Chapter 08

Next day's morning comes by, and by 11:30 AM, my classes for the day have finished. What's next is the hellish task for saving the library. It's scheduled to begin at lunch hour.

I wonder why I'm going along with them. At the end of the day, all this community known as the Aid Club do, is gathering together a bunch of weaklings, and all these weaklings are doing is doze off inside that little walled garden. The guidance counelor has just piled together this group of losers and given them a temporary comfortable shelter. And how's that any different from the classic experience that I hate so much?

Maybe that was the very purpose for which Mr. Lane had created this sanatorium for excising the sources of our respective sicknesses. But if what ailed us was something that could be wiped away through such a shoddy effort, none of us would have been sick in the first place.

That was how it is for Charlotte.

I don’t know what her deal is, but I don’t think it's something that could be healed here. And even if my wounds could be mended, the only way that could happen is if something that can be called a romantic comedy would be born between Tiffany and me, then things might be different.

Right now, I'm standing outdoors, under one of those trees on the campus's grand yard. Tiffany told me earlier in class that the two of us are gonna head together to the library. She looked deadly cute when she delivered this instructions to me. And I was like 'Make me pancakes every morning'. But it went by without any regrets since my whispering wasn't audible.

As wind is blowing, pulling dust along with it, I resolve to cover my eyes. But at that exact moment, a sweet soprano-like voice reaches my ears. 

"Miles!" she bumbles towards me, as I try to open my eyes to capture this heart-warming scene. "Sorry, I made you wait."

"Uh..No problem." I stutter with a stupid grin on my face.

When the space between us narrows, Tiffany squeezes my arm. "Okay then, let's move!" she says while her body is rubbing my arm.

"Uhh, yeah. But you're like, too close.." I manage to say. It's getting unsettling at this point. Too much sweetness get you diabetes after all.

"Oh.." she frowns. "Am I bothering you..?" 

"N—not exactly.." I stutter. "You're just a little cute, y'know?"

“Hey…calling me cute and stuff…it makes me a little…uncomfortable.” right besides me, Tiffany’s cheeks go red as she averts my face.

I wonder what can I say at a time like this in order to bring our relationship back to normal. Unfortunately, I'm lacking in EXP, so I don't know. But I feel a little bit sad. Tiffany is this type of girls who put their hearts on the sleeves. And still, they get pushed back by perky nobodies like me. I can tell how much she's intending on forging a deeper connection with me, but it's too bad I can't afford it. It's unfair for life to put a fragile beauty like her this close to me. Maybe she and I would have some kind of understanding, and one day we may laugh about all of this and accept each other or something. But I guess that sort of thing is never gonna happen after all.

A friendship where you’re always trying to be considerate of the other person, always worrying about what they think, always responding to every single text, always seeking their approval and then finally connecting with them, isn’t friendship at all. If that troublesome process is what they called niceness, then I don’t need any of it. Enjoying yourself among some tepid community is basically just stroking your own ego. It’s deceit. The worst sort of evil.

"Alright then," I walk front. "Shall we?"

"Ye—yeah!" Tiffany forces a smile into her face as she follows me towards the library.

◢ ◣

Charlotte and Zoe are already in the library when we arrive. Apart from them, there are three other students. The first thing I notice about them is that they have Library Friends IDs.

"Oh, those are my group-mates!" Tiffany introduces us to each other.

They were two guys and a girl. One guy's called Kalid. He's shorter than me, seems like a pretty curious dude. The other guy's name is Emit. Basically, the chatterbox. I need to be careful not to strike a conversation with him. And the girl is Rasha. She got braces, seems harmless, and she frequently tells Tiffany to damper down on the positive attitude. Aside from Tiffany, they were all freshmans. 

So, yeah. 

Operation: Save The Library has begun. 

The Library Friends; namingly Tiffany and the three freshmans, and the Aid Club, featuring Charlotte, Zoe, and me, annnnd—!

"Huh?!" my body jolts once I turn and spot him. "Hey, Cisco! What are you doing here?!" 

