Faded Alive

Chapter 8

Annah's POV.

I sauntered through the library shelves bundled with stacks of books. I searched through the books, sliding the old dusted historical and theory archives. I blew the dust on one of the book gaining a choking cough and earning grunts from the model walking librarian.

Does he always follows me around the library?!

"Maybe it's a bad idea to blow off the dust". I heard a voice and I flinched looking up at Jamal hovering beside me. He took the book from me and dusted it off with his hand. "So what are you up to?".

I turned to the shelves and take one of the books. "Here, tests are on the way".

"So.. We are supposed to read?". He looked down at the book.

I thoughtfully hesitated on answering that question because at one point, many people usually don't take the word 'read' seriously if they spends only few weeks in school but at my own end, I may not be the nerd everybody claim or obliviously declared but likely a savant which I doubted my little brain being on the higher level but I was literally erasing that reveries with the bundle of my studies.

"Obviously, maybe you don't need a reading, but I'm not a genius like you Jamal". I shrugged.

He beamed, "Alright, I guess I have no choice but to join you". We strolled and sat down. "So... Why do you talk to coach about taking me back to the MBs?". He asked looking me right in the eyes. He rarely looked right at me as I was always the one calculating the length of his nose, space between his eyebrows, thickness of his lips...

I'm weird, I know.

I creased my eyebrows, "I...". Gazing off at how charismatic his gaze was, perhaps I had always been cocooned in my little world with my few countable or not so countable friends which I could never think of my gaze alluring to any human talk less of being charismatic in nature. Funny but I know any breathing being or advanced living, can never look into my bulgy eyes and feel intimidated.

I sighed. "I can't remember doing that". I looked back at him stifling a smile.

"Lying is obviously not your thing". He folded his arms, emphasis on the 'thing'.

I huffed. "Alright, I'm just being a good friend". I said truthfully.

That word tasted a bit off in my mouth, because many used the word 'good friend' when they knew deep down they are not one, and along the way sinking down that friendly ascension they built.

"Besides, you're a good player and you can't get to the NBA if you're not back with your team". I voiced out.

He nodded. "So what should I do to pay you for that?".

"I didn't do that for you to pay me Jamal, its just a friendly gesture".

"Well as a friend, will I know the rest of your wishes?".

I held my chin in thought for awhile, because everyone's wish is merrily to acquire likeable things, but deep down I knew if I was ask my wish, and to be true to myself, it will totally be something astoundingly and unanticipatedly different, not just the petty wishes I comfortingly filled my heart and my journal with.

Though that was everyone's anticipations if the word 'wish' is brought up because not only is it this world prospect of a normal way to live but revolves around the same system infinitely.

To fit in the 'normal' system, I uttered. "I know I will sound weird but my last wish is the third reason for you to be alive. I want you to be alive because I wish to spend the rest of my college days with you".