Library City

A Story by Melissa

My thought in my moments of death were odd. I felt the crash, the tingle as time slowed down, the cold air suddenly surrounding me. Then I remember the ground. Lying staring at the bow, the colors of that bow on that box. A name surfaced, Melody, the present was for Melody. I raised my arm to reach for it and I was surrounded by black. Then I felt nothing, nothing but the black. The black still swirled in my vision when I felt arms. Safe, soft, warm arms pulling me away to safety. A creak followed my thought and I got the strength to open my eyes. All I saw were two beautiful gems looking back at me. Blue and brown gems, just like Melody's eyes.

Melody

When I was ten years old my mother died. She was hit by a semi, in our already junk Ford, coming home from the store on Christmas Eve. They found a present in the wreckage for me. I lived with my dad for two months after that before I saw his real character and by then I realized it wasn't going to get better. I left and went to live with my Aunt Isabel. Living with her was like living with a sister. She never criticized my dress and when I was old enough she bought me makeup and taught me how to use it. When I first stepped into her loft I was wowed. It was two floors and I had my own room and bathroom. She took me to the mall to let me choose what I would use to decorate it. I put a white board above my bed and pictures of places I wanted to go everywhere else. A picture of my family before mom died was on the whiteboard along with a billion printed quotes on the walls.

For years I was separated from my dad before he built up the guts to call. He never apologized for treating me horribly but told me that he was too sad to deal with a kid. I never spoke to him again, but every Christmas he'd send me a gift and I'd put it under my bed with all the others, and mom's gift.

After a while my aunt and I got used to having the other around. We took care of each other. When she'd go out and party the next day I would get her coffee and let her wake on her own. When I had to study she'd find a way to help me. The loft we lived in became more and more extravagant. Aunt Isabel used to date a new made billionaire, Tony before he had all his money. She broke it off and he never took it well, and after he got his fortune he started sending her gifts, like expensive furniture.

Every once in a while I would take out mom's present for me and leave it on my bed, hoping I would open it. Today when I take it out I look around my room and realize it's too bland. I tell my aunt I am going to the store and she gives me her wallet and car keys. Once at IKEA I go to the house decor aisle. I put a small bookshelf in the cart along with a chair, beanbags, a rug, a duvet, and some posters for my wall. When I am back at home I put the posters up first. They all had funny quotes on them and I put some on the ceiling above my bed. Then I put the rug and beanbags in a corner with the chair. When I put the duvet on my bed and look around I still don't feel at home.

Aunt Isabel walks in, reads my face, and tells me she has some stuff that Tony sent that could help. She makes a call and two guys walk in later with several boxes. I open the first and find a black mini fridge. The second holds a fully put together desk, and the third one holds the pink revolving desk chair. In the smallest box there is a new computer. I gasp in shock and turn to Aunt Isabel. She smiles softly and says, "I thought it might make a good addition to your room." I run to hug her then she turns and quietly leaves. I lay across my bed and sigh, so this is what a home feels like. I put mom's present under my bed again for later.

I loved to read so my aunt would take me to the library and let me roam for a while. All I did was read between the shelves and fawn over the life of the books. Books was me and my mom's thing. When I was little she'd read to me and when I was old enough I'd read on my own. After that I always wanted to be a librarian.

I would follow the librarians around to see what they do and I learned how to walk without stomping. They noticed me after a few months and took me in. They treated me as one of their own, trusting me with secrets and giving me jobs to do. Lynne would give me books to shelve. Cathie, the oldest, taught me how to navigate the shelves upon shelves in the library. Jane taught me how to check out browsers when they came in. Diane, the main person, would let me write lists of new books for her to buy. We became a team.

One day as I am shelving I notice a newcomer strolling the shelves. He looks around my age and I see Lynne shadowing him, probably to make sure he doesn't take anything. We had a couple of petty thefts the last few weeks. Freshmen boys from the high school would come in flirt with us then proceed to take all the books out in their jackets.

I dance through the shelves still working but following them. I move, watching him, seeing him move towards the nonfiction section. Caught by his jaw and eyes, I follow closer. I run right into him as he tries to go to the shelf I am standing in. He smiles down at me before picking me up and I am drawn in by his pale blue eyes.

"Hey. Are you okay?" he asks me in his deep melodic voice. I nod too mortified to answer. Lynne shakes her head disapprovingly at me from behind him. I turn my eyes back towards him in time to catch his eyes flicker up and down my body. I in turn look him up and down and feel weak at the knees. He's

wearing loose fitting jeans and a jacket over a simple t-shirt. It' the way his shirt hugs his muscles that shocks me. His jaw is chiseled, his eyes are a electric sky blue and he has dark blond hair. He notices me staring at him and he smirks, more fitting for his face. At that moment a part of me stored away the fact he was trouble, but I ignored it.

