It had been a long boring day. My teachers had given me lectures that I hadn't needed and homework I didn't want to do. But I knew that once I went home I would have to. So after school ended instead of getting a ride from Steve I walked to the library.
Now, I love the library, but since my Mom and Dad died I just haven't had much time. It's such a familiar sight, the worn pavement out front, the brick sides and big window in the front with a small crack in the corner. I could see Mrs. Wilson sitting at her desk in the back of the building. It isn't the biggest building, you can see right back through the shelves but it's cozy with its worn carpets and small sofas in a secluded corner and books lining the walls.
Ding.
The bell on the door rings as I enter and Mrs. Wilson looks up. She squints as she looks at me cause her glasses are hung around her neck and not on her nose like they are when she reads.
"Oh, dear, is that you Pony?" She asks.
"Yea Mrs. Wilson, it is." I answer back.
"Well now it's been quite awhile since I've seen you wander on in here." She says getting up and looking at me. When she walks up to me she's just shy of reaching my eye level. We were the same height for a little bit but recently I've been gettin' taller. "My you sure have gotten big now haven't you."
"Yea I guess." I respond rubbing the back of my neck and looking down a little.
"Well it's good to have you back, you know the rules and your way around so I'll talk to you later." She says as she walks back to her desk. As she's ambling back I look around at the shelves I've spent so much time wandering and wish I had come back sooner. I used to come in at least once a week but like I said before my parents deaths really messed up my schedule.
After searching the shelves and finding a book that looks interesting I went to the back corner of the room where Mrs. Wilson kept a worn out red sofa and two spare armchairs. I then noticed that there was a person sitting in the sofa.
The library was pretty empty, I think I saw someone looking at some historical fiction novels before but that was it. Though who spends their Friday nights at the library? Me, and this person apparently. It looks like a girl. She has pretty long brownish hair. I'm not sure if it's considered blonde or brown, it's somewhere in the middle. She has her legs crossed and a book on her lap and I can only see part of her face but from what I can see she looks real pretty. She looks the type that boys would hit on when she enters a room, though judging from her knee length black skirt and burgundy oversized sweater, she doesn't seem the type to be very receptive to that flirting.
I decide that she looks too absorbed in her book to disturb so I take my book and sit on the opposite end of the couch. I briefly feel her eyes on me but when I look over her eyes are glued to her book.
I read and read and read and get lost in my book before I feel a shift in the couch as the girl gets up. When I look out the window about the chairs next to me I see that it's almost dark out. I look back just as the girl is walking out, her head is turned as opens the door and I see that I was right. She is pretty. With elbow length brownish-blondish hair and a nose that has a bit of an arch in the middle and blue eyes that are framed by big lashes, she looks like a real cute broad. When I'm looking at her I feel this thing in my stomach. This pulling. This bubbling. I don't know what it is but it sure is new.
I grab the book, go to Mrs. Wilson and check it out before heading out the door, sprinting home because I hadn't told anyone where I was going so if I'm not home before dark I'll be in for a hollering.
When I walk into the house it's the same as usual, Steve and Soda, my brother and his best friend, talking as loudly as their rambunctious hearts desire while filling their faces with I don't even know what. It was Soda's night to cook and I don't think I could've recognized what was on the plate sitting beside him before he mauled it.
Johnny was sitting on the couch watching them with a timorous smile on his face, nodding along as Dally talked his ear off beside him. Two-bit was also sitting on the couch, beer in hand, as he listened to Dally's story. Darry, who was sitting in the chair in the corner, looked up from the paper he was reading as I walked in.
"Where were you?" He asked, raising an eyebrow in question.
"The library." I answer shortly. I shuffle past everyone else and head straight to my room. I've been doing that a lot lately. Spending more time by myself reading and writing. I don't know why I just like the quiet. Gives me time to think. Because lord knows I can't get any of that done in the roaring classrooms and deafening hallways of school. There isn't much quiet with the gang either. Don't get me wrong I love them, but man can they get loud.
I already know that Darry's gonna be on me about my homework soon cause I got home later than I meant to do I take my backpack and start in on the article my journalism teacher wants us to write.
"Make it about something you see, something newsworthy. A scandal, an event, a sports victory or defeat, anything that qualifies as news. Release your inner journalist." She has said. I don't know about anything newsworthy other than the rumble happening next week. Some socs had been hitting on Two-bit's sister, Kathy, and tried grabbing her a few times so after he pounded their faces in he called a rumble.
Kathy is about my age, a little younger, I turned fourteen last week but she doesn't for another 4 months. When we were younger everyone was always trying to push us together or get us to kiss. She always went along with it but I never wanted to. As we got older they kinda gave up, though Two always does say that he'd be glad to have me as a brother as long as I don't break his baby sisters heart, then he'll pound my face.
As I thought about Kathy my mind drifted back to the girl from earlier, she had had this sort of steady attentiveness towards her book. She had clearly been focused on her book. I wonder if I'll ever see her again?
I don't let my mind stay on her for long though as Soda walks into the room just as I add on the final period of my second paragraph.
The rest of the night is pretty routine, Darry comes in to tell me that we're going out. And so we go out to the dingo hang out and come back at around 10 at which point I promptly fall asleep.
