(A/N: Thanks again to all those who continue to read my stories! Here is the next chapter! (What?! Two chapters in mere hours of each other?...) :-) Enjoy! ~TRP~)
Chapter #5 –
Half an hour later, Shawn and Cory found themselves at the New York Public Library in the Midtown East location (that was uptown from Grand Central Station).
This particular evening, the library was open later than usual. The library was featuring a guest author, who was promoting his third children's book in which two teens travel to magical lands found in their fairytale book given to them by their grandmother.
When they got there, Cory naturally left Shawn alone, as he mentioned something about browsing the small children's section – he wanted to check out the new X-Men Comics.
Not sure where to go, Shawn went up to the front desk, where an elderly woman anywhere between 65 and 75 with shoulder length straight blonde hair, and glasses awaited. She was dressed in a plain white blouse, a yellow skirt, and a light blue sweater. She had a grandmotherly tone to her voice, was very kind, but it was her eyes that Shawn was unable to look away from.
"There is so much wisdom held within them…Wow..." Shawn thought to himself in awe.
"How may I help you young man?" Asked the woman.
"Um…I'm not sure just yet…I am on a scavenger hunt, but not sure what I am to find yet…Would you happen to have my next clue?"
"I'm sorry, I do not. But would you please do me a favor if you have time?"
Shawn smiled and nodded, unable to say 'no' to her kind demeanor.
"Would you mind filing these in the poetry sections? They all go on the 2nd floor, in different sections: Section 2, Section 6, and Section 8. In the order given, they are on the second section, in the fourth aisle and twentieth aisles, then in the sixth section, in the ninth aisle, and finally the eighth section, in the third and ninth aisles. Here, I've also written it down just in case." The woman handed Shawn a piece of paper:
"Second Floor: 2,4, 2,20, 6,9, 8,3, 8,9"
"Thank you, thank you so much young man."
"You're quite welcome, ma'am." Shawn replied. He couldn't help smiling.
As Shawn headed to the elevator, he turned to give a quick wave to the woman, making sure to swing by the desk before leaving the building.
"Oh young man, I just wanted you to know that you are very special. I see many like you. You carry great burdens, but you carry them with grace. Know that soon you will be able to release some of those burdens." The woman said this with such sincerity, yet such confidence as if she's known Shawn (and he her) their entire lives.
Shawn stopped cold, his eye contact with the woman never breaking. His smile however, turned to that of pure puzzlement. "How-How do you, or could you know…" He asked softly trailed, in utter confusion.
A comforting smile was given in reply that did not scare Shawn or make him any more uneasy. "Give it time…Have faith." The woman replied.
Shawn sighed, exhaling a breath he did not even realize he had held within. Continuing to hold eye contact for a few moments longer, Shawn gave a smile back, taking in her words. She reminded him of Mr. Feeny to a point.
As the elevator came, Shawn stepped inside, and let the woman's words settle in both his mind and his stomach before arriving at the second floor.
He didn't bother telling Cory where he was. He knew it was a waste of time.
After getting off the elevator, and moving to the second aisle, Shawn stopped and leafed through the books. He sucked in a breath at the titles: The Grapes of Wrath, and Of Mice and Men, both by John Steinbeck, The Catcher in the Rye, by J. D. Salinger, To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
His memory rushed to a forefront; the "student union" he and Cory attempted to create simply because they didn't want to take the test for The Grapes of Wrath. The fact that he did in fact read the book, and both boys were convinced that Mr. Turner could change things immediately with Mr. Feeny at the helm as school principal…The fact that they didn't have jobs in order to support themselves, they were just kids, and didn't have much real world experience at that time. In hindsight, he would have done well on this exam, but they did throw a bit of a tantrum and walked out.
Of Mice and Men was next – he and Cory thought they beat "the system" of teachers versus students. He smiled at this particular memory. He studied for this test, and did well. That gave him a sense of pride that he did not feel very often in his life. From then on, he still maintained a passing grade to graduate, but as he said in his graduation speech "I could have done better." So, he took that with him to college, and proved to himself that he could do well. That made him proud.
The Catcher In The Rye, came next. He had a more sour taste in his mouth for this title. He remembered reading his poem in class, just as he and Cory had their prior conversation on the way to the carousel. But he also remembers Cory reading his book of poems at Open Mic night on campus.
He shook his head. It was over, done with, and all was forgiven. He and Cory both learned lessons that night, and Cory had a better respect for Shawn. Shawn understood Cory's actions and why he did them at the time, but didn't appreciate the manner in which he acted.
To Kill A Mockingbird, came next. Although he did not read it in high school or college, that was one of the two books he read recently, and wished he had read much sooner. "But would I have appreciated it, or paid attention? Probably not..." Shawn thought. Atticus Finch became his favorite literary character behind Holden Caulfield. Definitely an Atticus Finch – George Feeny parallel!
Finally, came The Alchemist. This was another of his recent favorites. He loved how thought-provoking it was; how inspirational it was for him. It was one of the few he could read repeatidly.
"These aren't poetry…" Shawn said aloud. He stood their puzzled…"Why would she give me these books when they're all fiction…"
Not sure whether to go back downstairs and let the woman know that she made a mistake, Shawn took a chance, and did what he was asked.
Perhaps she did this purposely, but why, Shawn probably would never know.
He decided to start with section two, aisle four. He oddly felt very uncomfortable placing a fiction book in the poetry section…He couldn't figure out why – probably because he knew it was the wrong section.
