Of It All

>Don't reply to him yet, it might give him the idea that you're interested in whatever he's offering.

>Go to the library to get a book on spelling, 'cause it looks like someone really needs it.

Sick burn, dude.



You start walking down the hall towards the library. You’ll find a book and then maybe see what Thomas wants.

Are there any old books, as in books from at least 20 years ago, or is the library a wimpy newbook library?

You’d be surprised if this library had any books younger than 20 years old. Clearly the school doesn’t invest much of its budget towards getting new books. You don’t really mind though. Old books are fine. Although a few of the informational ones teach theories and ideas that have since been disproved or are straight up bigoted.

You cross the threshold from the hallway and into the library. You almost instantly sneeze as your nose is assaulted by the intense scent of dust. Truly the librarian really sucks at their job. You’ve never seen them anywhere other than behind the desk reading what you think is the same book. She never dusts or organizes anything. As such, all of the books are in disarray because, well, this is a high school full of high-schoolers. You come here occasionally and you do your best to keep the books off the floor but that’s about all you could hope to do.



As you walk further into the library you look at the shelves. They’re all a mess. Filled with books from all sorts of different genres, all facing different directions. Someone even left a cup from a fastfood place and based on how much has leaked out from the bottom of it it’s been there for quite a while. You pick it up and toss it in a trashcan that’s literally ten feet away.

You stop once you reach the back left corner. This is where all of the good books are. Well, they’re at least in the best condition because no one comes back here. You gaze over the somewhat small selection, reading the names of all the books. ‘The Wink’, ‘Prejudicing with Pride’, ‘Mocking the Bird Killer’, ‘An Adequiet Soldier’, and then there’s a few poetry books. You pick up the one titled ‘The Mildew Is In The Calm Dewdrops’ and flip to a random page and read the first poem you see.

‘If aliens are so smart
Then why don’t they start
Making their spaceships look like airplanes
That way we’d just point to the sky and say
An airplane
How commonplace and not at all suspect.’



Wow, ok. Is that even a poetry? Either way you think you’re sold on checking out this book. You close it and start walking back to the front counter. As you walk you pull out your phone and start thinking about what to respond to Thomas with. Eventually you settle on a basic, if slightly lame, one.

‘Hi.’ You reply.

You check out the book at the front desk and then sit on a bench directly outside the door to the library, staring at your phone while you wait for a response.

After a few minutes your phone dings.

‘Are you free later tonight? Around 5?’

Technically, yes. But you’ve got a really early curfew.

‘Sorta. Why?’ You write.

‘They’re going to play a movie at the football field off Heward st thought maybe you’d like to go.’

You don’t know what could have made him think that. You vaguely remember some people talking about the movie though. Some sort of anniversary celebration. Likely the construction of the field. You don’t think you’d mind going. You don’t get to watch movies too often. Mainly just when you visit the hospital on Saturdays but those are only horror movies and you just make fun of them so you aren't going to count them. Even so, you can’t say that you really want to go. ‘I’ll have to see if i have the time.’ you say.

“No phones in the hallway.” A teacher says as he passes by.

“S-sorry!” You say, quickly putting it back in your bag. You'll just head outside.

You leave out the front doors and head across the street. You pull your phone back out to see if Thomas said anything.

>Turn a corner and run into him instead.

As you round the corner you bump shoulders with him instead.

“My bad!,” he says. He's turns to keep walking but gives you a double take. “Do I… oh! Arri?”

You just nod while thinking to yourself that it really is a small world.

“Wow. I almost didn't recognize you without your hood.” He pauses for a moment.



“So you're not sure if you can make it, huh?”

“Y-y-yeah. I have a… c-curfew.” You say, a little embarrassed by it.

“Pfft. The movie won't be THAT long.” He says. “If it actually starts at five, it'll probably just go until a little after six.”

“I-I-I have to be home at f-f-five.” You say, quietly.

“Really now? And I thought a curfew at eleven was early. Dang.” He scratches at the back of his neck. “What if, theoretically, you had to stay late at school to help them… clean up after an event? Would your guardian let you stay out late then? I'm pretty sure today is when T.H.S is hosting that charity walk too.”

You're about to ask him how he knew you when to T.H.S but then you remember that you're wearing the school uniform.

You shrug. “I-I-I have to go.” You turn to leave.

“O-oh. Okay then. Let me know if you end up being able to go. I’d like to get to know you better, really.”

No, he wants something from you. Nobody pays you any mind unless they do. You start walking in the direction of your house.