Heartbeat
Warning: strong language // mature content . read at will . (:
“The books aren’t going to
be put away by themselves, Miss Eich!”
What a bitch.
I picked up the stupid dictionary and shoved it in the stupid shelf. Stupid, stupid, stupid. What was I doing here, anyway? I was supposed to be with Josie, sitting with Aaron at the football game. But no. I was putting books after books on the stupid shelf and being paid nothing. Community service really did suck as much as my brother told me. But it didn’t really matter, because at least I got some reading done.
“Miss Eich!” She picked up the dictionary. “Please, pay attention. I told you – you put the book in wrong. The spine is to go to you, not the shelf.” I knew that.
“Well, I’m sorry,” I replied, forcing a smile. “I’m missing our homecoming game on a Friday evening. I’m very depressed.”
She laughed. “Well, now, you get your carts done and you may go.”
“Really? Nothing else?”
“Oh, yes. You also need to sign in the brought-back books. Any questions?”
I forced that same, damn smile. “Nope. None at all.”
~*~
You know how you’re so anxious to see something that your main goal is to just get your crap over with so you can go?
I was in such a rush I was charging over to get my last cart. And suddenly – I could care less about the stupid sign in stuff. Josie promised me she’d save me a seat. But you never know Aaron – he’d probably use the whole row for his basketball buddies.
I placed Eclipse on the shelf, trying and trying to hurry up. If I did it right and it at least looked presentable, I could get to the sign outs. And once I’m done with that – I get to run across the street to the school.
I placed an Encyclopedia on the shelf. From the corner of my eye, I could spot him. He was also placing a book on the shelf. I stood up, he stood up. I took a book, he took a book from his imaginary cart. I was getting really embarrassed and annoyed.
“I find it very funny you’re not saying anything.”
I whirled around to meet his gaze on me. He was more cute then I expected. Thick, brown hair messily placed in every direction. You could see his abs through his skin-tight grey Nirvana t-shirt. His black jeans were quite baggy, but not too baggy like Will Smith’s in Fresh Prince of Bel-air. His eyes were green, and they were smiling at me. At me.
“Funny?” I asked, trying desperately not to stare at his abs any longer. I stared back at his eyes, clutching the book in my hand.
“I’ve only been doing it for like, five minutes.” My face burned red.
“Well, I’m not that observant.”
“Obviously.” I turned back to the shelves, trying to ignore him. But he started mimicking me again.
“What do you want? The porn is in the next aisle,” I said. I was feeling quite proud of myself until he had to speak.
“Yeah, and the game is across the street.” He raised his eyebrows. “You not going or something?”
“Yes, of course I’m going! Who wouldn’t?”
“Obviously, since you’re stopping to actually talk to me instead of ignoring me.”
“I guess you’re just not that easy to ignore.”
“Obviously.” I was starting to dislike him and his word very much.
I turned around, trying to prove to him I could ignore his dumbness. But my eyes still saw that Nirvana shirt, and I still saw his eyes on my ketchup face. I really wanted him to stop. He had that same attitude as my ex-boyfriend, Logan. Mr. I’m-Older-And-Wiser-And-Obviously-Smarter-Than-You. His face was a complete smile now, and I could literally feel the radiation of the heat go off my skin as I tried to hold back a smile too. It wasn’t working, because as I set the last book to the shelf, he made a reow noise, and I couldn’t help it. The sun shone from the clouds, and I burst.
“Stop,” I moaned. “I don’t even know you.”
“I don’t know you and I’m not complaining,” he replied. He gave me a crooked grin and snatched the book away from my hands. “Wuthering Heights. Not as bad as Romeo & Juliet. It’s just really annoying.”
“Annoying?”
“Yup.” He placed it on the shelf, then turned back to me. “I suppose you’re just dying to see your famous football players win.”
I shrugged. “No, not really. I just want to go because my friends are there. And my parents aren’t.” He laughed. An actual laugh, too. Not just some random chuckle. He had a nice laugh.
“My parents don’t approve of me having a life.” His voice wasn’t the same goofy-teasing-friendly voice. “You’re parents are like that too?”
I shrugged, still staring at him. “They let me have a life, but not very exciting. No booze, no smoking, no sex…it’s quite aggravating.” I realized what I just said and I covered my mouth, staring wide-eyed at him.