I don't remember that we invited anybody else. And why it has to be him?! And why is he using his camera?

"Hi, Miles." Cisco waves to me from behind his cam-corder. "I'm making a new documentry."

"What..?" 

"It was Zoe who decided to bring him here." Charlotte sighes.

"Well, he asked me what I'd be doing after class; so, I couldn't come up with something. Heh-heh.." Zoe scratches her cheek awkwardly. This girl is unbelivable! 

"But instead of helping, he wants to make a Behind The Scene video."  Charlotte adds.

That moment, the three of us steer back at Cisco with sharp cold glare.

"Don't mind me," he replies with a raspy voice. "I'm just a fly on the wall."

◢ ◣

"Annnd, action!" 

We started our plan out with a thorough inspection on the general layout of the place. The library of Cooper University didn't change since the last decade. And there numerous things that need replacements. There was one or two LCDs that gave the vibe of modern times, but everything else was going to hell. There were shelves that were dangerously wobbly, and others completely broken. The books weren't in any better shape, either. Most of time, the first few pages were pretty much vandalized with nasty artworks. The still working computer were very out-dated. And there strange type of littering here! Come on, condoms—inbetween books! Why?!

As expected from Ms. Prodgy, she begins by assessing all of the problems first, and decides on which one should we tackle for each one of them. 

"We will need to do some carpentery work, too.." she says. "Some DIY videos on Yuotube would be helpful."

"What about the resources?" I ask. "All of this repairs require a thick amount of money. Whose gonna take care of the expenses?" 

"We will take care of it." answers Emit. 

"We've got access to the library funds, so it's solved." finishes Rasha.

"But, isn't working here considered wrong?" Zoe tilts her head.

"Yeah. We can't make any noise here. It's against the rules.." Tiffany says.

"If we can't make few loud sounds, we wouldn't be able to do anything." Charlotte declares.

During the discussion, my ears catches a whisper. When I'm able to locate it's source, I realize it's coming from behind the weirdo with the camera.

"Pssssst!" he raises his index finger, and points them towards the door.

I couldn't get what he meant by that. So, I jog outside towards the hallway. There, I find a door right on the opposite side. Hmm..

"Sewing room 12.." I read the plate on the door.

When I push the door open, an empty storage room enters my sight. It's not a wide room, but it's sufficent enough to help us out. It'd give us the necessary room (pun intended..) to work! 

"Hmm.." Charlotte examins the rooms from all directions. "It seems rather well.."

"It does. We can work all we want here without minding the loud noises." I explain.

"What's with the reeking pride, Mr. Know It All?" Charlotte snickers. "It doesn't look good on you."

"Tsk!"

Man, this girl has a terrible personality..

◢ ◣

And with that, our labor takes off. Everyday, we go to the library, grab a larger than life old shelf, and carry it to the sewing room. Thanks to Youtube, we pick up the steps for how to repair wood very quickly. And it hasn't taken us long before we got in the routine.

The repairs took their time. But at the same, a we assigned a second group to see through the replacement of computer hardwear and gadgets. Charlotte doesn't wanna let a minute goes without achieving progress. But sometimes, she kinda forgets that her work force aren't robots. She gets irritated whenever anybody gets a teensy bit late in class or eating lunch, or whenever we ask to go to the restroom. But truth be told, we've covered a large feet. 

"Hey, Tiffany! Gemme that hammer up there, would you?" Zoe stretches her hand upwards.

In that posture, my eyes glimpse something they shouldn't. Zoe's wearing a wide collar T-shirt today. So, her cleavage is a little out there. And considering the size of her boobs, and gravity...

"Oh my goodness.." Cisco whispers to me.

"What is it..?" 

"I just feel, at peace a little.." he replies while I check what his camera is aimmed at.

"Uhh—seriously..?!" I shrug.

"Zoe, is so soft, you know?" he whispers again. "Probably the softest one here.."

"Oh well, if you compare her to Tiffany or Charlotte, then sure.."

