𝘉𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘵-𝘋𝘰𝘶𝘹

Chapter 8 - The Library

Everyday after 3:30pm, I go to the library. This can be to study, read, write, draw or just have some peace and quiet. An extreme feeling of vellichor, books towering over me in the most amazing way. It is my refuge. I would escape here all the time, but have to honour the opening times. As I enter the main hall, the librarian, Ms. Campbell, looks up wearily. Quickly, her expression changes to happy as she smiles at me. 'Oh, Jolene! How are you?'

I love Ms. Campbell. She always has time for me, and I have often offloaded my problems onto her. She listens with no agenda and never makes me feel judged or stupid. She is not long out of university making her around twenty-six (I think). She literally looks like a stereotype librarian, blue eyes behind black framed glasses, her brown hair is always pristine and tied back into a ponytail, pale skinned because, you know, librarians are in the library all the time. She is always sensibly dressed, a blouse and smart trousers, or skirt. I reckon, though, when she's 'off duty' she transforms into a goddess, I imagine her looking like Bella Hadid or Megan Fox. I don't know if that happens, but I like to think it does.  

'I'm okay, how about you?' I answer, sitting down next to the desk she's at, taking out my laptop and textbook from my bag. I glimpse at Miss. Campbell when she doesn't answer, examining her thoughtful face, engrossed with something on her computer screen. She sighs and looks up at me.

'I've been busy, a lot of visitors recently. There's suddenly a lot of tourists, or is that just me imagining things?' She frowns, and I'm not sure if she's frowning about what she just said or for some other reason. To be honest, she's probably imagining it, but who knows? 

'I'm not sure, I haven't noticed a lot different. But maybe. I don't know,' I mumble the last part, tailing off a little bit. I feel overwhelmed. I come into the library for a bit of peace and quiet, which causes my mind to run away with me. 

'You're lucky then,' Miss. Campbell remarks. 'It gets really complicated when you look at every minor detail. I guess I read too many murder mysteries,' She chuckles, but I've been left flattered. I hate that I just look at the basic picture, yet she says I'm lucky; I can feel myself blushing and I look away.

'Thanks,' I reply awkwardly, and I begin to fumble with my things, just making it worse. Miss. Campbell must have noticed because I see her mouth plastered into an amused grin. Adults are so embarrassing sometimes. 

'I remember being an awkward teenager,' she muses. 'It wasn't that long ago, if you think about it. It feels like only yesterday I was eighteen, not six years ago.'

Trying to ignore her technically calling me an awkward teenager, I nod, mentally noting she's twenty four, not twenty six. I've known her for nearly a year now, but she's never told me her age. 'What book are you reading?'

'The Da Vinci Code, I'm surprised I've never heard of it, I'm hooked! Apparently it's the most sold book in the world,' Miss. Campbell utters, trying not to be too loud. Honestly, I've not even heard of it either. 'So, what brings you here today?'

'I just need a break, maybe I'll do my Art homework,' I say, taking out my A4 art notepad. Our Art homework isn't really anything in particular, all the teacher's instructions are to do the best artwork you can. I begin to sketch the portrait of a woman, planning to have light shining on her face; an overused technique, but I'll make it my own. 'I hate adding colour, I feel like it's just going to ruin my work every time. But I kind of have to, to show that light is shining on her face.'

Miss. Campbell examines what I've sketched. 'You don't need to put a lot of colour in it, you could make it grey-scale. Maybe only add some yellow lighting onto her face, it would make it more different. You need to check out Ivan Albright or Klimt. Or even Gauguin, he uses bright colours but it looks very simple.'