Perfectly Imperfect

~23~

                                 ~Adam~

"I disliked you for a moment. I really thought you disliked Animal Farm."

The frown that was starting to form on my face at her initial words turned into a full-blown smile when she completed her sentence.

"Really?" I asked, turning the empty seat in front of her around so I'd be able to sit ejoor facing her. "So if I disliked Animal farm, you'd have disliked me?"

She stopped what she was writing, her face creasing into a frown before she nodded slowly.

"I guess."

Wow. I smiled as I remembered Sophia who ignored Kunle and me for almost three weeks because we felt her Korean crush wasn't that fine. What's that dude's name again? The drama Sophia acted for us during that period. Babe yen senseless gan. But she's a very special person to me too, very very special.

And very strong too.

"I liked the book sha. I've never met anyone who hates it."

"Exactly. One of my favorite books too."

She continued scribbling on her notebook while I leaned back on my chair, arms over my chest, and I watched her in utter fascination. Her fingers moved against the paper furtively and I smiled at how serious she was with this.

She looked up suddenly and a flicker of disbelief or was it surprise flashed in her eyes when she saw me looking at her.

"So what kind of books do you read?"

I asked her, feeling the need to strike up a conversation with her which was another first because heaven knows I'm not a fan of conversing with people. There could be a slip-up, I might just mistakenly say something I'd rather not say.

One more reason why it was a kind of safe space with Kunle and Sophia. We talk about everything and yet, nothing.

"Well, All books, all genres except sad fictions. I don't understand why books would have sad endings. Books like All the bright colors, The fault in our stars, We were liars and co. I hate reading that kind of book. I prefer books like Eleanor and Park, Holding up the Universe, A very large expanse of sea. Generally, light novels that'd just make me smile. Sun is also a star, books with a breathtaking ending that'd make you feel things."

She concluded, leaning back in her seat and I found myself leaning forward, hands on the desk separating us.

I wondered fleetingly what it'd feel like to share her views. The books she hated were books I'd consider brutally honest and the books she liked were books I'd consider just there, just written for the sake of entertainment. Apologies to the writers but that's just exactly how I feel.

"I feel like life is already too sad for us to be reading or writing about sad things. If reading is our escape, why do we have to escape to sad things again?"

She asked wistfully, looking right at me but not making eye contact and I felt she wasn't just talking about books. This was the red signal I needed, stand up right now and go back to my seat because conversing with this girl would call me out and probably mess up with my sense of reasoning but I was defiant, so I sat there, not standing up.

"Writers of sad books probably don't write to escape, they write because they feel the need to let people know that life isn't just a bed of roses. Why sugarcoat things when they can be honest?"

She breathed deeply, probably wondering why I was so keen on this thing, and to be honest, I was starting to wonder about that too.

"I'd have loved to argue with you but you're right and that's a little bit disheartening."