Like there's no comparing! Tiffany's chest is obsecured. The girl can sure fit in a key-whole. And Charlotte's chest is as flat as the LCD screens back in the library.

"Yeah, those two are disappointing.." Cisco replies a bit louder than before. 

"You two—" a familiar stream of dark aura shivers my back, and when I gaze backwards, Charlotte's got that look that reminded me of mass murderers. 

Uh-oh! She's heard us!

"—Why don't you put this lustful energy into good use, istead..?" her glare almost drains the colors off of me. 

"...Y—yes, ma'am..!" 

In the end, we ended up lifting the furnature and similar heavy objects through the whole day. And my evening ended up being one of miserable muscle pain.

◢ ◣

And so the days go by, and our program enters phase two. Most of the hard carpentery job has finished, we start with the detailing. Paint for example, is our first hurdle.

"Ohh! You should take enough milk while working!" Zoe tells me. 

"Do you really think this works?" I ask, sounding upset.

"Well, probably.." she mumbles. "That's what they say, anyway..."

"Wha..?" my face twitches awkwardly.

"Even if it doesn't, it's not bad way to wash the smell of paint." Tiffany says. "You're very skinny, Miles. You gotta take care of yourself more!"

And with this last sentence, Tiffany's pure white cheeks blush like a red rose. Heck! Witnessing that colors my face red, too! Cisco, of course, is making sure this critical moment is being recorded. Good job, pal!

Right after coating all the shelves with red, valvet, green, yellow, and other super vibrant colors, it's time for some tech-upgrade. All the wrecked computers are swapped with new rigs. Zoe and I handle most of work relating to installing the latest OS, making sure the local network and internet connection is at it's best. I mean, that's our field now, isn't? Well, being the third IT student on the team, Tiffany's occupied with making sure the books are being repaired. And Cisco, the fourth IT student, is pretending to not be in the scene; since cameras don't interfer with the events, they just capture them.

Charlotte and the rest of Library Friends are in charge of the new decorations. The girl's a visionary! She wants to change the entire layout of the library. 'Not make it look like a library' is what she's aimming for. Honestly, I don't understand it. But, this is Ms. Perfection we're talking about! What freakin' choice do I have?!

"Yes, riiiight——there!" says the ice-cold-poker face queen as me and Kalid slowly drop the table.

"Phew.." Kalid falls down exhausted on his butt. "I need a break, man!" 

Charlotte doesn't even flinch at him. Man, she ignores him completely, and instead, takes photos with her phone.

"Uhh, Miles, can you move away? Your bland face is going to ruin the picture." she tells me with a calm face. That jerk!

"Ms. Harvey.." Emit steps towards her. "We're almost done with the lights."

"Can we call it a wrap today?" Rasha asks while fidgetting.

"Heeh." she exhales deeply. "We'll have to wait for the librarian to give her the keys before leaving, is that understood?" 

"Yeah." the two respond simultanously.

"Until then, rest up, but don't make any mess." Charlotte's offer looks more like a threat..

As Ms. Prodgy has told us to rest and wait, I decide to take a better look at what we have done. I check the newly fixed shelves out as I pass. Every computer is alive and kicking! The dim ceiling is now lit and colorful. It's not the rusty library I used to hide inside. This place has truely become more inviting and welcoming; even captivating! Charlotte has evidently flexed her Interior Desiener muscle really hard on this. Her new arrangements have redefined the place. By pushing the bookshelves to the walls, the library got a better space in the middle. So, we added the cushing seats and couches. It's less of a library, and more of a stylistic cafe.

As I walk near the studying tables, I see Zoe sitting; strangely dozing off with a case between her fingers. She looks uneasy.

"What's the matter?" I approach her, taking a seat next to her.

"Oh, Miles! Umm—it's nothing.." she's a bad liar.

I gaze at the case she's holding. It's Battle Royale game disc.

"It's Anth's.." she says, her eyes are lowered down. "I found it near the computers.."

"Oh.." I pull my thoughts together. "You're still thinking about defeating him, huh.." 

