Are Ya Winnin Luna?

2

Call me peculiar, but the library basically became my safe space over time, especially to recover from the lunchroom. The cozy scent of apple cinnamon, the warm lush sunlight coming through the large, open windows, and the cool, gentle air always managed to fill me with a calm no matter what. It's also a place where no one would bother me about my taste in literature, not even Holly (most of the time). I think the library just has that effect on people, like a spell that makes everyone decide to mind their own business.

After basking in the atmosphere, I went to sit down at a table close to the window, and opened up my drawstring bag to get out my books . I can't help but to kick my legs back and forth excitedly and wag my tail when splaying an assortment of  stories to choose from in front of me. Literature has always been such a passion, getting immersed in an experience is absolutely my most favorite feeling in the world. I started to tap my paw to my chin and loom over my choices. There's so many of them, how could I possibly choose? I was going to reach for one of my standard novels, but then a memory struck me like an anvil, stopping me in my tracks. There was a series in my comics that I hid away that I've just sort of...dropped. I sat back in my chair, a bit of sweat forming on my brow. I looked down at the table, at the podium where I had them stashed away, and then back at the table again. I was thinking long and hard. Something about the direction the story went in just, made me feel odd, overwhelmed even, was I really ready to pick it back up?

Making sure no one was watching me, I sneakily made my way to the podium to get it. I started  shuffling through my rather large selection with darting eyes until I finally found it, Nammiki Neko Warrior in : "Heroine of the Banished". Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love this series. Seeing such a confident and independent female warrior just fills me with an absolute vigor to accomplish my own obstacles, and the writing pulls me into such a vivid mind space, but seeing Nammiki on the cover of this issue specificly, holding an unknown female character bridal style, her muscles detailed and chiseled as she cradled this unknown woman swooning  in her arms, it's just...the feeling...it makes me discombobulated. 

I quickly rushed back over to my seat, praying to whoever was listening that nobody noticed me, and then I just stared at the cover, hesitant to read it, but once I got started, I couldn't stop. Time flew by me like a jet as I was completely absorbed into the story and became attached to every character. The real world melted into a blur as my imagination replaced it completely. Then, I got to the place I was anxious about, the context of the cover:

 The servant began to tear up as Nammiki  removed her rusty shackles and grazed her wounded body gently with her paws.

"I c-can't believe it, you actually returned for me, everyone said that you'd abandon such a lowly concubine such as I-"

Nammiki  silenced her by cupping a paw to her cheek. She  lovingly locked eyes as she slowly brought their faces together, closer and closer until-

I couldn't read anymore, I was way too overwhelmed, I had to shut the book. I was overcome with butterflies, it felt like my stomach had a mind of its own. My paws were trembling as I grabbed the comic, rolled it, and stuffed it into my bag. I lay my head on the table, mind racing, heart racing, my face flushed with heat. What in the world could this feeling possibly be? Where in the world is this coming from? My little spiral was soon interrupted by a bump at the table, someone else was there.

"Wow, Luna, you never pegged me as the type to skip class!"

I subtly jumped at the sound of a voice. I looked up to see a very smug Doug carelessly and messily crunching on a bag of biscuits.

"And you did it to sleep no less! Tsk, tsk, tsk."

I tried my best to keep my cool and not look startled by his sudden presence.

"What are you going on about Pugg? Isn't it 3rd block?"

He took a second to chuckle at me which made me snarl.

"And put those things away, you know food isn't allowed in this area, you're getting crumbs everywhere!"

"Ah ah ah! You are in no position to tell me right from wrong, skipper! It's nearly the end of the day and you've been in here sleeping your ass off!"

He tapped a biscuit as if he was ashing a cigarette onto the table creating an abundance of crumbs. I scoffed at his inability to care about manners and his smug demeanor. I turned to the clock, and low and behold, I've been in here for so much longer than it felt like. I was so worn out that I couldn't come up with a rebuttal. I just let my head fall back onto the table with a groan, defeated. Doug continued to snack away, unfazed.

"So who are ya gonna sit with on the trip?"

I looked up at him lazily.

"The trip?"

Doug whistled.

 "You better get sleep tonight if you wanna survive tomorrow for the multi-school trip to that theme park, whatever-ma-jig."

"Oh yeah, t-that one."

Doug dusts off his paws, licks his lips, and starts chomping on the package. 

"Probably gonna force us to intermingle, but you'd like that, wouldn't you, cat lady?"

He smirked. I sat up to say something, hesitating before I just slumped back over. It wasn't worth the time. I just sat there drifting off, waiting for the bell to save me again, to take me away from this nightmare of a school day.