He looked at me funny, but then laughed. “Wow…a span of twelve minutes and you’re already telling me about your sex life. How awkward.” I removed my hand from my mouth as his gaze shifted to the windows. I looked out too. The three-story high school building over-towered the rest of the school’s campus. It wasn’t necessarily a boarding school, but the people who lived about 20 miles away and further could live there if they really desired to. I lived about three blocks away from the library, so there wasn’t really a choice of my schooling.
“Miss Eich.” I whirled around to see Mrs. Fredrick again, her glasses still perked on her beak nose. “If you want to get to that game of yours, I suggest you put it in gear.”
I really wanted to say I didn’t have a dumb stick in our car, but I kept my mouth shut. I looked over beside me as whatever-his-name-is leafed through a book about Abe. His green eyes pretended to search through the pages. One she fluttered away, we burst into nervous laughter as we made our way to the outbox.
*~*
I couldn’t find Aaron’s tall frame or Josie’s short frame anywhere, but when I did find them, I tumbled to the spot beside Jo.
“Sorry I’m super late,” I yelled over the crowd. “Stupid Fredrick kept me working like a dog.”
“You sure about that, Eich?” Aaron leaned over Josie to look at me straight in the eye…and so I could hear him.
“Yeah, why?”
“I saw that dude walking beside you when I was at the concession stand. Who is he?”
Josie squealed. “Oh my God, Zee! Who is he?”
I rolled my eyes. “Just some guy I met at the library. He’s fun.”
“He’s fun?” Aaron raised an eyebrow. Sometimes I wonder if he really is as straight as he says he is.
“Yeah. He’s funny, sweet…yeah.” I stared at them both.
“Zee, come, on.” Josie squeezed my elbow. “Did you at least get a name?”
I had to wait until everyone stopped cheering from the goal. “Damon.”
“What kind of personality does he have?”
I stared at her. “I don’t know! We talked for maybe half an hour. That’s it.”
“Did he give you his number?”
“Even if he did, Aaron, I’m not giving it to you.” They were bugging me, and I knew they wouldn’t stop.
“Zee, tell us!” Josie whined.
I groaned. “Fine. He’s got a smartass attitude, he says obviously a lot, he’s funny, he makes the library fun. There, are you happy now?”
Josie just smiled at me, winked, and turned her attention back to the touchdown.
I picked up the stupid dictionary and shoved it in the stupid shelf. Stupid, stupid, stupid. What was I doing here, anyway? I was supposed to be with Josie, sitting with Aaron at the football game. But no. I was putting books after books on the stupid shelf and being paid nothing. Community service really did suck as much as my brother told me. But it didn’t really matter, because at least I got some reading done.
“Miss Eich!” She picked up the dictionary. “Please, pay attention. I told you – you put the book in wrong. The spine is to go to you, not the shelf.” I knew that.
“Well, I’m sorry,” I replied, forcing a smile. “I’m missing our homecoming game on a Friday evening. I’m very depressed.”
She laughed. “Well, now, you get your carts done and you may go.”
“Really? Nothing else?”
“Oh, yes. You also need to sign in the brought-back books. Any questions?”
I forced that same, damn smile. “Nope. None at all.”
~*~
You know how you’re so anxious to see something that your main goal is to just get your crap over with so you can go?
I was in such a rush I was charging over to get my last cart. And suddenly – I could care less about the stupid sign in stuff. Josie promised me she’d save me a seat. But you never know Aaron – he’d probably use the whole row for his basketball buddies.
I placed Eclipse on the shelf, trying and trying to hurry up. If I did it right and it at least looked presentable, I could get to the sign outs. And once I’m done with that – I get to run across the street to the school.
I placed an Encyclopedia on the shelf. From the corner of my eye, I could spot him. He was also placing a book on the shelf. I stood up, he stood up. I took a book, he took a book from his imaginary cart. I was getting really embarrassed and annoyed.
“I find it very funny you’re not saying anything.”
I whirled around to meet his gaze on me. He was more cute then I expected. Thick, brown hair messily placed in every direction. You could see his abs through his skin-tight grey Nirvana t-shirt. His black jeans were quite baggy, but not too baggy like Will Smith’s in Fresh Prince of Bel-air. His eyes were green, and they were smiling at me. At me.
“Funny?” I asked, trying desperately not to stare at his abs any longer. I stared back at his eyes, clutching the book in my hand.
“I’ve only been doing it for like, five minutes.” My face burned red.