"I just wanna get closer to him." she replies. "Battle Royale was always in my way. So now that I'm getting good at it——I'm a little.." 

"Little what?"

"Oh, you two were here all along!" Tiffany approaches us.

"Hm? Where's Charlotte?" Zoe asks.

"She went to look for Ms. Erika." Tiffany takes a seat in front of us. "So, what were you talking about?" 

"Not much. Except Zoe here is playing glum." I answer sarcastically.

"Huh?! Where did this come from?! I'm just tired, that's all!" Zoe snaps at me.

"Yeah, Miles. Give her a little credit!" Tiffany giggles the last part softly. 

"No wonder you'll never get a girlfriend.." Zoe mumbles to herself.

"What's my love life has gotta do with this?!" I snap back at her.

This girl is just dumb! Mentioning my non-existing love life in front of girls like Tiffany, only ruins my chances even more.

Watching us, Tiffany looks disappointed as she mumbles, “You two sure are

close, huh…?”

“Wh—what?! We—we’re not close at all! All there is between us is the urge to kill! It’s like, I’m gonna kill Miles and then kill myself, or something like that!”

“That’s right. Wait—what?” I splutter. “That’s scary! You’re scaring me! I don’t want your lover’s suicide or whatever! That stuff is too heavy!”

“Huh?! Don’t be stupid! I didn’t mean it that way!”

“You really are close…” Tiffany says softly, this time turning back to me again. "I honestly, never thought you're this easy going, Miles." 

"Oh well, thanks, I guess.." I shrug a little. “But anyway, Tiffany. I’m even surprised you knew my name. Even when I didn't.."

“Huh? Oh, yeah. I mean, you stand out, Miles.”

Zoe stares at me. “Huh? He’s pretty plain. I didn’t think you’d recognize him without some special reason.”

“You jerk, I stand out! I stand out like a field of glittering stars against the night sky.”

“No, you don’t,” she replies with an incredibly serious look on her face.

“I—if you’re all alone in the corner of the classroom, it actually makes you stand out, though.” Tiffany says.

“Oh yeah, that’s true…oh, uh, sorry.” after that, Zoe looks away. That kind of attitude hurts more, though.

Right when it seemed as though the mood would turn heavy again, Tiffany made a save. “So anyway, you’re pretty good at video games, Miles. Do you play a lot?”

"Yeah. He's cooped up in gaming, and hates real life." Zoe utters brainlessly. “Huh? Oh…uh, sorry.”

“What, are you part of the land mine disposal team in my heart now? Is it your job to dig up every single bit of problem I have?”

“You’re just full of too many bombs!”

"What the heck?!" she's even stealing my thunder! What's gotten into her..?! "Stop using my analogies.." 

Few minutes later, Charlotte returns along with the librarian; signaling that it's time for us to leave. While we pack our things, Tiffany approaches me.

"Miles, where's your way?" she asks.

"Oh—I live near the bailey." I reply.

"Is that so. I was thinking you'd be taking a ride with us.." Tiffany points her thumb towards Emit. Apparently, he got a car! 

"It's fine. I'll just take the bus.." I say.

We all scatter out of the library and head outside. While I'm walking to the gates, my bizarre instinct senses somebody's behind me.

"Uhh!" that person starttle the moment our eyes lock.

"Oh, Zoe..!" I utter. "Why..?" 

"I usually take the bus, too.." she replies shyly. "But it's a little late today. So.." 

She wants me to walk with her to the station. It's obvious at this point, so cut the act!

◢ ◣

The road to the nearest station from our school isn't necessarily long. It's linear, and wide, with most of the sidewalk being preoccupied by useless junk, and parked cars. Stuff like that are supposed to be illegal, but this city got a pretty crappy administration. So, walking along this street isn't comforting.

After tagging along, Zoe starts blabbing about her worries. Precisely, she's just talking about her crush, Anthony.

"It might not be hard, if you play according to the plan." I tell her.

"Yeah! I've come up with two or three strategies so far." Zoe replies, while actually counting them with her fingers. "But I dunno, man.." 