He looks down at me and notices my employee apron. It was something that Lynne came up with. Her sister owned a line of cafes, so she decided that our library is a cafe in its own right. His strong gaze brings me back to the present. He asks me, "Do you know how to navigate the shelves here?" I nod at him once more. He smiles, glances at the paper in his hand then asks "Can you help me find YA ROS?" Instead of nodding again I just lead him to the shelf. It's in the very back of the library and I get nervous.

After he finds the book he was looking for he turns to me and asks, "So why'd you become a librarian?" He is stares at me with a very intense look.

"When my mom�" When I was younger I became fascinated with books and my aunt would drop me off here. When I was old enough they hired me." I spill out confused by his intense stare. I realize I told quite a bit of my history to this stranger and I knew I needed to know about him. "So what's your name?" I questioned him.

"My name is Matthew, and I see your name is Melody off your name tag." He smiles at me again and I feel a blush creeping up my face. "You're probably wondering why I needed this book so bad," he says while looking back to the shelf. "I read online that when they built this library there was a secret passage built behind the bookshelves in the back so I've been checking by pulling out books one by one." He looks back at me and his eyes light up with excitement. He turns back to the bookshelf and pulls out the book slowly to test it. Nothing happens and he loses the light, disappointed.

I ask him, "Why don't you try out all the books all at once?"

"Not doing them all at once builds tension and excitement and makes it last. Plus it gives me a reason to be at the library all the time." I look up and catch him staring at me. He blushes, then the light is back in his eyes as he asks me, "Tomorrow will you help me test another?" He looks excited at the possibility of finding a secret passage, and I realize I am too. I nod and he smiles even wider possibly at risk of splitting his face with his grin.

As we walk back to the door I think about where a passage would lead if there was one. I make a mental note to ask Dianne about this. When we're near the front I tell him "If I find anything I promise not to do anything till you get here." He nods enthusiastically and I walk him back to the entrance.

After he leaves I walk back to the books I abandoned when I see Kai. He is walking even slower than Matthew was and he is scanning the shelves as only an expert reader can. I feel sorry for the books being trapped under his expert stare. I see his deep brown hair and deep turquoise eyes. He is wearing a mustache t-shirt and black jeans. I feel myself drool internally as much as I had when I saw Matthew. Kai and I are kind of next door neighbors. He knows all about my parents and my aunt. He lives in a loft near ours with his father Tony. Yes the Tony that my aunt dumped. During that time Kai and I became close friends, listening to my aunt and his dad argue. After that we never went over again and I only see him when he goes out for his morning jog. Sometimes I wonder if he forgot me.

This time I decide not to follow him like I did Matthew and be at risk of injuring my butt again. I continue walking back to the sad books and continue shelving.

I fill two bookshelves before I feel someone's stare on me. I whirl around, feeling like a cornered animal. I am in the same area Matthew and I were in, in the very back of the library. I don't see anything, but I still feel like someone is out there. I cautiously go back to shelving. I hear someone bump into my cart with its telltale screech. I drop my books on the shelf and wheel around the corner to find Kai crouching and picking up books he knocked down. He looks up at me and zeros his gaze on me. I realized why I felt like a cornered and watched animal. Even when we were kids his eyes were like a wolf's eyes, always watching his prey.

Slowly a smile works its way onto Kai's face and eventually he's grinning at me. "So I guess you heard me watching you," he laughs. I nod laughing too and he stands up to his full height before hugging me. I freeze but after a moment hug him back. He pulls back and smiles sadly at me. "I wanted to come over after the big breakup but my uncle forbade it. He was afraid I'd ruin his chances of getting back with your aunt but he did fine ruining his chances on his own," Kai ranted.

I stepped back from his warm embrace and look up at him. Since I've last seen him he's grown a five o'clock shadow and his hair is longer. The way he's staring at me makes me nervous so I lead him back to the books I put down to find him. He picks up a small stack and helps me shelve like he did when we were younger.

"So where have you been?" I ask him. He works at the library like I do shelving but I hadn't seen him in months.

He averts his gaze from mine and murmurs "I didn't really know how to approach you so I asked Dianne if I could be the new book guy." The new book guy only has to get the new books ordered and fill the staff fridge with food. I tried to not take it personally but it hurt. What happened to never afraid of any one person.

"It's okay, now you can go back to shelving with me." He raises his head and smiles widley at me. I missed his company.

