Like a piece of art.

We are not close.

I wake up with Brook's breath on my neck. We are both lying in my bed, just as we slept last night. I remain silent, careful not to move to enjoy Brooklyn's arms around my waist for a while longer. I would like to stay with him for the rest of the day, for some reason his arms make me feel safe.
"Are you awake?" Brook's voice pulls me out of my thoughts.
"Yes, I thought you were asleep" I turn around to face him.
"I was a few seconds ago" he replies with his eyes still closed.
I raise my hand and stroke the left side of his cheek with my thumb, feeling his soft skin.

He opens his eyes and looks at me with a small smile.
"Good morning," I whisper without taking my hand from his face. He looks so cute when he just wakes up, I could get used to seeing him like this every morning.
"Good morning," he says and gives me a short kiss on the lips.
"We have to go to class" I'm speaking in a low voice, as if there would be someone else in the room.
"I know" he closes his eyes again and tries to hide his head in my neck without achieving it. "We should miss school and stay in bed all day," he says against my chest.
"You know it's not an option," I remind him.
"Yes, I know" he looks at me and smiles before approaching me again and kissing me one more time.

His lips feel so good against mine, so soft. I love feeling him in this way, so close to me, so mine.
"Okay..." I separate him from me, reluctantly, without wanting to end this little moment. "Come on" I get up from the bed as I can and Brook looks at me like he wants to kill me.

* * *

I had never been to the school library before, even though Andy always comes here and even though he always tells me to come with him. I had never wanted to come until Brook had that conversation with Andy, which I can't get out of my mind. I need to know what is happening between them, I'm a person too curious to not try to discover something like this and the library is my best option to do it.

"I can't believe you're finally here," Andy says guiding me through the shelves.
"Nor I" I say it with all sincerity. We reach the end of one of the hallways and Andy sits on the floor as if the place were his, I follow his movements and I sit in front of him.
"Why do you like to come here?" I ask him, leaning on some books.
"I feel like it's the only place where I can be calm," he says without looking at me. "Why did you decide to come today?" He asks me later.
"Because I'm a good friend" I lie and at the same time not because I'm a good friend... I think.
"Okay" Andy shrugs and takes a book from the shelf where he is leaning.

We were silent for a while, mainly because Andy is looking at his book and I'm thinking how to make him tell me the thing with Brook. I can't just ask him directly, that would be weird. I watch him go through the pages with confidence and I find it hard to believe that he hides something from me and is so calm about it, probably because it's not important at all. I want to believe.
"So..." I start talking to get his attention "Did you and Brook know each other for a long time?" He looks at me strangely.
"Yes, I suppose" he returns to look at his book.
"Are you close?" I encourage myself to ask.
"Mmm I don't know" he doesn't look at me when he answers.
"The other night when we were in my room you seemed to know each other for a long time"

"We've known each other for a long time but it doesn't mean we're close" he replies, looking at me with a raised eyebrow.
"Sure... so you're not close?" I insist.
"Why are you asking this?" He closes the book and looks at me expectantly.
"Curiosity, I suppose" I say looking at the side.
"No, we are not close" and even though he seems to be telling the truth, I feel like he is lying.
He reopens his book and dives into the pages the rest of the time without even looking at me. I try to do the same but the books were never my strong point.

We get up after at least two hours and go towards the exit in silence. For some reason the environment feels tense.
"Okay ... see you tomorrow?" He asks me once outside the library.
"See you tomorrow" I say and turn around to go to my room, the library is literally in the middle of my room and Andy's.

I walk through the corridors seeing people I've never seen before until Brook's voice catches my attention.
I look around and I find him standing at one side arguing with someone, he seems really angry.

I debate between: approach and see who he talks to or leave and give him privacy, but as expected my curiosity is stronger than me, so I sneak up to they and when I'm close enough I can see a woman, his mother. Both are talking rudely but I can't understand what they are saying. Without thinking much I approach a little more just to be able to listen better.
"Brooklyn, don't come with that now. It's the deal," she says with a firm voice.
"Mom, I can't always do this. Why don't you let me live a normal life?" Brook's voice sounds wounded.
"You don't have a normal life" his mother's voice is so hard that it makes my chest hurt, I don't want her to speak to him like that.

"I don't want to do it," Brook says after a long silence. His voice is defeated.
"You're going to do it," declare her mother turning around and walking without letting Brook say anything.
I watch him from the distance and I can see the sadness in his eyes, he leans against the wall and sighs. I feel the need to go hug him but I know I can't do it so I just wait for him to start walking so I can go back to the room and maybe, find Brook there.
I wonder what his mother will be talking about, what does Brook have to do? I don't know, all I know is that Brooklyn hides many secrets from me and somehow it hurts me that he does.