I walk inside the library and head to the back. Similar to the library at school, this one has an old historical section that I am most content in. Not many people frequent this area, so I should have some privacy. Everything is fine for the first half hour. I sit at my table, my headphones in listening to The Cab, adding more details to the flamed drawing. I want it to be perfect.
I don’t hear the footsteps coming towards me until it is too late. The notebook I am drawing in is ripped off the table, out of my reach. Even before yanking my headphones out, I know who did it. It was only a matter of time before they found me.
With a frustrated sigh, I ask for my notebook back.
“Look Adam, she can talk,” Lily says, “Maybe after I finish looking at it, Ryan.” She never says my name right. Ryanne. Ry-Anne. It’s not that difficult. I know Lily only does it to bother me and I usually just ignore it, but today, I’m not going to take it.
I jump up from the table and walk towards her. With my most challenging voice, I put my left hand on my hips, and reach for it with my right, “Please give it back.”
Nothing I could have said or done would have helped my case. She is over 5’11” without heels on. I am a good eight inches shorter than her. I wouldn’t have been able to reach the notebook anyways.
“I don’t think so. Your mother wouldn’t want you to spend so much time drawing. She would be very disappointed in you. I hear you aren’t graduating with the rest of us. How sad.”
I hate when anyone talks about my mom, especially people who never met her. I feel tears well up in my eyes, but I refuse to let them see them. She pushes the notebook towards Adam and returns to looking at her nails. Adam opens it up and starts flipping through the pages. The lights in the library flicker as the thunder rolls outside.
I turn around and gather up my stuff. Throwing my bag over my shoulder, I start to walk away when I hear a deep voice behind me.
“Give it back to her.” Lily, Adam, and I all turn to see who is speaking.
Colton.
I ignore the slight flutter in my stomach at the sight of him. Lily and Adam scoff; no one tells them what to do.
“Walk away, Colton. She’s not worth it,” Adam says.
“Give her back the notebook.”
“It’s fine, Colton. I don’t need it,” I just want to get out of the library. I don’t like confrontations. I try stepping past Adam, but he moves in front of me, blocking my exit. His large hand fully wraps around my upper arm as he pulls me towards himself. I can tell that I am going to have a bruise there. I let out a surprised gasp as I collide into him. Slowly, his hand starts moving down my back.
This brings back too many memories and I start to panic. He wouldn’t try anything in public would he? I try pushing away from him, but Adam has a strong grip on me.
“Let go of me. You’re hurting me, Adam.” He isn’t looking at me though. He is looking over me at Colton.
While the two are locked in an angry glare, I kick Adam in the shins and grab my notebook from his hand. Before anyone can think about what I did, I run out of the library and go straight to the car. How do I always get myself into those situations?
By the time I make it to the park, it is getting dark, but I know I can’t go home yet. Pulling off to the side of the road, I turn the engine off and get out. The park reminds me of my childhood. My mom and I used to come here, sit under the gazebo, and have a picnic almost every Sunday in the summer. I have many fond memories of this place.
My body instantly takes me where I want to go. The gazebo looks the same as it had years ago. The park is covered in trees, so the gazebo blends in with its surroundings. It is old and wooden; its brown coloring fading with age. Vines wrap around all eight posts and small twinkling lights wrap around the top, illuminating the whole structure. It almost has a