Colourless Skies

24. Unexpected Miracles

An unpredictable glee took over the atmosphere around her as she neared the library.

It was as if being near to realities her mind has conjured on its own through pages of listless books brought Leah more peace and comfort than the actual reality ever would.

With constant threat to life, and fear of the worst of unknown, who could even think of splitting twisted scowls into smiles, even for a second?

The paint was peeling off the pillars standing in front of the entrance of the library, warping the front in an unappealing aura. One of them was slightly crooked, Leah had observed over her words. 'Don't judge a book by its cover' she told herself whenever she entered because Leah knew the library housed the most rare and intricate of books she had ever encountered amongst all the libraries she had explored. Here she found books she couldn't even find on eBay.

It was, truly, a piece of expensive art, for he who looked par the the dull wallpaper and the crumbling structure.

Leah was not surprised to spot her high school's students when she stepped in. She quickly figured out, by the bustling of students, some pushing each other to reach their desired shelf, and some mounting ladders hurriedly, itching to get their hands on their designated textbooks, that this was for the project that her year was supposed to work on. 

As memories of a few days ago were regained, she could make out a faint image of her doing research on werewolves and making notes on it, since her and Zach's pair was supposed to present on vampires and werewolves.

Maybe she could 'grill' the half-vampire boy for some help on it.

She quietly laughed at her daring thought.

Thankfully, Zach had taken up vampires, saying he was interested in the detailed anatomy and working of their sharp fangs. Leah didn't mind, so she didn't question his peculiar interest.

Now that she had started, she knew the thoughts were not going to go away, not in a way that was not sickeningly twisted. So there was nothing left to do now, except assist Zach on his part of the assignment, whether he wanted it or not.

'Bless miss Baker. Her classes used to put me in a good mood.'

She sighed and ended it in a hum.
'Here I am now.'

As she walked up to the sections piled up to the ceiling with shelves and shelves of an array of books carefully inlaid in their rightful place, she wondered where she could find information on a topic as obscure as what she was about to research.

Through distinct scanning, her eyes immediately locked on the section in the far right corner. Ancient mythology.

'Who knew one night with a strange boy could change my... beliefs about fantasy creatures?'

'Certainly not me.' Her own scoff send a chill radiating through the warm blood in her veins.

"Have you seen the new girl in our school? I heard she recently moved in town." A brittle voice of a girl cut through her ears.
"Who? Remind me again to stay awake during Miss Baker's wretched lessons."
The boy's voice is deep, and curious.

The girl seems to sigh before speaking again.
"Leah James? The girl who never talks to anyone except Zach? She's also the only weirdo who wears full length sweaters and jackets even in this sweltering heat. Does that ring a bell?"

Leah inhaled breath sharply.

"Oh yeah I remember, I once overheard the boys in my basketball team talk about her, how she's the only one Zach has ever bullied and apologised. Must have some major shit on him, huh."

The girl laughed, an irritating snicker more accurately described it.
But what she said next, shattered the walls of ignorance Leah had built, and delivered a punch to her usually unfaltering demeanour.

"Even if she has dirt on him, I wonder how he puts on such a believable play of talking to her everyday as if they're friends."

"Even walking 10 feet in her radius gives me the creeps."

As the girl laughed at his malicious comment, a cascade of tears had broken down and was now fleeing Leah's aching eyes, as her back hit the shelf behind her, the only barrier between her and the source of her anguish.

She obviously knew people threw brutal comments at her behind her back, and gave her judgemental nods and stares till she was out of sight, but what she hadn't gotten was first hand experience of the most traumatic of exchanges the people in her school seemed to have about her.

What had hit home, was Zach's mention. All along, she had known, or at least confided in Zach as her one true friend, especially since he had proven to be at numerous occasions, but she was very clearly unaware of how people despised her, and consequently Zach's friendship with her.

'One day.

One day hey will h-hate him too.'

Her introspection was cut short as a more louder, more grittier voice cut through the thick air like a knife, bringing her heart instant relief.

Okay, so this chap is small, because the prolonged version was really boring.
Please express your honest opinion about my book, I would love to hear how you feel reading this. 🖤