She wandered into the most secluded part of the old library. Thanked to the school holiday, nobody was there. Who would want to spend their precious time inhaling the smell of dusty old books?
Maura left her room since she hated it there. There's nothing to do. Her stuffs, books and clothes, were still on their ways to Boston. She was a little excited and went ahead for a few days earlier.
And she couldn't really stand the giraffe wallpapers she had asked back when she was a child. She talked to her mother to have them changed. The wallpaper installers were working on her room right now. Another reason she was here today.
When Constance and Arthur Isles decided to move back to Boston, Maura left her boarding school in France to join them. She was 18 and in the last year of highschool. The year was in the final term on top of that but she wasn't going to worry. She was confident that her grades were far more than enough to ensure her the course and university she desired.
xxx
Her nose twitched and that unbearable itch was there again. Maura scrambled on the messy table to snatch another clean sheet of tissue from the newly opened box she sneaked in with her into the library. She was afraid the librarian would confiscate her lifesaver for the day. Did the library even has that kind of rule?
A loud sneezing sound rang throughout the third level of the library. Maura just hoped the place was as empty as she saw before making this, the farthest corner in the level, her port for the day.
"Huuhh.." She breathed out throughout her mouth. Her nose was out of service for the day.
"Flu, huh? Been there. It sucks!"
The voice came out of nowhere. Maura snapped her head to the left and right and even turned in her seat to look around the limited area she could see in the library, trying to look for the source of the voice. A deep frown formed on her pale forehead. Nobody was there with her.
It couldn't be a paranormal entity or famously known as ghost, could it?
"A-Are you a ghost?" She gulped tightly. Goosebumps ran through her arms and neck.
The voice sounded again. This time in form of laughter. It was laughing at her..?
"Flu isn't something you should make fun of." Her voice was stern but her lips quivered. She sniffled hard. Part of it was to relieve her stuffy nose and the other part was to keep her tears in bay. Having a flu made Maura a whiny child it seemed.
She heard a hiss and knew the voice owner was winching. "I'm sorry. I'm not laughing at you and I'm not a ghost. I swear. You're not gonna cry on me, are you?" The ghost sounded panic, why would a ghost worry about a human stranger though?
"I couldn't help it. My amygdala and lacrimal gland have a connection that I can't control." She hiccuped. Tears were pouring down like a broken flood dam.
In a second, she was in engulfed by warm body, a hot blooded homo sapiens.
xxx
"I never get your name." Jane said from her side, two shelves apart from Maura's most secluded port.
Maura's heart merrily skipped a beat. She had known Jane for a week. Of course Jane would want to know her name. It would be strange to not knowing a person name when you talk to each other for like, everyday.
Not that Maura wanted to hide her real identity but from what she gathered, Jane was from a blue-collar Italian American family. They were like two worlds apart. Jane might stop talking to her.
Maura cannot risk this possible friendship with Jane. She liked Jane. She had this huge crush on her but it would remain just that, a highschool crush.
To be honest she wanted to see Jane's face without her thick sweater and beanie. Her glasses and mouth mask kept her face hidden so well. Jane would never going to recognize her even if they stumbled upon each other in the hallway.
Even her voice didn't sound like herself.
How long this sore throat is going to last?
"It's fine if you don't want to tell me your real name, don't sweat it. At least give me something to call you. It's weird to call you 'Hey' all the time. Hey Hey Hey.."
"That is awkward." Maura commented. She already knew what Jane's going to say.
"Ya think."
Maura smiled and then bit her lips. "You can-n called me D-Dorthea." Dorthea was her name, her middle name.
"Dorthea? Cool name. Never known anyone with the name before. Nice to meet you Dorthea. I'm Jane Rizzoli."
"I already know t-that." Maura chuckled despite her hoarse voice that might gone any moment now.
Jane laughed. "What's wrong with introducing myself over and over again?" Maura could literally see the smirk Jane was sporting. The topic dropped just like that. Jane didn't ask for her last name either.
