm cleaning the stables. Wanna help?"

He smiled at my sarcasm. Apparently he hadn't heard of the 'Don't - Disturb-Someone-Who-Is-Reading Rule'.

Someday I would look back, and say that this was the cinching point of our friendship. Him being hilariously obtuse, and me being sarcastic.

That day, I returned from the library with a huge smile on my face, and a cheerful mood. The grass seemed a bit greener, and the birds sung a bit sweeter.

Good things don't last long, do they?

A phone call spoilt it all. It came during dinner. It was from Ash's mobile. I picked it up, confused. She never phoned me during meals, mainly because she was eating herself. Hadn't she gone to some fancy dinner?

"Hello? Ash?"

"Actually, it's Dr. Walker, from the hospital"

"Yes? Is everything alright?"

"Sorry to inform you, but your friend and her family had a car crash."

Everything else was a blur.

The world lost two bright individuals that day: Ash and her father.

I walked to the library alone the day afterwards. No cheerful Ash greeted me.

Even the old lady came to the funeral.

But, Donn was there, and perhaps grief made me a more open person, as I started talking to him.

How was it? Any constructive criticism? Oh yeah to update regularly. . .
Thank you
~ Confused cat ~