It used to be Simple | ft.Cole Sprouse

Chapter 005:

My hands run against the gate the separated the outside library lounge area and the path, sliding and bumping against metal, making this weird, deep noise that I oddly didn't mind. My other hand clutched my phone for no reason, which was in the pocket of my long coat.

I usually hated walking but I decided I needed to properly think today, so I said fuck it and decided that roughly 50 minutes walking isn't that bad at all. I ended up thinking about the job itself at first, how in fact lucky I was to find a job that paid more than a usual Library Technician would, how lucky I was to have a kind and polite lady be my boss rather than an old, grumpy, rude man. I thought about how lucky I was to find Cole from school who helped in the time I was struggling most. And then I thought about Cole himself.

I thought about Cole for quite a while. I tried to remember which school we went together, primary or secondary, which classes we were both in, when did we talk, when did we stop. I thought about how lucky I was to actually have him help me even though he hasn't seen me in years, probably.

But then I tried to think about what he looked like. His eyes, the bluey-green tone to them, the light and dark streaks that they contained, his lashes that were longer than mine (damn it) and the way they stared at me. His cheeks, that freckles danced upon, with the tiniest shine. His hair, that was messily placed with his hands in between them often but it made them look neatly messy, which I found fascinating the longer I thought about it. Also a little envious.

I thought about his hands and how they gripped the books he held, how his feet balanced him perfectly and how his smile made me feel a little weak. I thought about every feature he owned to try and compare it to anyone I knew from both my schools, but I realised that if anyone had features like that, put together so perfectly, I wouldn't be able to forget them. Yet I did.

I thought for all the 47 minutes it took me to get to the library of my small and comfy town, until I was hopping up the stairs to the huge, wooden doors that hid thousands of books I've never read, and I wondered, for the tiniest moment, if I cared enough to pick some out.

I stumbled inside, searching for the familiar face of Mrs. Borrow, who popped up quickly, her heels clicking again the floor impatiently although a smile held her face.

'Anna!' she exclaimed quietly, her hands gently raising in the air and then dropping. 'One box full of books arrived that I don't remember ordering... is there a possibility you might have done it?' and then she waited and slowly added, '... accidentally, of course.'

'...No...' I frowned as I paused in the middle of taking my coat off. 'I didn't touch the computer at all.'

'oh.' She breathed out a confused sigh that didn't look very relieving. 'Well, it's a box of books we haven't got in the library yet so... I thought maybe you'd put them in alphabetical order?' I nodded, finally putting my coat on the hook.

'I, um... I also don't know exactly where the books will have to be placed, so you'll have to type them into the computer and find the position they should be in.' She added, her hands tangling themselves, her rich ring amongst them. Her mouth was pressed into a straight line, I guess trying to be kind and polite so I'd agree.

'O-of course. No problem. That's my job, isn't it?' I tried to seem as kind and gentle as I could.

'Right yes, it is. I just thought it might be a little too harsh for your first – well, your second – day.' She fiddled with her own fingers and looked towards the fountain of books that were to my left and to her right, her eyes scanning the colourful covers.

'No, it's fine, don't worry. I just, um, I need to know how to organize the books on the computer and then I'll find my way.' I walked slowly towards where she was walking to the computer, thinking if I should ask her what Fran told me to.

She explained the whole computer thing and how to find the book and how to put the new books in order, showing me everything along the way and doing the first two books for me, also pointing the direction I should go to.

'Did that help?' she smiled, sighing in relief from crouching over the computer rather than sitting on the chair for some odd reason.

'Yes, it did, thank you.' I said and sat down on the chair after putting the books on my table and taking five at a time to find and then stick sticky notes on them to know in which two books to place them.

I saw her sit down at her own desk and I felt the need to go up to her, so I did. '...Um..' I began, thinking of a way to say it. I started again, 'I thought about what you said yesterday about me not reading and I felt bad because I used to enjoy reading and I kind of miss it.' I swallowed a lump in my throat.

I looked at her as her eyes widened and a small smile started to form.

'I was wondering if you could recommend any of your favourite books to me?' I squinted with one eye, afraid of the reaction, with my hand scratching the back of my neck in awkwardness.

'Oh, yes!' she exclaimed finally. She got up and run up to her own little box, handing me three books and explaining them to me without spoiling them and then, at the end, added. 'Oh, and that boy from your school who we saw yesterday, he came in and asked for you today, said he will be in the garden waiting for you'