The Library at Midnight

Chapter 4: A Wallflower and A Sunset

After walking the sidewalk back to the center of the campus, Brinley led me to a regal, white building with the front side covered in windows. I watched the students inside as we walked up the small steps onto the landing where two glass doors served as the entrance. Brinley pulled the metal handle open and passed it off to me. Upon entering the building, the scent of bitter coffee, old paper and broken down leather wafted around me as I took in my surroundings for the first time.

To my left was a long, marble-topped desk for check outs and to my right was an independent café complete with the pastry aroma and calm atmosphere. Above the shop entrance was a circular sign that read "The Bean Machine" in black cursive writing. I chuckled and continued after Brinley.

"They have the absolute best white chocolate mochas," she pointed out. I nodded an acknowledgement before responding.

"I'm more of a tea fan, myself."

"Ah, they have a strong Earl Grey blend. Really great." She made an "ok" shape with her hand. "You wanna stop?"

"Nah, I'm good. Maybe later, yeah?"

"Sure, we can just head straight upstairs." She started up large staircase separated by three railings. This building was truly something out of a fiction novel.

As we climbed the stairs, I watched the upper floor slowly reveal itself. Book shelves as far as the eye could see. It was never ending. At the edge of every bookshelf was a cushioned bench waiting for someone to immerse themselves in comfort and from where I stood, I could see pairs of armchairs scattered throughout the floor. Bigger clusters occupied quiet corners. I walked through the aisle of books that were in front of me, Brinley followed behind blindly. After passing shelf after shelf, aisle after aisle, we made it to the middle of the room where there were cubicles of little independent study rooms.

"You use your ID card to rent out a study cube," Brinley informed before walking to a nearby armchair and continuing her sewing job. Study cubes, how clever, I thought to myself. Changes of scenery can help any student.

I walked all the way to the wall which, now that I was close enough, read REFERENCE in big gold letters. The entire wall was covered in volumes of different encyclopedias, dictionaries, and informative articles. I looked to my right as I dragged my hands along the spines of the books. I had to have passed at least fifteen aisles before I got to the building's wall.

I tested an armchair before I looked down the final aisle where there was a long window from floor to ceiling. I rose out of my chair, forgetting the fatigue in my legs, and walked along the window. The view was astonishing. Treetops, sidewalks, and an intense orange sunset came together in a picture perfect landscape. It was gorgeous and for those ten minutes I looked out the window admiring the shades of orange and green below. We weren't very high up, but you could see just enough to be absolutely, undoubtedly awestruck.

I got to the very edge of the row of book shelves and stood in the middle of the side aisle taking in the view.

"Gorgeous, isn't it?" asked a voice from behind me. I spun around to locate the source of the voice only to find a tall boy leaning against the end of a bookshelf four steps from me. His face was lit by the last moments of sunlight and his hands rested in his pockets. His blond hair took the shade of the sky as he looked past me with contemplative eyes. It finally registered. Sebastian Ryker.

"Yeah," I calmed myself down and looked back towards the window, stepping back to avoid blocking his view.

"You're the new girl, correct? The one who ran out of the dance class." I flushed crimson, remembering the scene I'd made earlier. Great... it had only been a handful of hours and I was the talk of the campus.