Will and I slung our backpacks on and dashed out of the room towards the library, where our secret corner awaited.
This said corner wasn't really secret so much as uninhibited. There wasn't anything back there besides old textbooks and video cassettes which, judging by the layer of dust, hadn't been used since the day Mr. Schwartz was born.
We mostly used this corner to get away from the hectic world of school. Will introduced me to this place for the first time back in freshman year. He had noticed that I was leaning against a hallway wall and looked like I was just about to pass out. As it was the main hallway of the school, everyone used it as their destination point to socialize. Students came in from all sides, pushed me around and screamed nonsense in my ears. Just like at the party, everything started to blur and I felt consciousness slipping away. I barely felt the tug of Will's hand as he dragged me toward the library.
Soon I did lose consiousness, but only for a few minutes when we had reached the corner. I woke up curled against the shelf of textbooks. Will sat across from me, cleaning his glasses. He did the same thing now, taking out his cleaning clothe and wiping the accumulated dirt from the lenses. He looked up at me.
"What're you all smiley about?"
I hadn't realized I'd been smiling until then. "I'm just thinking about the first time you took me here."
Will chuckled softly and returned the clothe to his pocket. "What a nervewracking day that was. I barely got you here before you fell over and hit your head on the shelf." I laughed and leaned against the books. I closed my eyes.
There was something about this place that made me feel safe; a certain aura of calm which surrounded us like a warm blanket. Maybe it was the fact that this space was silent, save for the coming and going of cars outside a nearby window. I sometimes wondered how I could possibly have anxiety when I was so at peace here. That will always remain a mystery.
Will shook my arm and I opened my eyes. "Sash?"
I sat up straighter and brushed some dust off of my jeans. "Hm?"
"Just wanted to wake you up. It's almost time to-" the bell rang loud and clear. I cupped my hands over my ears and stood up, ready to take on the rest of my classes.
