No Pills

History

*Mia's P.O.V *

Once Charlie bids me farewell after the game, I return to the library. Fortunately, I find the book he recommended on the same shelf we left it. Bringing that and Nancy Drew to the librarian, I request to borrow them.

"Have you borrowed other books this week?" she recites.

I say, "No," and she looks up from her monitor. "Then better find three more in case you won't see me again this week."

This is when my gaze falls on her slightly protruded tummy, and she drawls, "Yes, it's not the tofu. It's a fetus."

I return to the shelves, searching for books from both series. Two more Nancy Drew books catch my eye, and I consider making do with four books when the bell starts ringing.

"Shit!" I rush to the librarian's desk immediately. Her eyes remain fixed on the monitor, but she senses me coming.

"You're too late," she says dryly.

"Well, then, " I beg, "can you ... keep them for me so that no one will borrow them?"

The pregnant lady stares at me. I give her my most innocent smile, and she mutters, " There's rubbish gathered in the mega-library. I don't know how the janitor forgot to remove it, but if you call him, I'll let you have the books today."

I'm back with the janitor before she makes more demands. She hands him a bunch of keys and starts processing the books' codes in the library's system. My hands are full; I follow the janitor into the archaic library, carrying a trashcan.

I take a minute to inhale the scent of old paper before taking more steps in, letting my eyes skim everything: the monuments, trophy collections and posters quoting great men who made huge impacts in the world.

What catches my attention most is the wall of honour. Back when entering the mega-library was strictly prohibited, my freshman librarian allowed me to peek at it to see how my mother looked then. There was a picture of her posing amid other school prefects.

All that has changed is that a plaque is under each frame. The janitor is too busy collecting the rubbish to mind me abandoning his trashcan for the wall of honour.

I squint at the plaque underneath that picture, trying to find my mother's name based on prefectship.

"... Sports prefect...ur, wait, they're three. No, no, she's Russian, so it must be ... Yeltsin?"

Dad never mentioned her surname; he only called her Joe. I pull up my sleeve and jot the spelling on my arm before the janitor summons me to carry the trashcan again.

Afterwards, I make it to the school bus with a heavier backpack. Anna relieves me of the load as I explain that I've borrowed four storybooks.

"Wow, I didn't know you were such a nerd." She laughs as I plop down beside her.

We end up being the first people to arrive at the garage, followed by Kean, Dalia, and lastly, Kat.

Instead of starting rehearsal, we wait for Leslie, the judge, as she instructed Kat to tell us. We are discussing what will happen in our next watching of The Last of Us when the rolling shutter door shakes. Four legs appear suddenly.

My eyes widen as the door is pushed up fully.

"Hello, ladies." Leslie smiles at us.

Anna gets up before the woman realises there are five of us. As she inches towards her to explain, Harry glares until she walks back to tell us," Miss Morrell forgot to mention me, but it's whatever. I'll be in the hall, ya? And, that guy -" She motions to him. "- Is a prick."