After Class (Janet and Aaliyah)

Chapter 39

Aaliyah

Work dragged and dragged some more as I thought about what I possibly could have said during that phone call Acacia brought up. For the life of me, I just could not remember. And it had to be something big, or else she wouldn't have said anything in the first place. But for her to make me wait like this made me think it wasn't that serious. I was just a busy body.

I was a little late getting off work, which meant I was late coming home and late to the library. I couldn't remember the last time I'd even been inside, and felt a little out of place as I wandered around looking for Acacia. It was getting late, so there weren't many people there; you could hear a pin drop it was so quiet. Definitely wasn't my scene.

I finally found her sitting at a long table in a little room, through one tiny window. I could barely see inside.  I knocked softly on the door as not to startle her, and she got up to open it for me with a tiny smile on her face. "There you are, hey."

I shifted the backpack on my shoulder. "Sorry I'm late."

  "Yeah, you know how I feel about that." She wagged her finger at me. Something seemed to be distracting her. I didn't feel like she was totally here with me, but maybe it had something to do with what she was going to tell me.

  "They wouldn't let me leave right away at the store. I had to close."

  "I understand." She sat back down and encouraged me to do the same. I did, waiting for further direction. There was an odd silence. "Well? Get your book out, let's get it done."

  "Right." I put my hand on my forehead, fishing in my backpack for the materials. I could feel so foolish around her sometimes.

  "Are you okay?" She asked, watching me tentatively.

  "I'm... I'm fine. Maybe just tired." I laughed nervously.

  "Well, I had a long day too. So I'll try to get you out of here in an hour."

She went on with my private lesson, and her demeanor was much more professional than I was used to. There were no quick little peeks at me when she thought I wasn't looking, and I don't think she cracked one joke the entire time. I wasn't used to that. It didn't feel like Acacia. I should have been the one asking if she was alright.

It was 10:03 and we were finally done. It was always much harder to focus when we got to the last fifteen minute stretch, and I was barely hanging on when she closed my book. I sat up in my chair and stretched out. "God, I hate math," I muttered to myself. It was just so boring.

  "Yeah, yeah. Good work." She stood up.

  "You're leaving?" I asked.

  "Yeah, we're done." She checked her watch. "10:05."

  "Yeah, but... I don't know. I mean, that's it?"

  "What else is there to do?"

  "You don't wanna talk a little? I haven't seen you all day." I put my stuff away. I didn't want to seem to forward in asking about the phonecall, but I hoped this would jog her memory.

  "Sure, we can talk. But the library is going to close." She looked outside the window. Librarians looked like they too were getting ready to leave. I panicked a little.

  "Well, come sit in my car for a little while."

  "Okay."

I stood up and opened the door for her. She smiled and went before me, thanking the librarians and telling them to have a good night as we left the building. It was getting much cooler outside, and we jogged to where I parked before I started it up, cranked the heat up, and got in the back where she was waiting for me. "What's up?" Acacia asked.