Free Bird

Chapter 9

Cal's POV

I was heading back from the gym when I spotted that unmistakable head of beautiful curls. Her hoodie was so baggy that I probably wouldn't have recognized her if I hadn't seen her hair. She was so small that she would've looked like a child otherwise, swimming in her clothes as she was.

She's not worth the fucking time and effort.

Without thinking about it, I stopped my car in the street and called out to her from my window. She didn't even pause. She just continued right up the steps to the library, completely oblivious to the world around her as she watched her own feet, her hands tucked into her pockets.

It's not like I didn't know she was completely fucking oblivious anyway.

Before I really registered what I was doing, I had pulled into the parking lot of the library and was getting out to follow her. I told myself it wasn't a big deal. One more shot. She was all alone this time and I had a couple hours to kill anyway.

When I entered the library, I scanned the area and just barely caught sight of a few locks of curls disappearing around the corner of one of the shelves and quickly pursued them. I found her standing in between two bookshelves, holding a piece of paper, reading the back of a book.

As I approached, I noticed that she had earbuds in. No wonder she didn't hear me calling her outside. I glanced at the book in her hands. The Gunslinger. That seems... kind of dark for her. I'd expect My Little Ponies or some shit like that from someone like her. Not Stephen King.

She looked at me in shock when I plucked out one of her earbuds and I felt a surge of satisfaction seeing something other than benign ignorance on her face. Maybe I should surprise her more.

But then I was the one who got the surprise when I brought her ear bud to my ear, expecting something like Taylor Swift or Hannah Montana, only to hear Rob Zombie.

What the fuck!?

She quickly recovered from her shock and smiled widely at me, "Oh, hey! Um. From Sammy's party, right? And, yeah, I like all kinds of music!" She gave one of her little shrugs and tilted her head to the side before reaching out to retrieve her ear bud, leaving it dangling around her neck with its partner.

Wait. Did she not even remember my fucking name!?

"Yeah. From the party. Cal," I said dryly, feeling more than a little offended.

She looked slightly embarrassed and gave me an apologetic smile, "Yeah, it was coming to me." Another shrug and then silence while she stared up at me.

Why do I feel awkward? Why is it suddenly hard to talk to her?

"So. Stephen King and Rob Zombie, huh? Do you secretly play lead guitar in some heavy metal band, too?"

She rewarded me with a sweet giggle and I relaxed a little, "Actually, I do play a little bit of guitar, but I've never been in a band or anything." And for the first time I saw her blush. It was adorable, really.

"Wow, really? Guitar? You seem like more of a piano or, I don't know, fucking flute type of person to me," I let my thoughts slip out without really thinking about whether they might offend her. I was honestly surprised.

Luckily, she wasn't offended at all, she just let out another giggle and smiled at me with those vacant eyes. "It's just fun!" Another little shrug and head tilt.

How can she seem so empty headed but read fucking Stephen King?

"So. Are you going to check that out?" I motioned towards the book.