Life Of Bayla

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I chewed on the cap of my pen as my eyes ran over the same sentence over and over again.

I didn't get it.

At the moment, I was in my room, inundated with assignments, hunkered over said assignments and wracking my brain for a solution to the feat before me.

I still didn't get it.

Just as I was packing up, getting ready to leave for the library, Aaron called out my name.

His hair fell over his bright green eyes as he poked his head into my room from behind the door.

"Hey".

He dug his hands into the pockets of his jeans and began to rock back and forth on his heels, intermittently raking his fingers through his brown tresses.

"Need something?" I asked when he was mute.

He dragged out a sigh. "Eleanor".

I paused and looked up at him from my position on the carpet. "What about her?" He didn't reply. I stood up. "Everything okay?"

He brushed away a rogue strand of hair that latched to his forehead. "Since we moved here, things haven't been so easy".

"I get that", I told him. "It's been hard on all of us; adjusting and all".

He nodded. "Initially, Eleanor and I promised ourselves that we would carry on dating, see how far we can go".

I watched as different emotions toyed with his face.

He continued. "We tried doing the long distance thing but... but it didn't work out".

I perked up a brow. "What happened?"

"She cheated", he said and his voice cracked a bit. "She feseed up about it herself. She told me that the night she, uh, you know, cheated- she said that she was a little bit tipsy and that she was sorry but..."

I egged him on. "But what?"

"She told me that it was because she'd had enough", he said. "She told me that she was fed up, that she couldn't handle it anymore. She couldn't handle the fact that we were so far apart and that she... that we both had to move on at some point".

Puzzle pieces fell into place. "So you guys broke up".

"Bingo".

I wanted to reach out to him, hug him maybe but I knew that wouldn't cut it for Aaron. I opted for a small smile in lieu.

He returned it with a rueful one. "I'm not gonna pretend that I'm like fine about all this but I don't want to think much about it".

"It's okay", I said. "I get it".

His voice took on an excusatory edge. "Hey, uh, I'm really sorry about the way I've been acting lately. The break up really fucked with me. I'm sorry. Especially for ignoring you that night you tried to talk some sense into me after dinner. I didn't mean to-"

I placed a hand on his shoulder. "I understand and I forgive you for being a complete dick".

He chuckled.

My eyes darted to the clock on my room wall. "I gotta go now, Aaron".

"Where to?" He asked. "I can take you. Dad got me a car, remember?"

"Yeah but the library is only a short walk away", I assured him. "I think I can manage".

Once he left my room, I browsed my closet for a new change of clothes. I don't mean to be slutty or whatever but I really want to wear something that will catch the librarian's attention. So I threw on a bright yellow tank top, tucked it into a short high-waisted denim skirt and shoved my feet into black knee high heeled boots. I ran a comb through my blonde hair now striped with pink highlights and wrapped it up in a rough bun with the aid of my trusty pink scrunchie. After glossing my lips and spritzing on my strawberry-scented perfume, I took off.

I felt the warmth of the sun on my skin as I neared the library. I drank in the breathtaking purple flowers blossoming on the Jacaranda trees that bracketed the streets and I just had this giddy feeling that assured me things would go just peachy today.

That was until I nearly tripped on my own two feet in front of the library.

My cheeks went bright pink, almost as pink as the highlights in my hair when I stepped into said library. Thankfully no one saw the pitiful scene that occurred a while ago.

I slipped into my usual seat, situated by the window. I placed the necessary books on my table while casually - if one could call it that - checking out the librarian who seemed to be so engrossed with the book he was reading.

His hair looked so soft I envisaged myself perched on his lap, running my hands through them and-

He was staring at me.

Shit.

He tossed me a lopsided grin and I felt my knees buckle under the table. Hot and bothered, I ducked my head and fixed my eyes on the book in front of me and decided that I would actually work on the assignment.

Minutes ticked by with me staring at the same sentence and my brain going haywire, plotting ways to get the librarian to notice me.

Suddenly, it was like an invisible light bulb lit up above my head.

My lips curved into a smile as I got up from my seat and gaited over to the cluster of bookshelves. If the clicking sound my boots made wasn't enough to grasp his attention then surely it would be what I was going to do next.

I went for the bookshelf that was propped a little bit close to him. It was filled with so many books that I assumed were like a hundred years old. One caught my eye and it was placed right were I wanted it: at the top.

Not so quietly, I curled my toes to their tips as I stretched out my hand for the book. My eyes kept darting over to the librarian, checking to see if he was aware of my damsel-in-distress sort of situation.

It was probably just some seconds that passed before he noticed my plight but it felt like eons to me.

"Hey". His voice made my insides twist. "Need some help?"

I nodded and pointed at the book placed at the top of the shelf. He grabbed it - without so much as fully raising his hand - and handed it to me.

"Thanks", I chirped, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

He smiled as his eyes skimmed over the book in my clasp.

"The Old Man And The Sea", he said. "Ernest Hemmingway".

"What? Oh, yeah", I collected myself. "Yeah. Ever read it?"

He nodded. "Good read".

"Really?"

"Yes". His eyes strayed from my face down to my shorter-than-short skirt and settled on the milky skin of my bare legs. I faked a cough, a big smirk on my face. He regained his bearings. "Well, I'll leave you to it".

I bit my lip as I watched him walking away. I've been coming over to this library for weeks now, I can't miss this opportunity. At least I know that the skimpy outfits work.

"Hey". He turned around, making his brown hair flip. I drew in a deep breath. "I assume you're a book cognoscenti, you know, because you're a librarian and all".

He chuckled under his breath. "Such big words. I'm flattered though".

It was working. "Yeah, so I've got this assignment. Well, to be more specific, a project. It's based on great authors and it's due in like three weeks. I tried looking it up on the internet but my account lacked depth".

"So you need my help". He made it sound like more of a statement than a question.

"Yes, please".

I gulped as I gauged his reaction.

Slowly his lips curled into a smile. "Okay". He took a few steps closer to me. "How about this Sunday, by noonish? Kaffy's Café."

"Perfect", I replied, biting back the huge grin threatening to split my face in two.

Just perfect!