"You don't seem that confident." I tease her. 

"It's like—sometimes, I doubt that this might work out.." she says in a quiet raspy voice. 

I see. So, she's just not certain if even she was able to beat him, Anthony may not see her in a different light. She may not be aware of the fact that Anthony is not distracted by a video game, but rather not interested in Zoe to begin with. I knew quite enough about the biological  differences between men and women through my studies, but I had no practical knowledge whatsoever of romance. Also, the issue wasn't just our different genders. I have to factor in Zoe’s personality and feelings, too. Even in our modern, effective, intelligent society, this little dance remains a complicated mystery.

"Are you sure this Anthony's worth it?" I ask. "Not that I know him or anything.."

"Well, he's really a good guy. He's funny, and helpful, and assertive. Uh, and very helpful, too!" Zoe replies. "One time, on a rainy day, he saved me. It started raining while I was walking on this road. And, he ran over to me and gave me his umbrella." 

"Whoa! He seems like a great guy..!" or he could pretty much be acting like a great guy. Someone with a stupid username like 'Size-Matter' rises tons of questions; especially when it comes to morals..

"Yeah, but he's just stupid sometimes.." she grumbles. "Why can't he be direct with it?!" 

"Why can't you just confess to him directly?" 

"Huh?! No—no way, I can't!" she snaps at me with a shocked funny face. "That's not how it goes! You want me to end up like Courtney?!" 

What's up with this generation?! Shouldn't things be direct? If you like someone so bad, shouldn't you just tell them? But nooo! It's always better if you play the 'Long Game'! Keep it quiet, and keep it confined. Instead of going straight, keep chasing your tail. Because, why bother if you can make your crush likes you through shady tricks! That's youth nowadays..

"Heeh.." I sigh in exasperation. "It's not like I'm expert in love-stuff, anyway.." 

"Hmm.." Zoe narrows her gaze at me in suspicion.

"What's that look for?" 

Zoe averts my face, and walks a bit faster. "Humph. Not like Tiffany isn't your love interest.."

"Huh..?" my jaw just drops. "You're kiddin' me?!" 

"I noticed how you blush every time she lay her hands on you." she muse. "But she never touches other guys, though. Huh?! You made her fall for you..?!" 

"What?! Where do ya get those thoughts from?! There's no way I'd do such a thing!" now, I'm truely irritated. 

None of what this bimbo-bling idiotic girl said is actually true! Well, Tiffany may be capable of stirring weird emotions within me. But I don't harbor any romantic intentions towards her, and I'm definitely not gonna go the extra mile to make her fall for me.

"Don't even try to deny it!" Zoe argues. "Tiffany herself told me that you and her share a special bond!" 

"Huh..?!" oh wait, I get it now! It's that author of hers. She must've believed that we share common interests, and we'd naturally be drawn to one another. "..Oh, crap!" 

"Busted!" she teases me with a stupid grin.

"Heh! My situation's different. I'm not crushing on Tiffany. And I don't care if she turns me down one day." I reply. "Unlike you.." 

"Is that so?" she exhales. "Well, all I just want is to make sure, if Anth likes me or not." 

Zoe's face becomes uneasy as we reach the station. I notice that it's evening already. As we stand on the edge of the sidewalk, streets are gradually lighting up. Under the city's various blinks, Zoe's expressions trembles; as though she's on verge of crying. "..No matter what, I still wanna know.."

"Oh, well—you're old enough to accept his decision, I guess.." I stutter. That's not easy to deal with other people's feelings. These mushy topic can induce colssal damage.

"I dunno..about that.." Zoe grabs her elbow. "I fear me sometimes.."

A cold annoying gush of wind blows at us as Zoe says those words. She fears herself?! That's rather dark! So dark that it reminds me of that day at the bell tower. Does she mean that: if she gets rejected, she might end up harming herself! Does that mean she wouldn't handle a No for an answer?