"I'd like that, Melody." I grin at him and go back to shelving. When we're done I push my cart back to the main office while Kai talks to Dianne about his reassignment. I look over and see her nodding. Kai walks with me to the entrance when I leave. "Tomorrow I go back to shelving with you. And Lynne said she didn't mind if I took her place."

He smiles at me as I tell him "See you tomorrow." But he doesn't stop following me. I give him a questioning look and he smiles, "We're neighbors remember? And I walked today so you have to give me a ride." I nod surprised and unlock my car. When I get to his dad's loft and stop the car Kai unbuckles, turns to me, and hugs me tightly. Then he's pulling away and getting out. When he got out a part of me was protesting, I want more than a hug! Ignoring it, I drive home and flop on my bed. I wake up about half an hour later to a hear a knock on the door. I jog downstairs and open the door to see a puzzled Matthew.

Kai

I missed her. Melody. When my dad ruined his life by being an idiot to Melody's aunt he ruined my life too. I was too afraid to approach her and tell her I loved her after what love did to my dad. My sister Mary told me to stop being a coward and face her, which are bold words coming from a twelve year old. I let my dad come in between what I wanted and what I should do. I never thought I'd get another chance, after I changed my work schedule so I could avoid her at the library.

But one day walking out of the staff break room I saw her. Hair pulled back carrying a stack of books and pushing her cart along. It felt wrong to not follow and watch, even from a distance. She pulled over near some children's books and I stood watching her. She began working her way to the back of the library and I followed, hoping to catch a glimpse of her brown eyes. Finally when she got to where she wanted to work I stood only two shelves away from her, watching raptly. When someone would pass by I'd pick up a book and pretend to be interested in it. And then when they left the area I'd drop it silently and continue watching. The third time I did this Melody swung around as if she felt my presence. She had left her cart in the shelf I was in and was working around the corner. I learned this when I rammed into it, I had backed up scared she'd heard me behind her. Now there was no doubt, and I tried to pick up the books I knocked off her cart before she found me.

After I finished picking up the books I turned around to see Melody staring at me with an amused and shocked face. I smiled weakly then it grew stronger as I stood and towered over her. I didn't know how much I had missed her until then.

Matthew

I walk back to my uncle's apartment thinking about her. Melody. The second I stepped into the library, I knew something good was going to happen. I was walking with the slip of paper I had hastily written the code down on in my hand, when I noticed someone following me through the shelves. She looked around my age and she's holding several books. Even through the shelves I could tell she is beautiful and I am pulled in by her carefree dance through the shelves. She starts to go to a different shelf and when I try and follow her, she changes direction coming towards me and I bump in to her knocking her down. I look down at her and am stunned.

She is the most beautiful creature I have ever seen, she has dark brown eyes and curly black hair. She is wearing jeans and a a long sleeved red shirt, my favorite color. A cold blast of air pulls me back to the present. I remember I'm gonna see her again tomorrow and I was a grinning fool back at the library. She's never gonna want to see me again, I think to myself.

I walk up to the door then quietly I take off my shoes and quickly as I can crawl up the stairs. I make it to my room and put away my book bag. I jump on my bed, close my eyes and let my mind wander to thoughts of her. I think of how she smelled, vanilla and mint. I think of how she danced through the library as if it was a stage and she was a ballerina. I think until I can't anymore.

I roll of my bed, grab my laptop, and hunker down to look through pictures. Before my parents dropped me off I had a life, one with friends and a pet. I had a golden lab named Max. My mom got him for me when I was twelve for my birthday. After my dad got arrested several times my friends stopped talking to me so I got Max. We were inseparable and I loved him. He always seemed to know where we were going before I did. When my dad dropped me here I begged for weeks for them to bring him too. They eventually conceded and he hated my uncle almost as much as I do. I quietly call Max'x name and he saunters in. He curls up next to me on the bed and we look at my old life.

I hear my uncle yell my name downstairs. Inside I think, oh crap what now, but I yell agreement. I walk downstairs into the ironically named family room and see my uncle. Well more like smell him. He started smoking when my parents dropped me off at his house years ago and never gave it up.

I stand in front of him with Max beside me. He sizes me up before saying, "A girlfriend of mine left something over here and I need you to return it." He always does this to me giving me errands to run for him while he lounges around. Even though I'm cussing at him in my head I nod and take the purse of his 'girlfriend' and a slip of paper with her address hastily scribbled on it.

I slide into my car and navigate the endless streets to an expensive loft north of where we live. When I drive by the first time I see a girl similar to Melody walk by. I ignore her because its obviously not her, its just my brain being overly obssesed. I drive a several blocks away before I find a spot. I walk back to the building I'm supposed to be at and walk in. I knock on the door and wait. When someone opens the door I am totally blindsided. It's Melody and she's grinning at me.

