F***in' Arizona

Those 'In Between the Library Shelves' Conversations (Chapter 4)

I love being in the library. The calming scent of opened books and their pages, no other smell can compare.
Whenever my anxiety fills my head with too many thoughts, I come here to silence them. Afterall, there's no talking here.

The library is a quiet spot for me to be by myself to focus (or not focus) and to people watch.

I love people watching. Not in a creepy way though. I like to just observe people around the various open rooms and watch what they're doing while they go about their business. Some people do the most odd and funny things when they think others don't see them.

I like to give each person I observe a fake story, name, and occupation that I think fits them.

There is currently a boy standing near a bookshelf that has one of those metamorphosis books on it.
You remember the old books about the kids that morph into animals? This guy looks like he wants to eagerly pick one up to relive his childhood by reading it, but also doesn't want to look like a weirdo because he's about seventeen years old and over six feet tall with a small growing beard. His name is definitely Ethan.

Then there is the middle-aged librarian sitting behind a desk reading a makeup and fashion magazine, but if you observe closely, the magazine is actually upside down. She's probably in reality reading one of her abundant steamy adult novels that she wishes she could live in real-life. Her name is Ms. Melinda Reed, but in her imaginary sex life her name is Butterscotch Bree.

Sitting in the back corner of our large library gives me more than enough privacy to not be bothered by anyone, and I like it just that way. Sometimes I'll eat my lunch in here as well on the days Maya or one of my other friends isn't at school.
No one ever really comes back here. The only books in this area are the non-fiction, memoirs, and documentary movies.
Most people don't even read handheld books anymore, so I'm surprised that there are even people in the library now.

I'm technically supposed to be working on an essay assignment for my African American Literature class, but I'm such a terrible procrastinator that I'm instead secretly watching Supernatural from my phone. I love to see Jensen Ackles and Jeffery Dean Morgan on my screen with their sexy selves.

I already know what I'm going to write about though, so it won't take me long to type it, but I have to grab a couple of books about the author. Guess I'd better get up and get one.

I made my way over to the shelves full of dusty untouched books and breathed in the comforting smell.
I love to read. I love to be able to be transported to a different place for however long I want and to be able to envision myself within the book. I like...

"Nova?"

I look up to where I hear the voice come from and see Arizona Matthews staring at me in between the book shelves.

"Oh, uh, hey Ari. What are you doing here?"

"In the library? Uh, last I checked this is where you checkout books," he said laughing at the obvious.

"Touché Matthews. Didn't know you were a smartass."

"Eh, it's a lot of things you don't know about me Queen. So, what books are you looking for?"

"I'm looking for a book for my AAL class."

"AAL?"

"African American Lit. What are you looking for?"

"Oh cool! I wanted to take that class but didn't want to be looked at strangely for being the only white kid in there. So here I am looking for a book for my British history class."

"Trust me, you wouldn't be the only white kid in there. Just the second."

Ari laughs which causes me to laugh too. And yet another strange tingle runs down my spine.