Overthinking

Linking Fences and Curious Foxes

I decided to go to class when the bell rang for the end of lunch. I cautiously sneaked out of my safe house, looking around quickly for any signs of danger. I practically ran through the hallways for the rest of the day, so desperately trying to avoid the one person who has ever talked to me without making fun of me.

The time seemed to travel so much slower than usual. It seemed as if it wanted me to stay, keeping me prisoner with it as long as it could. But time never completely stopped, so eventually it was time to be freed.

I was the first person out of the classroom, dashing, nearly diving for the library doors. No one would ever find me in here. Books always seem to be my way out, my escape.

Today, there were only a few people here. No one seemed to notice me either so I made my way to the back of the library, swiftly replacing the book I had borrowed the day before. No one even noticed that the EE Cummings book was even missing. Swiftly looking around to make sure no one saw me, I moved to the row behind me and scanned through the row of books until I found the perfect book.

It was wedged in between two smaller books on the highest shelf. I tried to reach it, standing as tall as I could on my toes, but I still couldn't reach it. I cursed inside my head as I dragged a stool over. I stepped up on it and as soon as my fingers touched the smooth surface, the book was flew backwards and off the shelf. I stood there, eyes wide in surprise as footsteps quickly retreated. There was no noise for a moment until I heard the squeak of the library doors and the noise of shoes on the hallway floors. I jumped down from the stool.

I knew exactly who it was. I knew that I was angry for a person I barely knew to take advantage of me, knowing that I wouldn't follow him and confront him. Or was he testing me? Trying to see how far I was willing to go to get a measly book. But what I wondered was how he knew where I was and how he knew that I was stealing books. Whatever the reason was, I didn't care.

That's what I told myself: that I didn't care. I'm supposed to forget about it, leave it be. But something clicked inside of me, hurling me through the squeaky library doors, through the hallway with noisy shoes. I somehow found my way to the back doors. As I stood in front of them, I took a deep shaky breath and pushed through the doors. I stepped out into the sun, squinting as I searched, when I found him under my tree reading my book. He hadn't noticed me yet. I still had time to turn around, but in that moment the door shut closed behind me with a loud clack.

His head snapped up and a smirk danced a dance across his lips. I froze. I couldn't move as he walked to me, holding my Glossophobia book and the book he took from the library, its purple shine glinting as it reflected the sunlight.

"Smart Girl." He said when he was only a few feet from me. I just stood there frozen like an idiot. "So how about this? We make a deal." He paused for an answer but received nothing, so he continued talking. "How about you let me talk and you get your books back." He waited again, holding the books in my face.

I stared deep into his eyes, unmoving. Then, moving quickly, I grabbed at the books. But my fists held empty air. I looked up to see him let out a short laugh, bearing his teeth in a smile. I knew right then that this was no dog like the rest of them. He was cleverer, cunning.

"You going to let me talk now?" I paused, considering, intrigued by what he was about to say. With that, I gave a short nod. "Great." Then he turned and waved my books in the air to gesture me to follow him. I reluctantly did. "First off," he said as if going off a checklist, "My name's Fisher, but people naturally call me Fish. Second, as I have concluded, you have speaking anxiety, which, as I have read in this handy book of yours, is better called Glossophobia."

Fish was leading me across the school campus now, and I tried to keep up with the strides his long legs took. "So the main reason for my sudden obsession with you is pure curiosity boiling in my veins. I've never met anyone so interesting and reserved before. You've got this whole system to avoiding people. It's actually quite marvelous." He finally turned on his heel, halting to a stop. I came so close to smashing straight into him. "So, I never got your name." He said as he held out his books to me. I gingerly took them from him with shaking hands, half expecting him to take them away from me again. He didn't. But he did notice my trembling fingers and I could almost see him taking notes on me in his brain.

"Well I hope it wouldn't be creepy, kid, if maybe I stuck around for a little while?" I shrugged a short little shrug and a grin appeared on his face. "Well you're in luck because I like to talk. It's kind of nice having someone listen without interrupting. So where you headed?" I shrugged again. "Well, I know you just met me, but I know a place we can hang if you're trying to avoid people." His grin grew wider and I couldn't help but feel the corners of my mouth twitching upward.

He took that as a yes, and in one fluid movement, the fox led me back across the school grounds, away from its chain-linked encasement, towards the clacking doors.