Acatalepsy

Chapter 4

There was nothing modern about the school library. It exuded a sense of eerie comfort. The lights were dim, and the windows were on a part of the building that only saw sunshine on perfect days. It smelled of dust, old parchment, and faintly of the worn leather of the coffee colored sofas and chairs. Mrs. Hale, the librarian, was the sweetest old lady in the world. She was a widow, and she concealed the remnants of her heart behind the shelves, and between the pages. Her pale eyes would greet you from behind her magenta glasses, and you'd have no other choice but to care about her.

That's why Lovanna could typically be found here. She would cross the threshold and immerse herself in the never-ending rabbit hole that is other people's problems. Real like the librarian, or imaginary like her favorite characters. Anything to be pulled from her world into any other. To weep with Jane Eyre, to wonder and laugh with Anne Shirley, to tumble into an adventure in a strange place with Alice. Anything was better than reality.

So there she sat on that grey afternoon, hidden between shelves with Emma draped over her lap. Lovanna stood with the book in her hands. She stepped and turned about, pretending she wore clothes as beautiful as Jane Austen characters always did. So fully submerged in her fantasy, that she didn't realize she was about to smack into someone. 

"Hey, are you blind or something?" Lovanna dropped the book out of surprise. Looking up, she recognized the girl immediately; Gwendolyn Marshall. A bully since she first entered the world. Lovanna's first memory of Gwen was in sixth grade when she stole another girl's copy of their class-assigned book, and exposed the teacher for cheating on her husband with the principle. The rumor was that Gwen was blackmailing her for something, but when the teacher tried to call her bluff, she retaliated. Rough stuff for a bunch of twelve year olds.  

"I'm so sorry. I didn't see you there." Lovanna earnestly apologized. Gwen lifted a brow and studied her assailant. 

"Clearly." Gwen stated simply. Her phone buzzed and she pulled it out to have a look. Upon doing so, she looked back at Lovanna's awkward figure. "What are you doing here right now anyway?"

Lovanna shrugged and gestured to the book. "Just doing some reading. Why do you ask?"

Gwen lifted her phone. "It's like 4:30. You're reading at the school library right now?"

"It's way more quiet when school is over." Lovanna reasoned weakly.

Gwen looked around before shrugging. "Well what are you doing here? You can't very well judge me for being somewhere when you're here too." Lovanna said indignantly.

"I'm picking up a book for my research assignment in zoology. I had to take a make-up test in study hall today, so I couldn't go then." She explained.

"Oh." Lovanna looked at the floor.

"Yeah, oh." Gwen gave Lovanna another once-over. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about what we're learning in calculus, would you? I've asked around, but nobody's been...available to help." Lovanna looked back up in surprise. Math was by no means her field of expertise, but she had a basic understanding of their current unit.

"Uh, yeah I guess..." Lovanna trailed off, unsure if she should really be agreeing to this.

"Great, we'll meet here in the library on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00 to 5:30. That's the only way my schedule will work. Got it?" Gwen asked.

"Uh-yeah. Yeah I think I can do that." Lovanna stammered out. She was taken aback by Gwen's blatant disregard for formality.

"Great, see you next week on Tuesday." With that, Gwen pulled her book from the shelf and walked away. Lovanna stood there for a moment, still reeling a bit from the momentum of that conversation. Feeling a bit dizzy, she closed her book and slid it back where it belonged. As she made her way to the exit, she thought of something. School ended at 2:45, and her tutoring didn't begin until 4:00. What would she do until then? She could just sit and read, but she didn't feel like giving Gwen something to target her for. As she walked down the hallway, she found herself subconsciously pausing at an open door. Like a loose end on her soul had caught on the door handle. She made her way closer, and peered inside. The room was void of people, and the ticking of a clock echoed in her ears. She took hesitant steps into the room, and took a deep breath. It smelled just like him. She winced and scolded herself for thinking that. Her eyes skimmed his desktop, until they faltered over a very out-of-place item. It seemed to colorful and sweet to be on this man's desk. It was a red lollipop. Her finger skimmed over the plastic wrap over top of it.

"Found what you wanted?"

Lovanna squeaked and jumped back away from the desk. She turned and saw Abigor standing in the doorway, leaned against the frame. He eyed her with a sinister smile. She nervously fidgeted as he began to walk closer. "If I had known candy was all it took to lure you out of hiding, I'd have done it sooner." She watched anxiously as he shut the door, and sat down in his desk chair.

Lovanna swallowed harshly, before summoning up her courage. "Then what would you do? Shove me in your white van?"

He chuckled. "I don't drive a white van little girl," Lovanna shivered, not loving his response. "I am, however, glad you're here. I need a favor."

"What do you want pervert?" She asked, arms crossed.

He frowned and beckoned her closer. When she made no move to obey, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her so that she was standing right next to his chair. "Don't say things like that. Little girls who cooperate," He produced the lollipop and waved it in front of her. "Get rewarded."

Lovanna bit her lip to contain the question that threatened to fall from them. Abigor eyed her and leaned closer, his grip on her tightening. "Aren't you curious what disobedient girls get?" Lovanna inhaled sharply, moving her hand to try and pry his off of her. Surprisingly, he let go. "Alright. You don't have to find out today. I just need you to tell me one thing."

"What is it?" Lovanna asked timidly. He grinned like the Cheshire Cat. 

"I need someone to help me organize my classroom. Label my drawers and folders, color code things, file seating charts, that sort of thing. Will you stay after school and do that for me?" He asked in an innocent tone.

Lovanna caught herself from the instinct of screaming no and running for her life. She needed something to do on Tuesdays and Thursdays anyhow. Taking a deep breath, she channeled her inner Gwen. "I will come into your classroom after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:00 to 4:00. That's what I can give you. Got it?"

Before Lovanna could even blink, Abigor's hand was wrapped firmly around her throat. She gasped as he yanked her closer to his eye level. "That works fine for me, but never fucking talk to me like that again. Do it again, and I fucking punish you. Got it?" Lovanna looked up at him with wide eyes and nodded as best she could. He tightened his grip roughly. "What's that baby? I can't hear you."

"I understand." She breathes out. 

He smirked and released her. Her hands flew to her throat, and she stared at him in disbelief. Just as she was debating making a run for it, he turned and unwrapped the lollipop, sticking it in his mouth. She watched with a flushed face as she sucked it while coming to stand in front of her. He crouched until he was face to face with her. Sliding it out, he reached out and pulled her bottom lip down, opening her mouth. Then he slid in the lollipop and stroked her face with his knuckles. She exhaled softly as the cool metal of his rings slid down her cheek. Snapping out of her daze, she turned and ran out the door. She knew now for certain, that she was in deep shit.