RISKY BUSINESS

Chapter 16

MAY,
BLUESTONE PLAZA, COMMUNITY LIBRARY
b r o o k l y n l e s l i e c o o p e r
❦❧❦

After school today, I got my father to drive me to the community library. He didn't question me, he simply obliged and drove me there. However, I was raised to let my parents know where I am or where I'm going, so I explained to him that I wanted to borrow a book or two and just spend some time in the quietest part of town; I wanted some time to myself, to just let the silence overcome me.

And that was exactly what I did.

I was reading The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han for the hundredth time, sitting on a yellow beanbag in the corner of the empty building. It was my favourite book series of all-time. Every time I read the three-book series I fell deeper in love with it more and more. I think I mainly loved it because it was a fairytale lifestyle that I dreamt I could live in, be apart of. Most days, during class, I would doze off and imagine myself as the protagonist, Belly. I imagined myself loving Conrad more than anything in the world, and dating his brother Jeremiah only to fall back to him. Sure, I knew deep down that I'd never experience a love story like Belly's— but a girl sure could dream.

"Good book, I presume."

I looked up from my page, my dream, and looked into the eyes of Ashton Irwin. He was standing by my feet with a Diary Of A Wimpy Kid book in his hand that rested beside his black skinny-jean-covered thigh. I sent him a calm grin and nodded.

"It's incredible." My tone was soft and full of admiration. I motioned towards him with my book-filled hands. "What brings you to the most peaceful building in town?"

He smiled widely at me, then lifted his arm to showcase his green book. "Came to borrow a book for my brother. Oh, and Calum came to hire a movie for his sister— he's over there."

My eyes followed his finger, which pointed out behind him towards the CD&DVD section. Calum was there, eyes scanning the shelf's with a look of determination upon his face. He had one arm wrapped around his torso, and another cupping his chin, and his eyebrows were drawn together. It seemed that he was having trouble finding the movie he was looking for.

"Okay." I nodded, and looked back down at my book, but didn't start reading again. I didn't want to come off as rude, but I didn't want to face Calum. Not yet, at least. Not after the conversation we had on Snapchat. Basically, after countless minutes of me rereading his reply to my story, my dumb self decided to reply back with the worst reply in history:

I said 'what do you mean?'

As if he would clarify his sentence. I was busy beating myself up about the fact that he probably would leave me on seen, when my phone chimed with the familiar Snapchat notification alert. Of course, I opened the app and his reply in a heartbeat. And I didn't think it was possible, but my heart increased by a ton when my eyes drunk in his words.

'Isn't it obvious? I'm saying that you always look good. It's kind of unreal, how flawless you always look.'

I think I shrieked when I read his words. I can't really remember. Last night was a blur to me right now, because it was so extreme for me. I'd never been complimented in a way that Calum did to me last night. It was completely unexpected.

I had replied with a simple, 'thanks, but trust me i'm not flawness'. I wanted to wrap up the conversation, just so my heart wouldn't exert itself from beating so much, and so my cheeks could go back to their normal colour. But part of me didn't want it to end; the way he made me feel. It was so different, a good different.

So looking at him across the room, it made me wonder how he'd react if he saw me. I doubted he'd be nervous, because he's Calum, and he was never nervous. He was always confident and sure of himself and smug and flawless. He was the perfect one. Not me.