september [s.m]

chapter one - messy library tables

chapter one
messy library tables
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alana summers was a mess. and that mess was only accentuated during three months of the year - the two months of exam season, and september. it was like the mess radiated around her wherever she went, and when she was in the library, her books, paper and pens completely covered every inch of the oak wood, practically hiding her brand new laptop away from her.

alana had only just started her third year of studying economics at the university of toronto. it was three weeks into the new academic year, and she was already struggling with keeping her working area neat and tidy.

she sighed loudly, noticing her bottle of water was empty, and then she sighed even louder when she realised she had to walk across the library to the nearest water fountain. gloomily, she stood up, scanning the area around her, only seeing a few other students dotted on the tables near her. after all, it was only the third week. everyone was more concerned with sleeping in their lectures, and going out for late night parties.

"hey, lana!" a certain blonde whispered after her, as she practically zoomed to quench her dry throat. "lana, hey, alana! slow down!"

"jesus brashier," she mutters, pushing her glasses further up her nose. "it's a library. be quiet," she groans, keeping her pitch to a mere whisper.

"kinda hard to keep quiet when your best friend won't answer you," he retorts back sarcastically. "you already look a mess."

"no need to rub it in," she mumbled, filling up her water bottle and turning to face connor. "you did lock the condo up properly, right?"

"yes mom, even locked the windows too," he teased back. "we need to go grocery shopping at some stage."

"i'll do it after my macro class," she sighs. "right, go back and do your work. i'll see you later."

"see you," he replied, whilst alana walked back to her cozy corner of the library, running through the key points of what she was studying in her head.

everything was going perfectly fine until she laid eyes on the now cleaner table, that had a tall brunette sitting down at it, her books and papers and laptops moved to the side, making her scrunch her face up in confusion.

"uh?" she whispered, folding her arms against her chest. "the fuck?"

"oh, sorry," the attractive male looked up from his phone quickly, his honey eyes making alana's hormonal girl mind swoon, only to be completely shut down by her academic, wanting to get work done brain that practically ruled her life. "were you sitting here?"

"uh yeah, thought it was obvious from my stuff," she muttered sarcastically, letting a long sigh puff out from her lips.

"sorry, it's just i always sit here and i thought no one was here," he apologised softly. "we can share?"

"there's like twenty other tables you can sit at, you do realise that, right?" alana persists, anger clawing at her figure.

"you do realise the mess on the table looked like someone had deserted this area, right?" he shoots back, just as cockily.

"my laptop was on, and logged in. doesn't that ring any bells in your obviously empty head?" she spoke, slightly raising her voice, catching the attention of the other students in the library.

"jesus, it's a library, calm down," the boy whispered, a coy smirk on his lips. "maybe you should take it outside if you want to yell."

alana felt her head fuming, she wanted to yell blue murder at this random boy for even thinking he had the right to sit at an already occupied table. she wanted to push all of his things away and take her table for herself, every bone in her body wanted to argue at him all day.

but she knew that she had to be the bigger person. so wordlessly, she grabbed her laptop, piled up her papers and textbooks, and silently walked away, leaving shawn more confused than ever.

"what? you're not even gonna try?" he asked, letting a sarcastic laugh pass his lips. alana turned around, sending him a soft sigh.

"no point, i've got other things to waste my breath on," she shrugged, pushing her glasses up on her nose, whilst she turned back around to find a new table.

"hey, wait!" shawn whispered loudly, making her sigh even louder and turn around yet again. "i'm sorry, sit here."

"look, we're both clearly wasting each other's time here, just sit at the damn table and do your work," she muttered. "i'm really not bothered anymore."

"fine," shawn mumbled, going back to look at his illuminated macbook, putting his airpods back into his ears.

"i hope you lose those damn things," alana whispered to herself, before situating herself at a table locked away behind some bookshelves. "boys," she huffed, setting up her table once more.
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"i'm back!" alana yelled, entering the surprisingly large door to hers and connors' condo. "con?" she called, carrying her large cloth bags full of heavy groceries with her. "you home?" she called again, walking into the kitchen, sighing in relief once she put the bags down on the counter.

"hey, ordered chinese," connor said, walking into the kitchen, phone in hand. "i'm going to a party tonight, you wanna come?"

"who's hosting?" alana replied, beginning to restock their fridge with vegetables and fruits of all kinds.

"shawn and brian, they're in one of my photography classes," he explained, helping the girl put away the rice and pasta. "shawn does econ too."

"who?" alana asked, completely clueless to the fact shawn was the one she had the massive run in with earlier that day. "wait is brian that ginger guy who came over the other day to take photos of those girls?"

"yeah, shawns his roommate, they've got some really nice place in downtown," he responds, closing the cabinet. "and i think nate's gonna be there," he teased, knowing how big of a crush alana had on the six foot brunette maths major, who had been casually flirting with her for the past couple weeks after asking connor if she was single. "he likes you, you know," connor added, making alana's cheeks flush crimson.

"oh shush," she mumbled. "fine, i'll come. haven't been to a party since term started."

"have you been anywhere but the library since term started?" connor snorted, earning a shove from alana. "okay apart from the library and grocery shopping?"

"no," she groaned back. "third year is kicking my ass already," she sat down at one of the bar stools, letting out a long sigh. "and this idiot sat at my table in the library when i literally left for two seconds, and he didn't even get up!" she ranted, as connor chuckled at the girl, who never let go of her corner of the library. "my table is my table. no one sits there. literally no one."

"what did you do?"

"i was the bigger person and left it alone," she shrugged. "anyway, did you order the black bean tofu?"

"of course i did," connor answered. "and your sticky rice, and veggie spring rolls," he listed, making alana smile gratefully.

"i've trained you well," she said back to him, sniggering softly to herself. "anyway, what times the party?"

"eight, probably won't even get good till ten though," he shrugged in response. "don't worry, you've got plenty of time to get yourself pretty."

if only alana knew whose party she was actually going to.
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hi guys!! i'm back???

ok so i know i've been pretty m.i.a recently (mainly because my life decisions have been kicking my ass (my academics lol) right now) but i really wanted to put out an a.u shawn fanfic because why not?

also there's not character visual YET because i'm lazy lol

hope you guys enjoy!! love you <3