The Book Girl

Jane TBG: First Encounters

Jane TBG

Thursday

After Work Library: 4:37 P.M

I huffed, blowing a curtain of bangs off my glasses, and lazily strolling between the dark wooden bookcases. Another week, another case, another day, another series, another hour another book. This was my life.

Not that I minded, I mean, no one was forcing me to read. Quite the contrary, it was my only hope, my only happiness, my only escape. Reading takes me everywhere. There's hardly a place I haven't been!

I've been to the future - The Host. The Hunger Games. Divergent.

I've been to the past - Romeo and Juliet. Pride and Prejuduce. Wuthering Heights.

I've visited England, found love in Paris, traveled to India, and skydived in Australia. Solved a mystery, saved the president, one book I even had a love triangle with a dangerous vampire and a sexy werewolf. Well, I guess it was the characters who did these things, but it felt like me. That's all that mattered.

Living for me was reading. I read books, breathed books, and so I lived them.

Not everyone understands what it's like to be me, I thought. People just can't see. They can't see how much I struggle.

Letting out a tired sigh, I shook my head once to clear my thoughts, having to push curly dark bangs away once more. I stopped before a bookcase I hadn't looked at before. It was on the second floor of our town's library in the 'C-D' Fiction section. Two letters could hold a lot of books, I don't know if I mentioned this before, but the cases go from the ground up. Floor One sections, and Floor Three were more modern stories, it's the second floor that holds most of the older books. I have much to choose from.

There was a book in particular that I saw, it's bright blue cover stood out among the usual aged red, greens, and browns that this section held. The intriguing little thing was too high up for my reach. Ninth shelf, in the middle...maybe I could find a ladder. They were always scattered around the library for people's use.

I grabbed three books I hadn't read, and left to skim them before I searched for any ladders. After all, I have the entire day, I thought to myself. No school here.

Not ever again.

* * *

Yawning, I stretched from my spot at the very back, surrounded by piles of my stories. Cozy, comfortable, and calm. I'd finished all three books and figured it was time to go find that ladder. Slap! I put the books on top of one of the piles and stood up reluctantly. Today was a school day, so I'd have to try to avoid him again. Shane always came by here on school days. I couldn't stand the sight of him.

It's not as if I hated him. Oh man, if anything I loved him. That was the problem, hot shot Shane Hunt would never match up with me. I'm just The Book Girl. Plain Jane. Lame Jane.

Back when I didn't completely ignore school, I had every class with Shane. We sat close, and I knew who he was. Of course, he never knew me. Now he never will, but that's okay with me. Sort of.

I used to imagine he'd need help with an assignment, and there I'd be: work done, ready to assist. Just imagine ways we might meet, start hanging out, and eventually he'd fall for me just as badly as I fell for him. It wasn't even his title that made me fall. I think there's more to our town's idol than just a smart sporty jock.

It must be because of the first time we met.

Shane was leaving after school practice several weeks ago. It was one of the days I bothered to show up. Making sure they see I can't be used again. I was done being walked on, so screw school, the teachers, the classes. I make time when I want. Skipping was the beginning of my rebellious streak, which eventually turned into a lifestyle.