lonely || sidemen || completed

/reclusive/

/tobi/

It was quiet in the library. Quiet, as in, empty, or at least it was in my little corner.

I liked it there because it was somewhere I could do what I wanted. There was no one who would judge me for being on my own. I was reading a book about football superstars, when the door flung open to reveal a rather boisterous figure.

'Harry?' he called.

He saw me, on my own, and looked around a second time to make sure he hadn't missed his friend.

'Hey.' he said, sitting down on the chair opposite.

'Hi. Ethan, right?' I asked nervously. He just smiled, and nodded.

'You were friends with Charlie, yeah? She was in my Maths class.'

I looked down at the book when he said her name. Something about it wasn't right.

'...Sorry, man. My bad.'

I smiled slightly and looked up. I'd never spoke to Ethan before. Our paths had never crossed. It kinda made me sad that we weren't friends, because there was something about the ginger boy now that he was away from the bustling corridors that I liked. Usually, he was mousey and quiet, but here, alone, he seemed nice.

'I'm here looking for Harry Lewis. He... He said he would buy dinner then meet me here at 1, with Vik. They're on library duty, and I don't like the lunch hall.' he said all of it quickly, looking around nervously as though someone was going to interrupt him.

'Harry Lewis is always late. He was in some of my classes last year.' Ethan grinned at this.

'You know him?' I nodded back.

'Not well, but I know of him.' I said slowly.

'He's my friend. We met in drama class- extracurricular.' Ethan said the first part with pride, and deep down, I was jealous.

'That's great.' I replied, my voice sounding bored even to myself.

'Sorry- I know I'm talking a lot...' he sounded so down that I felt sorry for him, as well as incredibly rude.

'No! Don't apologise. It's... It's nice to talk to someone.' I smiled as I said it, and he seemed to relax slightly. I realised suddenly that he was the first person I had talked to that I didn't want to push away. There was just... Something about him, something fun. Something friendly.

It was weird, but I liked it.

~~