Are you this weak, Zoe? Or are you actually troubled? Would you just give up on life 'cause some guy won't go out with you?! Why does it seem silly to me? Is it because I think my problems are much bigger? Are they as bad as I believe 'em to be? What would Zoe think of my problems? Would she see them as how I see hers?

"Zoe.." I utter hesitantly. "..That day—on the bell tower—" 

"Oh, finally, a bus came!" she cuts me off.

She's pointing towards the bus I should be taking. "It's fine, I'll wait for the next one!" I try to steer her back to my question. 

"But, I'm going on that bus, too." cutting me off again, Zoe pulls my arm, and drags me with her to that bus.

I intend to continuing on that topic with her, but as soon as we're on the bus—

"Yo, Zoe! Running home late, too?" somebody waves at us.

"Hey! Darren, nice to see you!" Zoe greets him, and we both end up setting next to each other.

"Oh, you got company!" Darren exclaims once he recognizes me. "Ain't you that punk-ass freak? What're you doin' hangin' around Zoe, huh?"

This pouty-mouth is Darren Burk; a Spring Sophmore IT's infamous delinquint. Even a loner like me knows his name because every professor addresses his endless tardiness. He's a loud, aggressive, and irritating.

"Stop calling me that!" I snap back at him.

"Sheesh, he talks!" Darren exclaims; as he heard a dog talks.

"Haha! This is Mile Grimwine! We're in the Aid Club together." Zoe says.

"Not 'cause I don't talk in class means that I'm disabled or someth—!"

Darren pretty much smacks my back. "Whoa, bru! You're really somethin', y'know that?"

"Don't hit him like that! He's too thin, he might break like a stick!" Zoe insults me with worried face. Way to go, dumbass!

After they got bored of making fun of me, Zoe and Darren talked about various things. Darren told us that he's got put on the basketball team this year, and seemed very happy about it. I guess, it's rather normal for someone like him to be picked. He's a knuckle-head with half-shit for brain. A perfect candidate for sport-based college life.

"Oh! Wanna listen to this new playlist I've got?" he asks us right before pressing Play.

Most of the songs are Rap. Artists like Travis Scott, NF, and Big Sean filled up his list.

"Awesome, pal! Send me all of them!" she says with an unseen level of hype. I've never considered Zoe to love music this much!

"Who're your favorite artist, freak?" Darren asks me.

"Umm, probably Machine Gun kelly.." I answer. "And stop calling me that!"

"Whaa?!" Zoe shrugs away. "That's so creepy! Nobody likes him!"

"I do." I shoot back.

"Me too!" Darren says, surprisingly.

"Uh, really?!" Zoe steers back at Darren.

"Yeah! That Emnem diss is just legendary!" he replies. "Wanna hear it?" 

"How about we sing it?" I ask.

"Hell yeah!" 

The three of us sing all the way. It isn't beautiful and artistic, but more of noisy screaming. We've made so many passengers uncomfortable. Darren jumps from one song to the other, and we sing whatever part we can. This ride is gonna be memroable for some time.

Darren isn't so much a bad guy as I always thought. In fact, he treats Zoe and I very casually, like we're long time friends. Especially after I rapped with him on that MGK song. It might be a bit too soon to say this, but I might need to apologize to him for thinking of him as a wasted bully.

When I focus my gaze right back at him and Zoe, the two start doing a robot dance. 

"C'mon, Miles! Give it a try!" Zoe invites me in.

"Don't be shy, you little pus.." Darren mocks me with a face of an old-lady from the fifties.

"I—I can't believe this.." and the duo becomes a trio.

After I get off the bus, I walk for few meters until I reach home. It's already 8 AM when I take off my shoes, and head for my room, passing by the living-room.

"Miles! Dear, your dinner's in the fridge." my mom tells me while she's smoking. "Oh, you look bright today! Something good happened?" 

"Uhh, no. Just the usual." I reply, and continue my way.

