Rejected

Chapter Four

ALLIE

Life shifted. That one moment in the library with Sage changed my life in a way you wouldn't believe.

When I arrived at school the next day, Sage greeted me in the hallway, thereby earning me the attention of everyone in the vicinity. I cringed but returned his hello and bolted for the library.

I approached Lily's desk and placed 'Insomnia' in front of her. She grinned and raised her eyebrows.

"I don't know how you do it Allie, you're certainly the fastest reader I've ever met." She checked the book back in for me and rifled through some books on the back shelf.

"Thought you might be interested in something a little different for a change." She passed me a book with a green cover. It was leather bound like the books in old movies.

"What is it?" I asked. She just tapped the side of her nose and returned to her computer. With a shrug, I made my way back to my little nook. Classes started in fifteen minutes and while my time here may seem pointless, it was a necessary step in my day to prepare my mind for the rest of the afternoon.

"I thought I might find you here." Sage smirked, gazing at me as I approached my window seat; a seat he was currently sprawled across. He patted the side of the bench, a clear invitation, but I couldn't move.

"W-what are you doing back here?" I asked, angry that he'd taken my seat again and even angrier that I'd stuttered... again. His smirk widened into a friendly smile.

"Well making friends of course. I told you, I know everyone in this school. Everyone except you that is." He shifted onto his butt, placing his feet on the floor.

"And you thought annoying me was the way to do that?" I glared at him.

"No, I want to get to know you." He stated as though it were obvious.

"Right. Well you're in my spot." I stared down at my bench, yet again, in longing.

"I know." He gave me a knowing look, his eye twinkling mischievously.

Sage Michaels you have interrupted a very personal relationship between me, my bench and my books and I am not too happy about it.

"Whatever, keep it." I wasn't in the mood to deal with him. Frustrated that my routine had been interrupted and that he had just outed my ghostly self to the whole school, I turned on my heel and headed for class.

"Hey, I'm sorry. You can have your seat. I didn't mean to upset you." He ran up behind me, matching my stride.

"I'm not upset. It's just a chair." I grit out through my teeth. I wasn't upset about the chair, if I'd wanted, there were two other window seats back here. It just wouldn't feel right.

I don't mean to sound like Sheldon Cooper, but the air-conditioning is just right on hot days and on colder days, the heating is perfect as well.

"You're upset. I can tell." if he was trying to be sincere, the grin on his face ruined it.

"You don't know me, and I am not upset. Please stop following me." He held up his hands in surrender and dropped back, turning left where I turned right when we exited the library. 

I made my way to science in a hurry. Never in my life had I run away from a library. What the hell was going on?

As the class began to fill, I received a few glances as students searched for their friends. This I expected, curious buggers us teenagers. What I did not expect was the prolonged staring. Normally they look and look away, but today they didn't and I felt my cheeks heat up under each of their heavy gazes.