Depthless: Under The Library

Chapter Seven// Skye

Skye's POV  

Love is in the air, everywhere I look around. Okay, not everywhere. But, enough to want to cause me to feel light headed and annoyed. Do I have a problem with love? I guess some people would think that I am as romantic as a scientific calculator. But then, even the words :Me+U could be typed out on the screen of a scientific calculator, so I guess I am worse than a mathematical programmed genius.

My whole life had been spent pushing love away. Love... what good does it do to you? First, it creeps around your heart like cold fingers, seducing you... pulling you closer towards temptation, and finally, you're too mesmerized to pull back, and you end up falling into a bottomless pit of everlasting vows. Assuming you could last it out. Pain, suffering, hardships... 

If only mom and dad had been able to make sacrifices... we wouldn't end up this way---  

"Aren't they just the most romantic couple we know?" Beside me, Nikki sighs dramatically, leaning her body against my shoulder. I huff and push her off. "More romantic than Tony and Lelia? How could that be, Nikki?" I tease, sarcasm rolling out of my mouth. Nikki giggles. "Well...the most romantic couple whom we know personally! Tony and Lelia are still the most beautiful romantic..."

I roll my eyes. "Yeah, yeah. We get it. They are your favourite fictional couple, hooray. You do know that in real life, romance doesn't ever turn out in a fairy-tale ending?" I yawn. Tony and Lelia, according to Nikki, are the new IT couple--- fictional, of course. Her infactuation is not surrounded around those characters in some sappy romance novel. "Not every life is beautiful."

I receive a light punch for that. "Hey! A girl can dream, you know." Nikki declares. I smile at my friend's enthusiasm. Over the years, countless people had questioned our friendship. How ever could a hopeless romantic befriend a romance crusher? I stare fondly at my friend's indignant face, her almond eyes large, pleading with me to see her side of the argument, her eyebrows lifted, shocked that I never allow myself a moment to dream self-satisfying, but hopelessly wasteful nonsense, like she did almost every second of the day. 

Next to me, her darker skin glows healthily, the product of her spending about an hour each day, pampering her skin with beauty products, assured by whatever commercials she watches. (As long as she doesn't get me caught up in all that gunk, I don't mind her using it.)  Sitting beside her, I feel like expired milk. Pale, disgusting and chalky. No--- I can't be a rich cream like Holly, or an intoxicating mocha like Nikki... I had to be stale milk. Urghh.

Nikki sighs. "Honey, a little love would do so much to boost your optimism! You spend your days mooching around in your dark little cloud, rejecting all of those cute little boys who absolutely fall at your feet..." She giggles and I whip around to glare at her. 

"Excuse me?" I raise an eyebrow.

"Hey, like you don't know." She smirks knowingly. I roll my eyes and turn my back on my best friend, who is also one big airhead. She claims to be all-knowing when it comes to love, but really, all she has to judge by are a few hundred of those iddlesome romance novels...

"Come on, darling." I feel her cool fingers on my neck, coaxing me. I sigh and face her, Saying no to Nikki is like refusing a giant double helping of ice cream fudge, topped with chocolate sprinkles... the works. "Jarrod... Kierran..."

"Will you quit it with those...boy?" I hiss. "I want nothing to do with them." 

"Aw, come on, Skye!" Nikki whinnes in my ear. "You are so in need of a guy..."

"Not one of the juniors, for Aphrodite's sake!" I squirm under Nikki's glare. 

"Please, Skye. If I were you, I'd gladly take into account every guy who are in the least remotely interested in you! You need to get out with them more! With your attitude... hey, as your friend, I worry about you, you know!" 

"You should worry about yourself." I toss. I immediately regret my words. A shadow crosses over Nikki's face, and her lips form a tiny pout. Oops. When it comes to her relationship, Nikki's incredibly touchy. 

"It's not my fault that guys ignore me all the time... especially if they could have you!" She says, dejected. I sigh and put an arm around her. 

"I don't want any of them, and you know it, Nikki! You will find your prince charming soon, don't you worry!" I encourage her, even though I know it is all ridicule and nonsense. I mean... Prince Charming? Who the heck even believes in true love, let alone love at first sight? 

As fast as she could go into a pout, Nikki immediately cheers up. Well... if sweet words like those are what revives her... whatever helps her live her live, I need touch up on my Disney princess talk. I don't want any tears split over any potential boyfriends. Nikki... devastated? I hope to never ever live to see the day. Ever. 

Nikki starts chatting animatedly as Holly and Theo, flustered from their morning make-out session, return to their places. I jam my head up from all that talk, oozing with enough sweetness to kill a diabetic patient in one earful. 

I let my gaze wonder. Kale, as usual, sits at the furthest corner of the table, absorbed in his latest sci-fi novel. I suppress a yawn and look at my watch. It is almost time to start duty hours. So... where's David? I never knew him to skip a session, let alone be late. Something must've kept him preoccupied for so long, or he'd never take this long to show his face. 

I fidget with the collar of my red blouse. I know I shouldn't be wearing it up, and unbuttoned, but that's how I like it. I feel a sense of fascinated giddiness, every time someone passes me by, a weird look on their faces. 

I know what people are saying behind my back. Does it give me thrills to be the centre of attention? Does it make me feel a special uniqueness, given my ah... loud sense of taste? Why do I love to downplay my natural beauty, and fade into the shadows? 

I try to shrug it off. Hey, those cheesy encouraging lines, like, You are special! BE yourself! Everyone is unique and different!--- those are right, in a twisted sense of truth. Sure, want to comfort and assure someone out of their self-hate? They'll dislike you for giving them such cliche one liners. People toss them about all the time, barely acknowledging their true meaning. But there is one.

Everyone is an individual. No one should be accepted into society just because they are perfect, or beautiful, or intelligent. The library is filled with all of those people, with every perfect trait. My parents... they escaped all that. They took one oath, and they left behind endless perfection, and stepped out into the cruel world to begin a new life. 

Not knowing what life could do to the Dreamers...   

I hadn't wanted to become a Librarian... after what had happened to mom and dad... after all those stories... But one does not have a choice to call their own. Sure, I hated it. Mom and dad must've hated the idea of sending their only daughter, and heir, back to the place where they wanted to end their chapter in life. But it wasn't my choice. I was out of options. And out of time...

I made myself a silent vow. I would never succumb to the normal rites and lives of the Librarians, however carefree, beautiful and welcoming they turn out to be. I would turn their every rule, and twist them around, just like how like had twisted mom and dad...

I started my resolution by joining Group Nine. 

A/N: Hellooo!!! Happy new year, folks! 

Would you mind telling me how you felt about this new chapter and new character? 

PS: This chapter is not to offend, and is not to direct at anyone. It is all fictional!! So vote and comment if you enjoyed it, please! ^^

~Tiffany :)