Author's Notes: I am poor. I own nothing.

This is a pretty lame short story I've written here.

"Um... Jack?" Maria's timid voice seemed to echo in the empty library. Jack looked away from a book on flowers and right in to Maria's eyes. She quickly looked away. "Yeah? What is it?"

'You're gorgeous. I love you. Look at me again.' "I..."

'I like you. I like everything about you.' "I wanted to... t-to... t-t-tell you..." 'I like you most.'

"That... T-that..." The feeling rising in Maria was almost too much to bear. It was a near-tangible pressure of her confession. Every word she uttered made the next word harder to speak. 'Stop sputtering and tell him! TELL HIM YOU NINNY!'

"...N... Never mind." The last word came out as a rush of air. She was sure her body temperature was far too high for her to be conscious.

"Oh, come on, now I'm curious," Jack teased, walking over. Maria was certain her blush was noticeable. Losing consciousness at this point would be a welcome relief.

"It... i--i-it's just I..." She began, trying one more time.

There was a chime from the bell above the door as Harris walked in. He waved a hello at the two before sitting down at a table and opening a book on different languages. Maria inhaled. She couldn't even try to tell Jack with Harris here. She had failed.

"Forget about it! Hey, don't you have to get to the mountain? I thought you were helping the carpenters today," Maria commented with a false smile. Jack looked at her oddly. Her cheerfulness was probably obviously fake to him.

"You're right... See you, then," He said as he exited the library. Maria waited for the door to close before she let herself all but collapse onto the desk.

Harris was staring at her, so she propped herself up on her elbows and began to fan her face. It was almost too much for her to stand, coming that close and then not telling him.

Her eyes turned to her reflection in the window. Jack was a good friend, but he probably wouldn't be able to return her feelings. Maria felt a churn in the pit of her stomach. She thought she had come to terms with that already.

After all, who could love someone like her? Someone unattractive and meek.

Maria leaned her head against the wall. 'It's okay,' she thought, thinking of the expression he wore as he read, with a small smile on her lips, 'So long as I can see him...'