TNP's 1st One-Shot Story Writing Contest Pt. 2

Entry #111

Library

by ButterflyReturns

No, it's not Valentine's Day today. I know I look stupid, not because my own instinct told me so, because of the odd, crazy stares people've been throwing me.

Mukha naman talaga akong tangang nakaupo sa library na may bitbit na isang bungkos ng pulang rosas at box ng tsokolate.

Is it cheesy? Maybe but I don't care, I've prepared this for a very long time.

"This is it," I told myself just as tiny beads of cold sweat started dripping from my forehead.

I started getting labored breaths and my palms are getting sweaty too. Ganito talaga ako kapag kinakabahan. Pero ngayon, wala na'tong atrasan.

I sat on my usual spot at the far corner of our school library, clutching a paperback copy of the book I've read for the nth time. The sweet smell of fresh roses wafted through the air, blending with the distinct, musky stench of old books I've come to love.

I took a glance at the entire library-towering book shelves lined up in one corner, a century-old tall grandfather clock stood guard against the wall, while creaky reading tables and chairs clustered on the other end.

Then my eyes drew to a familiar spot where I first laid my eyes on him, but now, it's empty.

I remember the first time I saw him. It's a manic Monday, roughly 4 months ago. I bustled inside the library, cramming to find book sources for my term paper that was due the next day.

Yun kasi ang napapala ng mga taong gaya kong nag-procrastinate lang buong linggo. Kung kelan deadline na, dun ko lang din naisip na gawin.

I sighed.

After scurrying at book shelves after book shelves, I've finally managed to collect a couple of books which I hurriedly hauled toward the nearest table.

Bigla ko itong naibagsak kaya umalingawngaw ang tunog sa buong library, I received a deadly stare from the librarian.

Konti nalang ang tao—mag aalas-singko na kasi. Bago ko sinubsob ang sarili ko sa mga libro, mabilis ko munang inikot ang mata ko sa paligid at wala man lang ni isang pamilyar na mukha akong nakita.

But there, occupying the longest table at the far end, sat a bunch of rowdy students cramming for whatever. Ang ingay nila pero hindi naman sila sinisita ng librarian, samantalang naka gawa lang ako ng konting ingay, nagbabagang tingin na agad ang binaling sa akin.

I flipped through the brittle pages of the books laid out in front of me, but I couldn't find what I'm looking for. I started to get annoyed.

I had the shortest temper that day—medyo hindi kasi naging maganda ang takbo ng araw ko. But it was then that I first saw him.

Just three tables away sat the boy who changed my life. He was comfortably slouched while reading the paperback copy of the book. He was deeply engrossed in it.

He occasionally tapped her left foot on the floor and gently dribbled her slender fingers on the table as soon as He flipped through the next page.

He was very beautiful and he has the most angelic face I've ever seen.

I must've stared at him for a very long time. My trance's only broken when I heard the muffled sound of the school bell reverberating in the hallway.

I saw him hurriedly stuffing the book in his bag and swiftly strode toward the exit.

But then I felt an unfamiliar sensation inside my chest as though happiness was sucked out of me when the beautiful boy went out of my sight.

I found myself back in that exact same spot the next day.