[Library Romance] Note Exchange

Chapter 4

Just behind the bookshelf near the desk in the far end corner of the library, someone was quietly sleeping. No one noticed him since there are only few students goes in that part of the library. He was sitting on the floor, legs spread blocking the path. His back pressed on the wall and his head tilted, leaning on top of a small empty space on the shelf. His hand on his lap, still holding some pieces of papers while the other papers are scattered around him, and his other hand was placed on top on his bag on the other side.

Mmm? The school bell started to ring which signals the end of the last period, the start of club activities for some students and the time to go home for the others.

What time is it? He was still half asleep when he checked his watch on his wrist. He lazily moved his body, stretching his limbs and made a big yawn.

Time to go. He looked at his surrounding with only his eyes moving from left to right. He finally stood up slowly, hands holding on to the shelf for support. When he was already in standing position, he held his lower back and stretched backwards to ease the pain. He began to massage his aching shoulders and neck accordingly, stiff from his previous position.

Oh, right! The papers. He began to gather the papers lying on the floor, checking each of it, reading what was written in it, taking his time in arranging it. He finished gathering every paper he could see on the floor when noticed something is missing. He scanned each paper again, once, twice.

Maybe it's inside the bag. He picked up his bag and opened it, rummaging its inside. He groans in frustration, putting his hand on his forehead, then he thought of checking the proximity where there would be a possibility the paper can slip through.

Let's check here. He peeked on the other side of the bookshelf. He could slightly see a desk and a chair bathed in the sunlight near the window. He decided to go and check it out. He saw a paper on top and grab it. Beside his writing there was another one's writing in the paper and it seems familiar to him. He was reading the paper but suddenly got annoyed.

"I know! I know! Thank you for reminding me but I'm not dumb. Now I have to rewrite this.", he spoke to the paper he was holding as if it was a person, almost crumpling it.

"What am I doing talking to a paper?", he wined, putting the palm of his hand to his face and sighed.

"I'll get you who ever you are.", he glared at the paper. He sighed again and looked outside the window. The view outside was beautiful. The garden was bathed in light of the setting sun. The flowers was swaying, dancing along with the wind. As he was taking in the view, he caught sight of a girl. The girl was tending the plants in the garden. He thought the girl was familiar to him and waited for her to face in his direction. He could not see the face as her back was the one he was facing and when the girl turned around he caught his breath.

Ella. Her name whispered in his thought while he kept his gaze at her. He thought that she became more beautiful with the view as her background and the light of the setting sun, illuminating her beauty.

It's been a long time since the last time I saw her. He was still staring at her while reminiscing his memories with her. It was his first day attending in this school when they first met. They were in the same class and they seat next to each other. He was late and forgot his books at home. He was embarrassed to ask his seatmates to share their books with him. He felt abashed since it was just the first day and he already made many mistakes. He doesn't want to be laughed at by the whole class and be scolded by the teacher. He just kept quiet the whole time when he felt a tap on his arm. He looked at the direction where the tap came from and saw a girl seating next to him, looking at him with a confused look on her face.

"Aren't you going to open your book?", she asked him but he did not reply and looked away. He noticed she was staring at him intently then she spoke again.

"I can share my book with you.", she smiled at him then he smiled back and said "Thank you.", as he was moving his chair slowly towards her desk.

"What's your name?", she asked not looking at him, focusing her gaze at the book.

"It's Alexander Crowley, just call me Lex. Alexander is too long. How about you?", he asked back not paying attention to the lesson in front of them.

"My name is longer. It's Michael Angela Taylor. Just call me Angela but if you have an idea of a shorter name, please let me know and I'll think about it.", she stated.

"Why Michael Angela?", he got curious.

"Does Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni ring a bell?", she tilted her head as she looked at him.

"Uhmm... The naked statue David?", he guessed.

"Yep! The one and only Michelangelo. My parents thought they'll be having a son but instead it's a daughter. So to keep the inspiration of the name, they made it Michael Angela.", she shrugged. Before he could make any comment from what she said the teacher called his name which made him immediately stand from his seat.

"The answer is Napoleon Bonaparte.", she whispered to him, which he followed. He earned a nod from the teacher and continued the lesson. He was amazed by how she could manage to listen to the lecture while chatting with him.

"Thanks back there.", he uttered and she just smiled at him and gave him a thumbs up.

What the! He was startled by the loud sound and came back to the present time, then he shook his head. Another loud sound was made out, then came another, and another one. He whipped his head to the direction of the sound and caught sight of a rock hitting the window. He returned his gaze at the girl in the garden and made a smile of his face. She was waving at him and making gestures to come to the garden. He signaled back to her that he's coming over and wait for him. She nodded and returned to tending the plants it the garden.

Oh! I almost forgot. He took a sticky note from his pocket and started to write on it. When he was done writing he stick it on the desk. He then hurriedly got to the place where he left his things and arrange it inside his bag. He was grinning from ear to ear while making his way out from the library to the garden.

'Thanks for scribbling on my paper. I'm not dumb but I'll review them.'

- A.C.