The Librarian, Her Lover, And Everything In-between

4. 2

   "Oh, um... I–I haven't been up to much actually." Stammering? I had never stammered in all my life and now? Well, I could not blame myself, I had never liked to be put in the spotlight.

    And with the way Red threw me to the hungry wolves, I was sure I'd been invited for the sole purpose of having the story of my life dissected. After all, they lived for gossip.

    "Wait, who is she?" Wannabe Regina asked, her nasally voice just as annoying as nails on a chalkboard.

"Anne Cohen. She attended Highschool with us and then, she suddenly left. She didn't even attend our graduation ceremony." Molly spoke up again, this time, mock curiosity on her face. She knew why I hadn't attended.

    "Why Anne?" Another lady spoke up, this one, I didn't know.

"Nothing really. I had exams and my parents wanted me home as at that time–" I lied.

      "I'll tell you all why she didn't come, but first, I'll explain better who she is."

    Red smiled. I didn't.

†

      School. Highschool. A school was an institution for learning, at least that's what we all knew a school to be. That's how the school, highschool to be precise, was also seen in Fairweather.

     What nobody knew was Fairweather Highschool wasn't just an institution for learning. No, it wasn't. It was also a drama school, it thrived on drama and a lot of unimportant things. That fault was solely the student body's. And though I was a part of that student body, I diligently stayed out of their 'affairs', a fancy word for drama.
      

___

  Senior year wasn't fun for me, and I wasn't surprised about that. As a matter of fact, I'd envisioned it to be this way—boring, uneventful—ever since. And as usual, I had my nose buried in a book at the library.

     The building opposite the library—Fairweather High— had an ongoing party. One could hear the music booming from its premise. I shook my head and continued to read about longitude and latitude.

†

"Anne had always been like that," Regina was saying when I snapped out of my thoughts. "She never hung around with us. Why, Anne?"

     "I always felt like you thought us to low for you," Cynthia said. "Was that it? We weren't your kind to hang around with?"

     "No!" I said with as much force as I could gather. "No. Sorry I shouted, but that wasn't the reason. Look, I'd always been an introvert. I just didn't like to mix so much is all."

      I looked to Red, an expression of helplessness on my face. I didn't like this gathering. I didn't like situations where I didn't feel in control, I most definitely didn't like to show how helpless I was.

     "Lay off her, Cynthia. Yes, we all agree Anne didn't like to mingle, but it didn't have anything to do with us, it was just how she was." Regina butted in. "After all, her Aunt did make sure she started to hang out with friends.

"I understand she told you to make some friends if you ever wanted to work at the library."

†

I'd just put down the geography nook and was about to pick up a novel when my aunt called me to her place by the circulation desk.

     "Why aren't you at the party? Aren't you supposed to be there?"

"I am, I just didn't think it necessary to go there," I said as I twisted my curly, black hair around my finger. It was something Aunt couldn't resist.

"I know what you're doing and it's not going to work." She dropped the book in her hand on the desk. "Anyway, I do recall you asking to work at the library.

"Yes?" I drawled. Why she decided to bring this up after all these days came as a shock to me. I really hoped for some good news.

    "I've decided to let you work at the shop—on one condition, Anne. On the condition that you get some friends." She stated.

"Then, and only then, will I permit you to work at the library.

____

Dun dun dun! Younger Anne has been given a condition that has to be fulfilled.

    But, why does Aunt Enny stress this point so much.

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