- This could be the start of something new.
Cause is feels so right to be here with you-
âââ
"Ms. Herrington."
Mr. Wales is looking extra hot today.
And trust me, I'm not even kidding.
He's wearing a black button down shirt along with a pair of blue jeans. Simple, but goddamn, so so hot. He has his glasses resting up on his nose, making it very difficult for me to concentrate on anything he's teaching. I observe the way his hands move when he's writing on the board, or the way he smiles proudly when someone gives the correct answer.
"Ms. Herrington?"
I notice that he is not wearing his studs today. It was in his left ear yesterday. It gave him a badass kinda vibe.
"Ms. Herrington?"
A finger pokes my side, right below my left boob. I yelp in surprise and glare at the person responsible. Erica rolls her eyes at me when I give her a harsh glare. "Are you day dreaming about Mr. Wales? Or are you just deaf?"
I blink at her in confusion. How the hell did she know what's going on in my brain? "What the fuck are you talking about?"
"Mr. Wales called your name 3 times. But you were busy ignoring him, smiling like a loon," she giggles, gesturing me to look in the front.
I look up to meet Mr. Wales' piercing gaze, his eyebrow raised, "Is calculus funny to you, Ms. Herrington?"
"No sir, Sorry. I got distracted. Won't happen again." It will, but you don't have to know that.
"This better be the last time. I don't do well with disturbances in my class. Now solve the questions I just wrote on the board."
Groaning, I get back to work.
âââ
Since I have a free period before the lunch, I decide to head to the library. I walk quietly towards the library, checking my surroundings. It's my second day at this school, so it's natural for people to look at me and then whisper in each other's ears, but seriously, right in front of me? I mean, people seriously need to go and get a life.
Rolling my eyes, I head straight to the double doors of the library. As soon as I step inside I can feel the warmth of the books. The smell of books envelopes me, making me feel a little better. My mom used to take me to the library every Thursday. It was like another ritual of ours. We would sit in the library together, reading anything we got our hands on and then explain the plot of the story to one another.
And now, stepping into the library, almost after 6 months, I feel one step close to her. As if she's standing right by me.
She is. She always will be.
Before I get lost and shed a tear or two, I make my way towards the librarian. She looks in her mid-fifties, her glasses resting on her head, her eyes scanning the computer screen, deep in thought.
"Hey."
She looks up from the screen, blinking twice to clear her vision. She puts her glasses back on and gives me a small smile. "Hey sweetie, are you new here?"
I nod. "Yeah, it's my second day actually."
"Oh. Okay. What do you need help with?"
"Can you tell me where the Mystery section is?"
"Yeah. Last aisle, on your left."
"Thank you," I give her a grateful smile.
She smiles in return. "You're welcome sweetie. Just come back here if you need help with anything else." And then she gets back to her work.
"Okay." I turn around and walk towards my destination. I look around to see that the library is deserted. Except for a girl studying and a guy reading a book, there's no one else I can see.
Once I reach the said aisle, I place my backpack by the side of the shelf and begin my search. My eyes skim across the books before a particular title catches my eye.
Partners, by Nora Roberts.
I remember mom talking about the book. She loved the book. Deciding to read this book, I pick my bag and take a seat on one of the empty tables by the shelf. I check my watch to see that I have 40 minutes before the bell rings. Smiling to myself I start reading the book.
Halfway through reading, I feel the presence of someone in front of me. I look up and meet a pair of warm brown eyes.
I'm stunned!
He stands tall, almost 6 feet 3 inches. He is wearing a grey v-neck t-shirt, black jeans ripped at the knee, topped off with black and white varsity jacket. He has a naturally tanned skin, chiseled cheek bones and jaw, prominent nose, full plump lips, eyes rimmed with perfectly thick eyelashes and dense brown hair. His hair sits on his head in soft waves, some even falling on his forehead. His lips stretch up in a beautiful smile, dimples winking at me. "If you're done checking me out, can I have a seat?"
"No. I'm not quite done yet. Will you pose for me please?" I flutter my eyelashes at him, giving him a cheeky smile.
He laughs at my comment, his eyes twinkling. "You're bold."
"That I am," I remark, grinning at him.
"So, what are you reading?" he asks, gesturing to the book in my hands.
"It's calles Partners, by Nora Roberts," I reply.
He nods. "Oh. I've already read that book. The sister is the killer."
What the fuck!
"What?! Why would you do that to me? You don't give out spoilers, just like that, you dumbass. I just started reading the book," I glare at him, throwing the book at his face. But to my dismay, he manages to catch it with his big, sexy, strong hands.
"Sorry. But the look on your face was priceless," His chuckles turn into full blown laughter, his hands clutching his stomach. Once he has calmed down, he wipes his face with his sleeves and beams up at me. Once he notices my angry expression, he holds his hands up in surrender. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to spoil the book for you. I shouldn't have done that. But hey, now you know what happens in the end."
