Orion sat in one of the conference rooms in the college library with his study group, bored. What had, at one point, started as a study group had eventually became more of a group hangout. He stared at his history book although he had already completed the day's assignment before leaving class earlier. Mostly he was just trying to seem preoccupied so the girl next to him would hopefully leave him in peace.
"Orionnn!" It apparently wasn't effective. "Can you help me with this math problem?" Valereigh cooed, twirling her hair next to him. He glanced at her paper and sighed, noting that all the other problems on her worksheet were correct with no mistakes.
"I just don't get it, you know?" she said batting her big, blue-gray eyes at him. Orion reluctantly took her paper to look at the problem. Are you kidding me? This is one of the easiest problems on here; she has already completed all the hardest ones, he thought to himself. She could be really intelligent if she didn't try so hard to act dumb and clueless. Orion set Valeriegh's paper back on the table when he heard the sound of running footsteps in the hall. He looked up just in time to see a glimpse of November run by, her long chestnut hair trailing after her.
Running in the library? Odd, Orion thought. He glanced around to see if anyone else in the group had noticed, but his friends were still laughing and talking with each other. They probably hadn't even heard the girl pass. The smell of cinnamon and ginger wafted in through the doorway.
"Orion?" Valeriegh's voice interrupted his thoughts and he turned to face her, standing up.
"Uh, you know what? I think you pretty much have these problems mastered. You should be able to solve it no problem. I, uh, have to go right now." He stood up and hurried out of the room, turning down the hall in the direction he saw November run. Orion could see her as she stood at the split, looking left. He saw her curse under her breath before turning around to look the opposite way down the hall. She looked so distraught, he almost wanted to call out to her. But she was gone before he could open his mouth.
He quickened his pace, jogging down the hall and around the corner. Orion wasn't sure why he felt so drawn to the girl, but he felt an urgent need to meet her. There was something about her that felt familiar, even in just a glimpse. As he rounded the corner he saw her passing through the door to the microfilm room. He slowed down to a walk, now questioning what he was going to say to her after he followed her in.
He hesitated as he reached the door to the basement, still unsure how he was going to explain why he had followed her. She's going to think I'm some kind of crazed stalker, he groaned to himself. Maybe I'll just tell her I thought she was in trouble, running through the library like that. Besides, who runs in a library unless they were in trouble? Orion thought to himself. With that thought he quickly looked behind him, back the way he came, only now thinking about the possibility that someone else could have followed her. The hallway, however, was empty and quiet. Turning back to the door, Orion flung it open and desended a few steps before noticing the scene below him.
"Wh-whats going on here?" he stuttered out nervously. The girl who smelled of cinnamon stood in the middle of the room along with a red-haired girl who held a boy by the throat.
