October 2, Tuesday
"Good morning, Ryan."
Rye smiled, waving at Mrs. Thompson. She was the school librarian---frail and old---generally strict to students, but always has a soft spot for Rye. Not only due to the brunette boy's frequent visits, but because of his obvious fondness for books and kindhearted personality.
"Here for your morning read?" Mrs. Thompson asked, drawing a shy smile and nod from Rye. He proceeded to enter the huge aisles of tall bookshelves, looking around at the familiar titles and cordial book spines.
He already read most of them, all of which were well-written and fascinating. He grabbed one and read the title, 'Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe' by Benjamin Alire Sáenz.
That morning, he decided to read that book, sitting on his usual spot by the corner between the History and Philosophy section. Naturally, no one ever goes there unless necessary. But it was just the third week of school, and Rye was pretty sure he has the corner by himself.
What he really loved about the spot was it was not that far away from the entrance door, but it was far enough from the students usually swarming the main library tables. Rye was not a big fan of crowds---he has always enjoyed his own solitude, something he would acquire whenever he visits the library.
Being near-sighted, he removed his glasses, seeing no purpose of them whenever he was reading books. Once he opened the pages and caught a glimpse of the first text, he immediately let himself be immersed in the fictional world. He easily got lost within the printed words and saw another universe.
As he read on, he softly hummed Richie Valens's La Bamba, seeing it was mentioned in one of the book's first paragraphs.
He could still reminisce those days when he was dancing to the song, back when he was seven, living in Spain. His grandfather would love to play his own playlist comprised of classic hit songs, something that Rye also come to love. He was feeling a bit nostalgic, suddenly missing the warm and homely sensations he gets whenever he wakes up from his afternoon siestas.
When he turned ten though, they flew to England and Rye could still remember how excited he was to see and feel the London air. Now, he could only smile sadly when he'd come to know and live within the shadows beneath the light of the city.
He continued reading on, absorbing each word in ultimate captivation, as if he was seeing another reality through Aristotle's very own eyes. He took his time leisurely, knowing he still has a good, solid twenty-eight minute-reading spare before the school bell rings.
Morning reads served as morning coffee to Rye. Aside from favoring teas like every other British guy, he needed a good read---not only for fuel, but to chase away his constant worries and occasional tension building through his body. He needed a temporary escape from reality, and he found himself lost within the pages of different stories.
Just when Rye reached the part where the two protagonists chance to come across one another, his musings were halted, thinking he heard a quiet noise nearby. He stopped breathing for a second, listening closely for any sign of commotion.
He heard none, so he just shrugged it off and thought that Mrs. Thompson probably dropped a book nearby. Rye continued reading, then, he heard the noise once again. This time, it was a little bit clearer.
'That was definitely someone crying.'
The brunette boy froze a bit. Does he go and placate the stranger? Or, leave it be? Because clearly, it was none of Rye's business. He knew that he had zero talent in comforting and reassuring other people, if Brooklyn wasn't a prime example. Rye doubted he'll be much of a help to the crying stranger, so he decided that he'll just respect the privacy and stillness the person was probably seeking for.
YOU ARE READING
OUTCASTS // randy/macklyn (ON HIATUS)
Fanfiction"We're an ugly bunch, aren't we?" Andy said which made Rye glance at him. He was looking at the direction where Rye was previously looking at. The bespectacled boy swore he saw the blonde smiling sadly, but he could be wrong because it was over as s...
