Lamenting In the Library

SNEAK A PEEK

SARAH [lives with her grandparents, always taken for an easygoing]

BACKGROUND: Senior's Library, Vrindhavan Public School, 8th period

Tiny sobs and hiccups went unnoticed in the pitter patter of the rain. The school was about to close but Sarah couldn't bring herself to stand up and leave. She wasn't shivering in cold, she was shivering in her sadness. The world was always playing jokes on her. Tiredness was filling her and her throat was tightening. All she did was be honest and a nice person. 'That's it. There is nothing to gain by crying here. I should leave.'

"Hey Kid, if you are planning to ruin someone's day with all that crying, do it somewhere else. I need to close the Library and get back home." The old Librarian, who had been tilting slowly from waist as he aged, glared at Sarah from above his thin framed glasses.

She quickly packed her bag and stumbled out of her seat. As she passed the corridors, she could smell the sweet smell of soil from the first rain of the season. It was refreshing but her tears were still flowing and would be flowing until her body ran out of fluid. She stepped into the rain and let the rain wipe away the stupid tears that was annoying her and was causing her eyes and nose to swell.

(SQUISH. SQUISH) she walked back to her home unknown to the sad eyes staring at her from behind, hands reaching to touch her shoulder and hug her but hesitating. Just like that she walked away, half intoxicated and numb.

The same night, while unpacking her half soaked Backpack, she discovered an unfamiliar book with thick spiral binding. It was pretty to the sight, but the handwriting inside wasn't. She might have put it in from the Library in her hurry. The name on it read "Josh". Her eyes were feeling so rough and saggy that her eyes preferred to close on their own. She felt like she was on drugs.

"Ha... I'll deal with this tomorrow." She already had enough fill for the day. She caught her boyfriend of one week spitting nonsense about her to his friends, dumped him on spot, cried like a toddler in the library, got scold for getting wet from her Grandma, now feeling sick, she prefer to sleep over investigating somebody's notebook.

Next morning, she decided not to act coward and face it. She didn't try to cover her bulging patches around the eyes. Before entering her class, she looked up at the Name Plate '10 D'. She groaned, 'Yes! A class filled with D**** Heads.'

Ignoring every push and pull from other kids, she sat down at her table, the middle seat in the middle row in the middle of the class. Yes, she was always surrounded by the other kids like their prey.

Actually, she wasn't hoping to be noticed. Everything started with a random girl burping lies about her, back in sixth, due to jealousy. She used to be bright and friendly with everybody. She lived with her Grandparents while her parents worked abroad. She was a type of open book, everybody would prefer to misinterpret, misuse and mislead. She didn't have anyone to share her sorrows even though she was a Good fighter at words like her Grandma.

Guys took her for a fool they can play with and girls called her names for grabbing their bf's attention even though it's the guys' fault. She ignored them and sometimes tried to make them understand. The flashback ends at her bf of one week being caught red handed, lying to his leech friends that he have her nudes. Well, it was inevitable. Like any other girl in their fantasies, she thought he was different. They always do.

'What a load of trash freeloading on Earth.' She was mumbling to herself as she didn't have any bench partner or a friend she could ramble to. She was isolated in this way to hurt her, but she preferred it over having a mud heads sitting beside her and then spout nonsense about her, among themselves.

She slightly glanced around the room, trying to kill time when she noticed the new student sitting quite nearby her. Josh. 'Hm, Josh. Is there anything I missed to bring School?' she wandered as she studied him. He had dark and stone build even though he wasn't bulky. Just something about his nerves popping on his hands. He was charming everyone and girls were swarming around him to grab his attention. Sarah felt like she was in a Fan signing Event.

She sighted 'I should stay away from any possible threats (the new guy). 'What is it that I am missing again?'

JOSH [a polite boy, crushing on Sarah (love at first sight), unable to approach]

For a Newcomer, it was quite common to be in the spotlight for their first week. But, it's been over a month for Josh but the sparks hadn't died down one bit. They might be like this because he was polite to his visitors. Unlike Sarah, Josh felt like an animal in a Zoo and these girls couldn't even keep their mouths from talking about his appearance in front of him. He was sitting at his table, worrying about Sarah who left school, drenched in the rain after slapping her Boyfriend in front of the Class. He knew she was strong and can handle her emotions but seeing her cry was putting him in a tight spot.

He glanced at Sarah and caught her eyes studying him.

"Oh~ Ain't that a Hottie?" A shameless girl near him said loud enough. 'Oh! Now I am on their Menu?' his eyes twitched.

In split second, Sarah's Ex barged in with his side kicks lurking behind him. The slap that she gave him yesterday seems to have faded. Obviously! He came to make a scene. 'If it was for things to get bad, I can step in.' he was confident and also started to plan his heroic moves.

(THUD) the trouble maker slammed at her desk. Few girls joined in. "Aw~ is the B**** still here? I though you would stay home and not embarrass yourself again."

"I didn't know the School compound had stray dogs…" murmured Sarah. She wasn't loud enough. She didn't have to play along because she knew that morning assembly will begin soon.

"After playing around with me, now you want to look like a pitiful creature?" Looking at her Ex again, he looked nothing like the guy she thought he was. She seems to attract all trashes on Earth with her unwanted magnetic powers. She jumped out of her seat in such a swift motion that half the kids stepped back in reflex.

"I don't know if the convenience stores sell Guts. But try getting some before you come to pick a fight with me next time. And for those who just called me a Bitch, at least I am doing a good job at keeping my name. But as Inferior Bitches, don't disappoint me with these sloppy tricks." and she walked outside for the assembly with the imaginative Bollywood Song ringing in her head.

"Knew it. She could handle them. But why didn't she approach me yet? Didn't she receive the book? God! Don't tell me, it fell into someone else's bag." He was still flustered when he moved outside for the assembly and kept on glancing at Sarah during the Assembly. It was hard get a spot with a good view of her frowning face.

As any fool, head over heels for a girl, he would sneak a peek at her from every corners of earth, as long as it was a possible option. He had to battle a classmate about the height wise standing position to get the spot even though he knew he was at least one foot taller than that guy he had argued with. He was supposed be standing third last in the boys' row. If he had stood at his respective spot, he could have only been able to see her shoulder.