True Love

Chapter 8: Laney

Laney walks down the row of books in the library, each time she visit a different section of the library, a different topic. She has a random selection of tracing her finger along the Dewey decimal system and stopping after the count of ten. Today she was going to visit the historical section. It was her favorite section of the library as she liked the important figures speeches, court cases, and biographies. Each telling a different story, but all of them calling for justice and similar rights she believes in.

Aside from the informational appeal the historical section had to offer, she adored the physical look of it. The tall stacks of books, rotating columns of DVDs and short movies, and posters of the presidents all in order. She liked the quietness it had to offer, the long wooden tables and chairs aligned on the carpeted floor. The tall windows allow sunlight to pour inside during library hours, and whenever it rained she would listen to the sometimes heavy patter of rain and on few occasions the sound of thunder. Through the windows were native trees probably older than the ancient building giving it a nature-like edge.

Laney picks out a book she finds interesting by sudden glance. She takes the book deeper into the historical section until she gets to a corner she used to squeeze into as a younger child. She leans her back against the wall, sitting comfortably on the carpet and starts to read.

Reading was in a way engulfing the reader into the book, that they leave their current place to be wrapped with situations the book presents itself with. Suddenly she stops reading and slowly looks up. Tyler and Sam were standing over her. "Hello," she says politely, hoping her tone masks the startle reaction in her voice.

She memorizes her page number and closes the book. Standing up to hug each of them. "Where's Olivia?" Tyler asks.

Laney briefly smiles, she was constantly annoyed that people assumed she always was with her sister, and when she was not, that she knew of her sister's whereabouts. "At home, she didn't want to go to the library today," Laney responds.

Olivia was unique in that sense. Olivia who also liked books did not show her compassion the same way Laney did. Olivia was more into reading than analyzing books, trying to see the characters and plot from the author's point of view. At moments Laney would try to find the infinite and one ways they two sisters could be different, but then finds twice as many things that label them as siblings.

Tyler grins, "Hey do either of you want something from the vending machine?" he looks at Laney and Sam expectantly but both of them decline. Tyler nods and walks away.

"What was the smile for?" Laney asks Sam once Tyler was out of distance. Sam shrugged even though she knew all too well.

"Hey so you remember thing that happened a while ago?" Sam asks.

Laney shakes her head, "you refer to everything as a thing." then sarcastically, "I actually am starting to like your descriptiveness."

"Does Tyler know about Katherine?" Laney asks softly.

Sam shook her head, "no, it's awkward saying it out loud, much less to people. It's this weird feeling that you have to accept that it's there but you don't want it to exist."

"That you're gay?" Laney fills in.

Sam glares at Laney, "no, I'm not." she practically hisses. Sam wasn't against it, she just didn't like how today society is using the word and how it labels people. 

Laney sits back down as a loud silence sits between them. Sam sits down afterwards saying nothing. "I find it ironic that we are sitting in an envelope of words and we have nothing to say," Laney thinks aloud.

Sam smiles weakly, "Sometimes silence says more than words we can put together." she sighs. "What are you reading?"

Laney looks at the front cover, "A book that explains the successes of the first president." She looks the book over and then closes it again. "Not that interesting at the moment."

Tyler comes back with a bag of candy in his hands, "back," he announces. He sits down next to Laney and across from Sam until they were in a triangle. He opens the bag noisily despite his efforts to be silent and breaks off a piece, examines it careful, and then tossing it into his mouth.

Sam glances up at the books, "sometimes I feel so tired."

Tyler nods, "same."

Laney smiles, "Than let's play a game." She stands up, and heads over to place the book back into its proper spot, snug fitting onto the shelf and walks boldly to the other side of the library, hoping Tyler and Sam would follow.

I dedicate this chapter to all who like reading (aka you).