“Well, I’m not that observant.”
“Obviously.” I turned back to the shelves, trying to ignore him. But he started mimicking me again.
“What do you want? The porn is in the next aisle,” I said. I was feeling quite proud of myself until he had to speak.
“Yeah, and the game is across the street.” He raised his eyebrows. “You not going or something?”
“Yes, of course I’m going! Who wouldn’t?”
“Obviously, since you’re stopping to actually talk to me instead of ignoring me.”
“I guess you’re just not that easy to ignore.”
“Obviously.” I was starting to dislike him and his word very much.
I turned around, trying to prove to him I could ignore his dumbness. But my eyes still saw that Nirvana shirt, and I still saw his eyes on my ketchup face. I really wanted him to stop. He had that same attitude as my ex-boyfriend, Logan. Mr. I’m-Older-And-Wiser-And-Obviously-Smarter-Than-You. His face was a complete smile now, and I could literally feel the radiation of the heat go off my skin as I tried to hold back a smile too. It wasn’t working, because as I set the last book to the shelf, he made a reow noise, and I couldn’t help it. The sun shone from the clouds, and I burst.
“Stop,” I moaned. “I don’t even know you.”
“I don’t know you and I’m not complaining,” he replied. He gave me a crooked grin and snatched the book away from my hands. “Wuthering Heights. Not as bad as Romeo & Juliet. It’s just really annoying.”
“Annoying?”
“Yup.” He placed it on the shelf, then turned back to me. “I suppose you’re just dying to see your famous football players win.”
I shrugged. “No, not really. I just want to go because my friends are there. And my parents aren’t.” He laughed. An actual laugh, too. Not just some random chuckle. He had a nice laugh.
“My parents don’t approve of me having a life.” His voice wasn’t the same goofy-teasing-friendly voice. “You’re parents are like that too?”
I shrugged, still staring at him. “They let me have a life, but not very exciting. No booze, no smoking, no sex…it’s quite aggravating.” I realized what I just said and I covered my mouth, staring wide-eyed at him.
He looked at me funny, but then laughed. “Wow…a span of twelve minutes and you’re already telling me about your sex life. How awkward.” I removed my hand from my mouth as his gaze shifted to the windows. I looked out too. The three-story high school building over-towered the rest of the school’s campus. It wasn’t necessarily a boarding school, but the people who lived about 20 miles away and further could live there if they really desired to. I lived about three blocks away from the library, so there wasn’t really a choice of my schooling.
“Miss Eich.” I whirled around to see Mrs. Fredrick again, her glasses still perked on her beak nose. “If you want to get to that game of yours, I suggest you put it in gear.”
I really wanted to say I didn’t have a dumb stick in our car, but I kept my mouth shut. I looked over beside me as whatever-his-name-is leafed through a book about Abe. His green eyes pretended to search through the pages. One she fluttered away, we burst into nervous laughter as we made our way to the outbox.
*~*
I couldn’t find Aaron’s tall frame or Josie’s short frame anywhere, but when I did find them, I tumbled to the spot beside Jo.
“Sorry I’m super late,” I yelled over the crowd. “Stupid Fredrick kept me working like a dog.”
“You sure about that, Eich?” Aaron leaned over Josie to look at me straight in the eye…and so I could hear him.
“Yeah, why?”
“I saw that dude walking beside you when I was at the concession stand. Who is he?”
Josie squealed. “Oh my God, Zee! Who is he?”
I rolled my eyes. “Just some guy I met at the library. He’s fun.”
“He’s fun?” Aaron raised an eyebrow. Sometimes I wonder if he really is as straight as he says he is.
“Yeah. He’s funny, sweet…yeah.” I stared at them both.
“Zee, come, on.” Josie squeezed my elbow. “Did you at least get a name?”
I had to wait until everyone stopped cheering from the goal. “Damon.”
“What kind of personality does he have?”
I stared at her. “I don’t know! We talked for maybe half an hour. That’s it.”
“Did he give you his number?”
“Even if he did, Aaron, I’m not giving it to you.” They were bugging me, and I knew they wouldn’t stop.
“Zee, tell us!” Josie whined.
I groaned. “Fine. He’s got a smartass attitude, he says obviously a lot, he’s funny, he makes the library fun. There, are you happy now?”
Josie just smiled at me, winked, and turned her attention back to the touchdown.
