Outlawed

Chapter Two

Screwed.

Those were the thoughts that were running through Olivia’s mind as she quickly made her way to the school’s library. As she turned a corner, she bumped into someone and made them drop the books that they had in their hands. Normally, Olivia would have stopped and helped them, but she was already late. So instead of helping, she merely kept running and yelled an apology over her shoulder hearing a deep voice reply something, but she didn't pay attention.

When she finally made it to the library, she slammed open the door and ran straight to the librarian’s desk. The school’s librarian, Lizzie, stared at Olivia with wide eyes as Olivia tried to regain her breath.  “You okay there?” she asked Olivia.

Elizabeth Goetzman was the best librarian a book nerd could ask for. From the short, flaming red hair, to the piercing green eyes that she liked to cover with violet contacts ever since she fell in love with the anime Vampire Knight, to her dark clothes, everything about her screamed edgy. But if you took all that and more away, she was the most girlish girl ever. But the most important thing Olivia loved about her, was her love for books. 

Olivia first met Elizabeth last year when she was a freshman. Alexia had just joined the cheer-leading squad and since she was Olivia’s ride back home, Olivia had to spend her afternoons after school on campus. There was no chance in hell that Olivia was going to wait in the blistering sun on the bleachers watching girls do flips and such, so she decided on hanging out somewhere safe; the library. When she first walked through the doors, she couldn’t help but to take in everything. The whole room smelled like it had just been painted, the carpet seemed vacuumed, and the smell of air freshener lingered in the air. Book posters covered the walls and near the librarian’s desk hanged a pin-board where after school clubs advertised their meetings. The only sound there was the AC ventilation rattling and a couple kids in the back near the windows playing Yu-Gi-Oh.  

Olivia wandered around trying to see what books there were until she randomly picked one off the shelf. “Oooh, Before I Fall, by Lauren Oliver; excellent choice.” Someone said behind her. Olivia turned to see the tall red head right behind her with a cart stacked with books. “It’s a very good book, makes you reflect on life and death. My favorite quote from it is: ‘It amazes me how easy it is for things to change, how easy it is to start off down the same road you always take and wind up somewhere new’. Best quote ever.”

Olivia smiled nervously and put the book back. “Yeah, it was a good book. However, the ending sucked.”

The woman before her laughed and said, “Tragic, yes, but poetic.”

Olivia stood there awkwardly while the woman took in her appearance. Something about her appearance apparently screamed nerd because she then asked Olivia if she read a lot of books.

“Define a lot?” Olivia replied. 

“Thriller or Romance?” the woman asked.

“Excuse me?”

“Do you prefer reading thrillers, or romance books?”

“Romance.”

“Favorite author?

“Too many to name.”

“Favorite book?”

“Again, too many to name.”

“Vampires or werewolves?

“Neither; witches.”

“And last, but not least: Harry Potter or Twilight?”

“Harry Potter of course!”

The woman smiled and motioned for Olivia to follow, leading her to her desk “I was recently informed that I needed an office worker to help me around the library, and I think I just found the right candidate. What do you say?”