"Shut the fuck up. I wanted to read the book," I grumble.
"Seriously, I'm sorry," He apologizes again, this time with a serious expression.
"It's okay. I'll read the book anyway," I give him a small smile. Well, try to.
I notice a book in his hands. "What are you reading?"
"It's Sidney Sheldon. After the Darkness."
"Oh." I decide to give him a taste of his own medicine. "Do you know what happens to Lenny in the book?" I arch an eyebrow, smiling at him in mischief.
He recognizes the expressions on my face, his eyes growing wide. He covers his ears with his hands. "No, no, no. Don't say anything. I don't wanna know. Hell, I don't even know any Lenny. This is not my book. I don't read books. I don't even know what a book is."
I start laughing like a maniac on seeing his reaction. "Oh God. Relax, I'm not going to tell you anything, I'm a good person. I don't go around giving spoilers to random strangers." I take a deep breath to calm myself. It feels nice to laugh like that, after a long time. It feels surreal.
"Phew." He wipes the sweat off his forehead using his index finger. "I've never been this scared in my life."
"You were like, overreacting," I roll my eyes at him, the smile on my face intact.
"I wasn't overreacting. It was a genuine reaction. Unlike you, I wouldn't have been able to read the book if you had told me anything about the ending. Endings are really important to me. I judge a book by it's ending, so the book would've been totally ruined."
"Then you're lucky I didn't tell you anything," I tell him, grinning at him. "I'm not usually this nice to people."
"It must be good day for me then. First I meet a beautiful girl in the library, then I talk to her, and now I'm in her good books. I mean, what more could a guy want from life?" he whispers, his eyes shining with mirth, the dimples winking at me.
Wow. A beautiful girl in a library. Is this my lucky day?
A familiar voice in the back of my head taunts me. Memories rush to the surface, but I clear my thoughts before this moment is ruined.
"Consider this your luckiest day then. Because not everyone gets to meet The Lydia Herrington," I comment, bending forward so that my elbows are resting against the table surface.
"So, you are the new girl everyone's gossiping about," He nods his head in realization.
"Yup. That's me. What's your name?"
"My name's Ridge Meanders."
Realization strikes me when I hear the name. He was the one Erica and all the others were talking about. "Oh, so you are Ridge."
He looks at me in confusion. His eyes turning a shade darker, though there's a hint of playfulness in them. "You know about me? How? Are you a stalker?"
"Very funny," I scoff, rolling my eyes. "Your group of friends, Erica, Bruce, Trish, Eric, Ashton, Kiara and Neil, they told me about you."
"Wait, how do you know them?"
"Detention." I shrug my shoulders.
"You got detention on your first day?" he asks me, chuckling lightly. "What the hell did you do?"
"I punched Conan."
"Damn. I might just start worshiping you now," He whistles.
"I want flowers everyday then." I point my finger at him. "No favorites, they just have to smell good."
"As you wish," He clicks his tongue, shaking his head, smiling.
"So, what kind of books do you like?" I ask him, in order to keep the conversation flowing. I don't want this to end.
"I love reading Mystery." A smile adorns his features. "You know the feeling you get when you are reading a mystery novel and you feel like you know what's going to happen next, but the complete opposite happens. Yeah, that's the feeling I live for. That thrill is what I look for in a book. I like it if the things are unpredictable." The way his eyes shine when he talks about books, or the way his voice holds a soft tone shows that he loves reading, a lot. My poor little heart cannot accept this.
"What about you?" His eyes search mine, looking for answers.
"Me? I love reading Mystery too. Keeps me on my toes. But I mostly prefer non-fiction and psychological novels. I like to keep things real." I give him a small smile.
"Non-fiction and psychology huh? I've not read any such book ever. Why don't you recommend some?" He suggests, looking actually interested. Apart from my mom, only Ridge is the one who seems to like the fact that I love these books. Most people I know prefer romance and erotica and judge me when I tell them my preferences.
A smile lights up my face when I answer. "Sure, you can read these books. Wait," I rummage through my bag for a pen and a piece of paper. When I find them, hastily I write down the names of a few books he might like.
Many Lives, Many Masters by Dr. Brian Weiss
Through Time Into Healing by Dr. Brian Weiss
The Secret by Rhonda Byrne
You are a Badass by Jen Sincero
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
I hand him the paper. His eyes drift through the names, a smile forming on his face. "You are a badass sounds nice. I'll start this first."
Smiling, I nod. "Wait till you read the books by Dr. Brian Weiss. I assure you, you'll be hooked."
"I cannot wait." He chuckles, looking at my excited face.
The sound of the bell ringing reaches my ear. I actually forget that I am in school. I pack my bag and get up. "You coming?"
"Yeah, let's go."
âââ
What's your favourite book genre?