Short Shorts

Library Freaks

Tobi decided to skip the assembly because something in her gut told her not to go. Not that she felt anything bad would happen there, but when her feelings told her to do something, she did it. This time she felt gravitated toward the library. The feeling twisted her stomach into small, energetic knots. She knew from experience that the feeling would go away only when she followed it, so as the crowd gathered into the auditorium, she casually sidestepped into the senior hallway and toward the library.

When Tobi came to the library door, she ducked into its shadows. She checked the hall for any other prowlers, but it was empty. Cautiously, she peered through the window and into the library. Her heart jumped. She could see Sacha’s small frame and golden brown hair at a table across the room. His best friend Alan was next to him, and they were both bent over a notebook. She pushed herself back against the wall and slapped her fingers to her neck. She counted in whispers. Ninety-five beats per minute. That’s how fast her heart was going. The knots in her gut from earlier were gone, but they were replaced by a thrilling nervousness. She looked back down the hall. Perhaps she could find Tanya, one of her best friends. She would help her talk to him. But she had no idea where to find her.

She sighed and peered back into the library, her hand sweaty on the doorknob. This time she noticed a familiar length of glossy blonde hair shining in the far corner. Tanya had skipped the assembly, too. She was doing homework at a computer near Sacha and Alan, and she appeared to be flirting with a boy next to her, some blond trumpet player. Tobi felt a rush of relieved energy and took a breath. She opened the door.

“Hey, Tanya, how’s life?” she used her signature phrase as she sat down behind Tanya, across the table from Sacha and Alan. From the corner of her eye, she saw them turn to her; Alan muttered something, probably “It’s the crazy girl,” she knew from past encounters, but she forced her gaze on Tanya until they both turned back to their book.

“Great, Tann,” Tanya’s voice slid through Tobi’s nickname as she turned from the computer. Tann was short for Tobi Ann, her first and middle name.  “How’s it goin’ with you?” She held up her hand, her palm facing Tobi, in her own characteristic greeting.

“Life’s just great for me,” Tobi said, adding, “I hope you’re having a nice life.” They both laughed and looked side-eye at Sacha to gauge his reaction. His trademark phrase, typically used at parting, was a sarcastic, “Have a nice life.”

              “Ha, ha, very funny,” Sacha said, mockingly offended.

              “Hey, freshmen,” Tanya exclaimed, rocking her body forward. “Have respect for your upperclassmen.”

              “Not the crazy ones,” Sacha smiled briefly before turning away.

              “Who’s calling whom crazy?” Tobi inquired.  She prided herself on using proper grammar, usually.

              Alan mumbled something.

“What was that, Saunders?” she called Alan by his last name because it annoyed him.

“Nothing Spencer,” he mumbled, returning the jab and nervously running his fingers through his chalky brown hair.

She leaned across the table, pressing her hands into the surface. “I’m not crazy,” she said as sternly as she could, but she felt a smile creeping up.

“Yes you are!” Sacha piped, a smiling jumping across his face. It disappeared when he met Tobi’s eyes.

“Crazy people pull strings out of their fingers,” Alan muttered. If his pale skin could have turned red, it would have, but he just smiled nervously through cracked lips. Tobi had learned to look past his rough exterior when she found out he had a genetic disorder that made it a miracle he was even alive. She used to think he didn’t take very good care of himself, but now she was grateful that he even showed up to school. He was her stand partner in orchestra, and although she used that as an excuse to get to Sacha, she genuinely found him endearing.