Did she already tell how she fell for Jane Rizzoli? No?
Alright. I guess it wouldn't hurt to write it down.
It happened after Maura was done brawling her eyes out in Jane's protective arms. Without knowing each other, Jane helped Maura to clean her table. She threw out the scattered used wet tissues and placed the books on the read trolley. Maura was too exhausted from her worsening flu and the crying.
The dry and dusty air in the library definitely was not a great choice for someone with a flu.
Jane, a stranger, piggybacked Maura to the infirmary and stayed with her until Dowson, her family butler came to pick her up. She was lucky that the infirmary already had her information. During time like this Maura really wished she bought a new cellphone when her old one fell on the water fountain and never came back to life.
Jane had seen her face, no doubt but she was at her worst moment. They bumped into each other the other day in cafeteria but Jane just muttered a soft sorry and walked away. After that Maura never show her face to Jane again. It was better that way.
Jane's kindness could sway anyone's heart but Maura was not any other girls. She saw more in a person to like them. She saw Jane's brutal way of showing her loyalty and bravery. Jane almost quit the team when her best teammate was banned from participating in the game after being accused for stealing. Jane trusted her and Maura was relieved Jane was right. It was a set up. The thing highschool students would do because of jealousy.
Jane jumped in front of an armed robber to save her little brother Tommy and fought with her bleeding arm when the knife was pointed at her other brother Frankie. Maura saw this with her own eyes.
Jane had such a tender heart. She helped ducks to cross the road and stopped to do the weeding! One time Maura stumbled upon Jane tried to collect the fallen baby squirrels and climbed the tree to put them back into their nest.
Jane laughed at Maura's fail attempt in joking. She congratulated her for having such a dream of becoming a medical examiner. Jane called her habit of spurting facts out of nowhere as 'google mouth' without making fun of her. They laughed together.
And it wouldn't be fair if Jane's gorgeous features were not mentioned.
The image of Jane Rizzoli swaggered into the field as she took her position. Her tanned skin. Her wild mane tied in ponytail. Her dark brown eyes. Her posture. Jane looked wild and fierce.
Maura could understand the nickname of Roly-Poly-Rizzoli for Jane still had her babyfat on both of her cheeks but she was athletic. She was a lot taller with more muscles than that boy, Joey Grant that was always mocking her.
On top of all, it pained Maura to say this but, Jane didn't even realize how wonderful she was as a person, a woman, a sister, a friend and a daughter.
Gosh, Maura's hazel eyes got teary. How could she not fall for Jane?
She was proud to have someone like Jane Rizzoli as her first ever crush.
xxx
"Hey, wanna grab something to eat? My treat."
Maura looked down and played with her fingers. "I can't." She sighed.
"Big assignment? Interesting part of the book? No biggie. Tomorrow then? See you at lunch!" The bell rang and with that Jane left Maura to her own thought.
That tomorrow will come but Maura wouldn't be there. Her letter of acceptance to BCU arrived yesterday and she was going to enjoy her time with Jane in the library if Jane was there albeit being separated by two shelves. If not she would walk around the school looking for the sign of her crush, to look at her for the last time before going home.
They never exchanged any kind of contact info. Both had no cellphone.
They were like penpal friends. They shared things with each other because sometimes it was easier to talk to a stranger.
I guess it is a goodbye then. Maura sighed loudly. She rose up from her chair and proceeded to arrange her thing.
She spent time to talk with the familiar librarian lady. She stood in front of the old building, staring at it, taking in the moment. She smiled and then walked away, keeping that smile the entire ride home.
Her fingers pulled out the metal chain from under her shirt and played with it. A lonely tear rolled down her cheek and fell onto the pendant. "Goodbye Jane." She whispered into the cloudy sky.
My first friend, my first crush. Nothing more. Nothing less.
xxx
Well, yeah. I don't know but writing this makes me sad.