When I'm on my own in my room, I sit on the matress while lights are still off. I turn my computer on. But for the first time since what seemed like forever, I'm not in the mood for writing about what sort of way shall I end my life. Apparently, Zoe and Darren have stirred something inside me. Something that has been dead since Ruka abandoned me. I'm still not sure what to call it. A silly memory, perhaps? I don't wanna over-think about it; so, on a post it note I write: 

Silly moments finish like a chocolate bar. And stick that on my wall.

◢ ◣

The following day arrives. The day we put the final touches on the brand new 'Renovated' library. As of yesterday, everything is terrific. Emit, Rasha, Kalid, and Tiffany; along with Carlotte, Zoe, and I stand aside to take in the fruit of our work. If it's describable in one word, it would be AMAZING.

"I—I can't belive it..!" Rasha's mouth is wide open.

"It's the best thing I've ever seen!" Kalid whispers.

Emit's actually welled up. He's on the verge of crying! "This—this is our work! This is our damn hard work!"

"Yeah!" Tiffany's tearing up. "We saved our library, guys.."

The two girls and I couldn't do but be moved by what we did in this place. We truely did a fantastic job.

When we're cleaning up some of the lingering left overs, I find a chance when Tiffany and I are alone. There's one last thing that needed to be clear. So, the moment she's done dusting the computer screens, I walk up to her.

Tiffany, on the other hand, notices me and gives me a smile like a soothing spring breeze. She’s

indeed beautiful. Then, her gaze sweeps back down to the book she's been holding. It would have been easier if she starts talking to me about Morvia-whatever again, but it looks like this time I have to make the first move. 

So as not to startle her, I intentionally make some noise as I walk over. When I'm very close, she turns towards me with an impossibly graceful movement, like some sort of sacred dragon.

“Hey… Is something wrong…?”

As it always has, her voice enters my ears like the splash of an angel’s tear.

“Uh, I wanted to talk…,” I say.

Once I'm at an appropriate distance away I stand my ground. If the sacred aura of a beautiful girl envelopes a genuine social outcast like me at close range, his body will dissolve in the light and evaporate.

“What’s the matter…?” she asks.

“Um…”

I know her eyes are pure black, but for some reason they appeared to be a deep green imbued with elf magic. Before them, my resolve wavers.

“It’s about that writer we were talking about the other day, Morvia?”

“Oh, yeah…!”

Her eyes light up. But I’ve made up my mind.

“Actually…” I'm determined to tell her point blank. “I lied when I said I liked that author. I mean…I haven’t even read those books!”

“What…?”

To my surprise, Tiffany is able to produce not only the aura of a fairy or an angel, but also that of an innocent young child.

Still I soldiered on. “It’s true.”

“What…? But I saw you reading…”

It's a natural question. If you saw someone sitting in the library with a book open in front of them on a regular basis, it was a normal conclusion to draw. But you would be wrong.

I remind her how much I love videogames, and how I spend my free time on them, and that the reason I come to the library is because I don’t like the atmosphere when I get to the other classroom early that I was just pretending to read books while I was actually planning out strategies for Persona 5 or Battle Royale.

“So the truth is…I don’t have any particular interest in that Morvia's person, and I haven’t read any of their books. But I didn't know how to explain all that, so I just went along with what you were saying.”

Tiffany’s expression isn't condemning or forgiving—purely disappointed.

“Really? But what about the—?”

"It was all a coincidence. I didn't actually intend to pick the same book every time.." I cut her off.

“Oh, I see…”

“Yeah, so it seems wrong to me—letting you be this excited about connecting deeper with me based on a misunderstanding…well, on my lie, really… I’m sorry.”

“Oh…yes, I guess that’s true.” she let out a long breath.  “Please don’t worry about it.”

Tiffany smiles forgivingly, washing clean my guilty conscience. I might have been getting ahead of myself, but I’d say she looks a little lonely, too.

I have to decide what to do next. I haven’t made up my mind until right before I got to the library. Now that I've apologized—

“…But,” I add, conscious of my heart pounding. “I’m sure I’ll come to the library again, so…next time, I thought maybe we could have a normal conversation about something else. Maybe not our favorite authors or anything. Also, I want to try reading some of Edwardo Moravia’s books… What do you say?”

