The rest of the day I tried my best to distract myself with anything I could to not think about my dream. I played tea party with Claire, chatted with Emma, and helped Fiona with the garden.
In the late afternoon as I was retreating into the house I ran into Millard carrying a pile of books. He was going down the hallway as he called out to me.
"Hey June," he said, "have you seen the library yet? I'm headed there now."
"There's a library?" I asked in surprise, I loved libraries, full of the smell of old books.
"Well of course," he said, "what kind of place wouldn't have a library especially one where you spend the rest of eternity."
"There was no library in my old loops," I said.
"Then they weren't very good loops," he said as we rounded the corner to an open oak door.
The library was very magnificent. Although not very large it was crammed with bookcases overflowing with books. Everything was very neat and there were two tables with chairs set up for reading. The wooden floors creaked as I ran over to the nearest bookshelf and starting reading titles;
'Your Peculiarty and How to Control It'
'Finding Peace in the Deja Vu'
'The History of Syndrigasti for Dummies'
"That is the non-fiction section," said Millard from another shelf where he was placing books back, "those shelves over there are fiction, normals fiction and maps if you're interested."
I bounced over to the fiction section to see what I would find.
'Harry the Talking Hound' was the first book I saw. Beside it were;
'The Adventures of a Baldhead Eagle Ymbryne'
'Perry Johnson and the Peculiar Theif'
Finally, I walked over to the normals fiction section to see if their copy of Alice in Wonderland was different from mine. However, my eyes landed on another book instead. A very worn-out copy of The Great Gatsby.
Millard had wandered over to beside me to shelve books and saw me looking at the book.
"Ah, that one," he said, "Enoch's favorite."
"Oh," I said embarrassed and quickly asked, "what's your favorite?"
"I prefer non-fiction but if I had to pick," he said and in a more hushed tone he continued, "Little Women."
I burst out laughing, it was so unlike him, I would have expected the most scientific or geographical book would be his favorite.
"I love Little Women," I said excitedly.
I picked up the worn-out copy of Little Women and walked over to the table as Millard followed me.
"You're definitely a Jo," I said, laughing.
"Well, you June are certainly an Amy," he said as laughed as well.
I began reading the first chapter and felt Millard's eyes on me although I couldn't prove it as he was invisible. I looked up.
"Are you watching me?" I asked half-joking, "scared I'll tear your copy of Little Women."
"Well, yes but no," he stuttered, "I was watching you but not because I was afraid you would ruin the book."
"Well, why else?" I asked.
"You're very beautiful, it's difficult not to stare," he said.
Oh no, I thought, this is not good. I didn't like Millard like this and now I would have to tell him. I decided it would be better to just avoid so I replied.
"Oh, um" I began, "thank you."
"I was wondering-" he began before I interrupted him.
"Oh Millard, I'm terribly sorry but I said I would meet Emma in her room right now," I said flustered looking at my watch.
I left the Little Women book on the table as I rushed out of the library before he could react. I hoped I had not hurt his feelings.
I quickly ran up the stairs and without knocking burst into Emma's room to find her lounged across her bed.
"Emma," I wailed.
"June, what happened?" she asked as she sat up.
"Ugh, the most confusing thing happened," I began, "I was in the library with Millard and we were looking at books. Then out of nowhere, he tells me how beautiful he finds me and before he could finish his sentence, which sounded a lot like he was about to ask me out, I ran out of there."
"You don't like him like that?" Emma asked, "I mean of course you don't I've seen how you act around Enoch, you are madly in love."
"Oh hush Emma, I am not madly in love with anybody," I said exasperated and a little red, "I have no clue on how to tell Millard that I do not like him that way, he'll be hurt and everything will be incredibly uncomfortable."
"He's mature enough to handle it," Emma said, "just tell him how you feel nicely and it'll all be fine."
"You think?" I asked collapsing down on her bed with a sigh.
"I do think," she said laying down beside me.
We lay there in silence before I realized I still had a book in my hand. It was the copy of The Great Gatsby, I had forgotten to put it away when I had run out of the library. Funny, I thought, I had left the copy of Little Women but taken this. I opened the book, holding it over my face as I lay on the bed, and began reading it. I quickly noticed that the book was filled with notes, I recognised the handwriting as Enochs. The entire book was filled with his scribbles about the book written on any white space he could find.
"What are you reading?" Emma asked, peering up at the book.
I showed her the cover.
"Ah, The Great Gatsby" she sighed, "a certain persons favorite."
"It's full of his notes," I said with a giggle.
"Millard gets so mad at him for writing in the books," Emma said.
After a while, I put the book down and turned over to face Emma. I hadn't been here for very long and I hardly knew Emma. What better way to get to know her then just ask?
"What about you Emma?" I asked, "you're always making jokes about me and Enoch but haven't you ever liked anyone?"
A look of pain flashed across Emmas eyes and her expression got more serious.
"Well, there was someone many years ago," she began.
"Where did they go?" I asked, encouraging her to keep going.
"His name was Abe," she said with a sign, "Abraham Portman, he survived the Holocaust and came here to us. Over the few years he was here we got close, very close but one day he said he had to go. He said that if he didn't fight for his country in the war he would always feel guilty. So he left with a promise to come back, but he never did. I kept writing to him but the letters got sparser and with more time in between."
She got very quiet, I could tell she was upset and trying to keep in the tears.
"I got one final letter years back," she said gloomily, "inside was just a single photograph of him carrying a child and scrawled underneath read 'This is why'. That's why I swore off love."
"Oh Emma," I said hugging her, "I am so so sorry, that is so awful."
"Yes, well he wasn't loop trapped like the rest of us and he just grew up, what can you expect?" she said wistfully.
I stayed quiet because I didn't know the answer. If I wasn't loop trapped would I stay? I doubt I would unless there was a very good reason.
I kept hugging her and we lay on the bed in silence.
If I could would I leave? I asked myself.
Would I leave?
Hi everyone, this chapter was more dramatic and I am very sorry for doing this to Millard but don't worry, all will be revealed. Thank you for reading and vote if you liked it!