I panic inside and hope she's not my uncle's "girl". I show her the purse and ask if she knows who it belongs to. She nods takes the purse and pulls me inside. Easily I follow her up the stairs, see an older woman and am instantly relived. It must be hers not Melody's. Melody gives the woman the purse and tells her, "This is my friend Matthew, he's helping me with ... a project." The woman nods and goes back to talking on her phone. Melody drags me to what I assume is her room and closes the door.

"So how did you get my aunt's purse?" She asks me simply.

"My uncle said a friend of his left it at our house." I reply suddenly sheepish. She smiles at me and nods as if she expects this answer. She pats the bed next her and I sit.

"So, Matthew where do you work?" I answer her, and she asks me several questions and we talk for a while. We talk endlessly about little things. She makes me laugh and I make her laugh. At some point I lay back on her bed and look up to see a large poster. It hilarious and I love it. She lays down next to me and we rest for a while. Next thing I know she's above me shaking me awake.

"You might have to go. My aunt is lax but not that lax," She tells me.

"Okay," I tell her, " but I'm not ready to leave yet." We lay side by side and I have a sudden urge to kiss her. I am glad she can't see my face and the desire spelled out on it. Ignoring my urge I ask her a question about her parents. She goes stiff and stops talking. I realize that prying isn't the best way to go and apologize. She gets up to change and afterwards we research for a while. Suddenly while she is bouncing she almost falls off the bed. I catch her and my heart rate speeds up almost nonexistent. When I leave I get a text from my uncle. It says "Where have you been? No late strolling anymore."

A couple nights ago I was out 'strolling' and I sort of wondered into a government facility and I found this board. I broke in to get information, and my other uncle on my mom's side works there so it wasn't that hard. That night I was dressed in black and running. I climbed up the side of the building and stalked the ceiling until I found a vent leading inside. I took the grate off easily and slipped inside. I crawled along until I noticed a light coming in from one of the grates that lead into offices. I froze listening, and hoping no one heard my heavy breath and crawling.

After a few minutes I stopped being paranoid and become curious. Who'd leave a light on in the middle of the night? I slithered closer to the great and popped it open. With a quick glance I confirmed there were no people in the room besides me. I dropped from the ceiling and looked around. All there was was a case with a pink board and a pair of bluewear gloves. The board was perfect size to stand on and I guesses that you control the board with the gloves. The case is unlocked so I pull out the board and like an idiot drop it when I try to pull the gloves on. I cringe and my eyes snap shut as I wait for the telltale clatter.

It never comes and slowly I opened my eyes. The board is floating in front of me a few feet in the air. I pull myself back to the present and drive myself home.

Melody

I can't believe he's here... in my room. We talk a lot and I discover he is very funny. We lie back on the bed for a while laughing. He falls asleep and I have an idea. I wake him up and talk more before he has to leave. Then he asks me a question about my parents and I freeze. I want to yell at him for being so nosy, as people always are, but I like him so I don't answer. He floats above me and apologizes for prying. I smile at him and tell him it's okay. He lays back down beside me.

I fidget and after a little while I get up and tell him I have to get ready to sleep. I slip into my bathroom and change as quickly as humanly possible. Then through the door I hear Matthew chastising himself. "You idiot. If you ask insensitive questions she's gonna hate you, just play it cool." I grin widely happy knowing that the crush I have is not one sided.

I come back out to see he's ready to leave. I stumble over to where he waits occupied by my thoughts of him are taking me. Just then what we should do hits me. I turn around head to my desk and pick up my laptop before plunking down by Matthew on my bed.

"We should research the tunnels you were talking about at the library." He nods surprised as if he was expecting something else. He nestles closer to me, hooks his arm through mine and types the site in he was looking at. I get nervous at having him so close. His heart is beating rapidly and I allow myself to hope it's not because of the research. We go through the library database and several others before we find the info we need. I scroll down the page with my eyes.

I murmur to Matthew, "Something about roots... bought in 1986 blah, blah, blah. Oh! There it is, it has been rumored when Madame Di renovated the building she built tunnels within the walls of the building making for better employee access to offices and shelves. Of course this has never been proved true blah, blah, blah." He grins as he writes down this info while I bounce enthusiastically. I bounce and nearly slid off the bed. He catches me and wraps his arms around my waist. We are so close that I feel his sped up breaths. Where my exposed skin touches his I feel on fire. I pull away after I look in his eyes, and put the laptop away. I get up and walk him to the front door sad he finally has to leave. I lean back against the door and sigh. I never knew it was so much emotionally to like someone.