Tiffany responds to my proposal with a few blinks her long eyelashes. Then she giggles cheerfully, like an ordinary girl our age instead of her usual fantasy-story self.

“…Ha-ha-ha! Oh, Miles. It’s not Edwardo—it’s Alberto! …You really haven’t read his books, have you?”

“Oh… Alberto. Uh, ha-ha.”

“He-he.”

“B-but, um, is it still okay…for me to come here?” I ask.

Tiffany draws a warm, heartfelt smile, like sun filtering through trees. “…Of course it’s okay!”

Her smile makes me feel shy all of a sudden. “Good, okay, thanks,” I reply quickly, leaving the site behind and go back to my work.

◢ ◣

About an hour later, most of the garbage have been taken care of. There were nearly eight large berreles filled with hills of trash. 

"Okay, we'll take turns on pushing them." Charlotte announces. "Ms. Clark, you go on first."

As Tiffany agrees to Ms. Prodigy command, she goes on to push on the gigantic container outside of the library. But then—

Bam! Tiffany collapses to the ground.

"Oh, Tiffany!" Zoe rushes to her.

"You two, get some water!" Rasha shouts at her friends.

"It's okay, you guys.." Tiffany regains her consciousness.

"Hey, you sure you're alright?" I ask her.

"Yeah, I just tripped, and—Ouch..!" she struggles to get up before falling again.

"You sprained your ankle!" Rasha says.

"Let's take her to the nurse!" Emit shouts.

"No need to panic, guys." Tiffany manges to say. "I'm fine.."

Charlotte then leans forward, "Do you—want us to stop for today?" 

"We..have a plan." Tiffany tries to pull herself up. "All of you helped me make this happen. So, I won't let you down like this.."

"I see.." Charlotte replies coldly, and heads towards the door. "Then, you take it from here, Zoe." 

"Oh, okay." Zoe replies.

And just like that, Charlotte leaves the library. It looks a bit confusing, like she's abandoned us and went home. But if I know that girl well enough, I know she ain't a quitter.

"Is she—maybe...fed up with me?" Tiffany asks. Her voice trembles due to the pain.

"Don't stress it. She's always like that." I reassure her.

"That's right!" and Zoe supports me. "Plus, Charlotte doesn't give up on people who look to her for help."

"Yeah, she even helped Zoe with her hopeless gaming skills.." I mutter, and then a pen flies and hit my head hard.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" she yells.

"In that case, let's get you comfortable." Kalid suggests. And Tiffany is put on one of the comfy saggy chairs.

"Uhh—that feels weird a little..!" she blushes.

"Ms. Harvey will come back eventually. So, let's carry on!" Emit declares.

"Yeah!"

I guess, that went well! This team is now unstoppable. With a little cleaning touches we still have, we might actually announce the opening of the all new library by tomorrow! At this point, there's nothing that would ruin this new success story for the Aid Club ft. Library Friends, and I ain't afraid how jinx-ish this sounds! Or so, I think—

"C'mon, just a sec. I'll grab it, and we'll bounce." a person just barges in. A certain unwanted person.

"Oh no..!" Rasha snaps.

"Close the door!" Kalid shouts.

That person enters the library as he's walking backwards and speaking to his friends, who are right behind him.

"Uhh?!" one of the intruder's friends exclaims.

"What in the world..?!" another one opens his mouth in an awe.

Dammit! Charlotte must've forgotten to lock the door behind her. And now, we've got the lousiest intruders ever.

The one walking backwards halts to see what's making his pals all jaw-dropped. That's none other than Anthony. Yeah, the hunk that Zoe's head over heels for! His characteristic curly afro and tanned skin are very distinctive. And the other two are pretty-boy Noah Thomson and some other dude with glasses I can't seem to recall his name. But it doesn't stop there. The following second brings with it the biggest bitch in the Stuck-up Kids.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here, ha?!" Courtney Meyer steps inside. "Looks like a great place for a party!"