The Book Nook

18

We finally left the future second level of our bookstore and headed out the back way which we had came, waving goodbye to Sheila on the way out the front. I didn't know what the rest of our evening was going to be, but Alexandria already had her plans made, much to my non-surprise. However, I didn't expect her to lead me to where she did.

It was almost nine p.m. and close to closing time when I realized that she was taking me back to the library from where we had only just came from a few short hours ago.

When we arrived back at the library for the second time around, it was fifteen minutes until closing but that did not seem to stop Alexandria from whatever it was that she determined to do.

"Why are we back here?" I asked already for the umpteenth time. This time I got a response as we had descended into the labyrinth of books, seemingly headed for one of the staircases.

"Haven't you always wanted to get locked in a library?" she asked me.

"I feel like I remember you saying that before."

Now I had caught on to her plan, but we were already deep inside the library which meant that it was already far too late to turn back. I had gotten myself into something yet again.

"Good memory," she winked back at me.

She told me how she knows we'll be able to pull it off perfectly. Staying in the library after they lock up. Apparently the two or three who are on duty to check all the aisles for stragglers at closing time never take the time to actually go down each and every single aisle because there's rarely ever a point to.

So what we did was Alexandria led me to her nook in the corner of the library. All we had to do was get inside, scrunch close together, and wait. We kept any body part from dangling outside the edges of the nook so as not to be noticed by anybody who happened to peer down the aisle. If we were totally inside the nook then nobody would see us unless they walked right by, which according to Alexandria they rarely ever did.

"Key word there being rarely," I helpfully pointed out. "Which means we could get caught."

She rolled her eyes. "If we get caught, just pretend you had fallen asleep. What's the worst that happens? They politely inform us of the time? Perhaps shine a flashlight in our face? Oh no, that sounds just utterly terrifying."

She went into doing a bit where she acted as a posh librarian who, contrary to anyone I've seen working at the library, happens to, of course, be some form of Irish as per many of her impressions.

"Excuuuuse me, sir and madam. But are ya aware that the time is now nine ah-clock and we 'er now closin'? Ya don't have ta go home, but ya can't stay 'ere. There's no hanky-panky in the library, now scram."

I laughed at her riotous caricature as she bent down to peer inside the nook with an imaginary flashlight held in an interrogative manner.

I got inside the nook first, awkwardly figuring out how to fit myself inside while still leaving room for Alexandria to get in. She didn't bother waiting for me to maneuver my legs and instead just climbed right in on top of me, getting tight against the wall and folding her legs in so not an inch of her was within view outside of the nook. She didn't care that she was crushing my right kneecap as we shifted clumsily trying to get ourselves into an at least semi-agreeable position and laughing uncontrollably. After what seemed like forever moving around, we finally settled into a pose where Alexandria tucked herself beside me close to the wall of books inside the nook with her head on my chest as I leaned myself into one corner with my legs bent out before me, far enough away from the edge of the nook.