Get A Room!

~:*:~ Twenty-Two ~:*:~

Jedson

I was sitting at a table in the library with four girls, chatting away and making them all fall for me without even trying. I told them that I wanted to get a head start on some of my classes. Since they were seniors, they were more than happy to offer their tips and tricks to passing some of the courses I was taking. I found them quite entertaining actually, so there was no need to shoo them away.

It was all just a ruse though. I came here hoping to find Bright to apologize, but he hadn't shown up yet. I figured I'd look like less of a stalker if I had a reason to be in the library, hence the open books and supplies spread out across the table before me. The girls were just a bonus, making it look like I joined a study group.

After almost an hour of waiting as patiently as possible, I noticed Bright walking down the hallway through the library windows. He made it to the doors and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw me at a table. He seemed to stagger back and forth, unsure if he should bolt or carry on despite my presence. In the end, he chose to walk in. He disappeared for a while amongst the shelves to find a book. He took longer than expected, so I began to think he found a table in another area just to spite me. But then he reappeared in the main area. He took a seat at a table a few feet from mine, opening his book and pretending to settle in as he really just eavesdropped on my interaction with the girls.

I began to wonder if he'd been planning a run in with me as well. He was all fidgety in his seat, and he looked somewhat nervous to be around me again. Maybe he wanted to apologize just as badly as I did?

It might explain why Bright was holding his book upside down... clearly reading wasn't the point.

"Excuse me, ladies. I need to see a man about a horse." I chuckled as their faces fell in disappointment and then twisted in confusion at the use of the British idiom.

I began meandering over to Bright's table. He fidgeted in his seat and acted like he was completely engrossed in the words on the page. He didn't greet me or acknowledge me in any way when I stood across from him. I leaned forward to carefully place a hand on his book. He wasn't holding on all that tight so it was easy to flip the book right side up and place it back in his shaking hands.

"It should be easier to read like this..." I teased lightly.

His response barely categorized as a whisper. "Thanks."

I sat down across from him and waited. He continued to fake indifference.

"I see you've moved on to Mary Shelley..." I note as I gesture to the copy of Frankenstein in his hands. "Are you working your way through the classics, or something?"

"Hmmm..."

"You should talk to Jesse. He's a new acquaintance of Leona's, and I'm pretty sure he's an English major specializing in classical analysis. You two might enjoy discussing these novels-"

"I just read for fun. I don't need to pick apart the story with a stranger."

He didn't say much and his tone was quite sharp, but at least he was talking to me. I continued in hopes of drawing him out more.

"I just thought you two might have enough in common to be friends. He seems easy enough to talk to."

"I don't need any more friends."

"Everyone can use a couple of new friends when they're alone in a new place. The next four years can be quite brutal if you've got no one. You don't have to hang out with Jesse, but you should find someone-"

He slammed his book down and finally looked me in the eyes. "Why are you so concerned about me?! I already told you that I'm not interested in being your-..." He looked around the library, realizing that the girls from my table were watching us and whispering. He continued in a lower tone as his anxiety spiked further, "...I'm just not interested, Jedson."