He got through filing through the rest of the books, still not liking that they were in the incorrect sections. Suddenly a bunch of people buzzed around him, and got him a bit turned around, and lost. He hadn't been to this location in quite some time, so the layout was still relatively new to him.
"How I wish I took a map…" Shawn quietly groaned.
He walked some, but became distracted by a loud ambulance siren suddenly passing by down on the street. He bumped into someone, who was also reading The Alchemist. "Oh, I'm sorry sir. I wasn't paying attention."
"Yeah." The man grunted quietly, but not aggressively, not looking away from the book in his hands.
"Ya know, this book, it's really good! I think I'll have to make it required reading next year in my class. I think the kids could use it; that and To Kill A Mockingbird." The man replied with a thick New York accent, still refusing to look up from his book.
"You're a teacher?" Shawn asked.
"Yeah, English."
Shawn smiled. "What books have you taught?"
"The Odyssey, some Steinbeck novels, Cyrano…But then I had to take about a year off."
"What happened?" Shawn asked.
"Accident; the year off was precaution. When I came back to teaching in the middle of the following year, something happened with the administration; they overrode the principal…Sent me from my regular classroom to the one down the hall…So after the Class of '98 graduated, and the principal stating he was to retire, I transferred here."
Shawn shook his head, and smirked.
"Sounds like my high school…Had a hallway that people we knew in middle school disappeared to, only to rarely be seen again."
"Yeah, I'm just glad my students kept great heads on their shoulders. I knew they could do it. I'm happy that I can still ride my bike, and the head, arm, and leg injuries healed. Most importantly, my favorite students didn't get caught up in a cult."
"John!" Shawn whispered quietly. He had a strong feeling it was him, but was only confirmed when he spoke of his injuries. The fact that Shawn was practically in a cult - well if he hadn't figured it out beforehand, that sealed it!
Jonathan Turner smiled wide, as the took his book down, giving Shawn a big hug.
"Happy birthday Hunter! How are you?"
"I'm good John, I'm good. So that's where you ended up."
"Yeah, back where I started."
"We missed you…I'm so sorry–"
"Shawn, you have nothing to be sorry for. Do you have any idea how proud I am of you?"
Shawn felt a small blush rise to his face.
"So…What happened? How did you end up wrecking your bike?"
"I skidded on a small patch of water that I didn't even see until the vey last second because of glare – even through my helmet. It's as simple as that."
"Life is certainly short." Shawn commented, remembering that day so well. He didm't want, and was afraid to lose John, and knew at that moment (that although he wasn't the biggest believer in God), that God existed, and He did hear Shawn.
Shawn knows this because he remembers John squeezing his hand.
"So you got transferred to the other end of the hallway?"
"Yeah, Mr. Feeny tried to keep me where I was, but the administration above him felt it'd be better to put me there. Had Stuart Minkus and T. K. in my class. Good kids."
Shawn smiled at the memory of Minkus, but only vaguely remembered T. K.
"So after you guys graduated, I applied back here to NYC and transferred. John Adams High wasn't the same without you."
"Yeah, it definitely wasn't the same with you on the other end…" Shawn agreed.
Shawn stared at the book Mr. Turner had put down, and kept looking back to the general area in which he had filed the books.
"Hunter?"
"Sorry, I'm a bit distracted…The woman downstairs had me file a bunch of books up here, but they're not poetry."
"Ah, come on, I'll help you file them. She does that sometimes – when she knows there's something worth finding within yourself. She did that to me the first time I came here. She's good to have around."
Shawn smiled, relieved that it wasn't just him, but still very much comforted.
"Come on, let's go. I want to hear all about college, and what brings you to The Big Apple."
"Great!...But I'm on a scavenger hunt…You wouldn't happen to have my next clue would you?"
John looked at him a bit puzzled. "Nope. I think I'm it. Oh wait, I think this is it." Jonathan Turner pulled out a bright orange envelope.
"Clue #4 – To the Irish Pub you go, not far from here. Enjoy the streets of NYC, it can be a real *downer* otherwise..."
Shawn smiled. He knew exactly where to go. "So, let me get this straight. You're staying? You don't have to help me in the hunt, only to leave again?"
"Shawn, come on! I live here. Just try to keep me away this time."
Shawn gave an even wider smile. "Great! Well then let's go pick up Cory, and I want to say goodbye to the woman at the front desk."
"Where did Matthews go anyway?" John asked.
"The Children's section to check out comics."
John shook his head.
As they went downstairs and passed by the front desk, Shawn thanked the woman. "What about those books?"
"Don't worry dear, leave them there. I'll figure out what to do with them." She winked at Shawn as she saw Mr. Turner, and gave him a knowing smile.
"Okay then. I'm off to find my friend Cory."
"Alright. Get to your next stop safely. Thank you again."
"You're very welcome." Shawn replied, and she waved, and Mr. Turner gave a smile and a nod in acknowledgment.
Getting to the Children's section, the pair found Cory engrossed in both old and newer comic books.
"Oh, hey Mr. Turner. How ya goin'? Shawnie look at this one! It's like we are there my friend! And it's New York – *Anything* can happen!" Cory exclaimed excitedly. If the two didn't know any better, they would have been surprised to see Cory with a comic book over his head.
Jonathan shared a slightly bewildered look with Shawn before turning back to Cory. "Are you kidding me?" John said, bringing both boys back to 7th and 8th grade.
Cory simply smiled a goofy, child-induced smile as he put the comics away and the trio headed out to their next location.
(A/N: Please Review! Thanks! ~TRP~)