Monday, October 26, 2015

at the library

We couldn't be friends




Kayla couldn't help to look Tessa over. After all, she was sort of Kayla's supervisor, Kayla guessed. Although, she'd have to teach Tessa everything there was in circulation, but Tessa would be at the Reference desk and in charge of book clubs and other Adult activities. They'd have to find a way to work together, but she hoped Tessa didn't waste Kayla's time and become one of those who thought helping people was beneath her.

"Is..is that your boyfriend?" Kayla couldn't help to ask.

"Oh..uh..he's..just a friend." Tessa said ever so cooly.

Kayla sighed. How could she possibly work with someone who was seeing Garvin. After all, she all most left Oliver for Garvin.

"Oh..did.." Kayla winced, ever so slightly, "Did..he say..anything about me?"

She hated being instantly neurotic. She knew Garvin was just the past. A past that never actually happened, but it could have. It really could have. She nursed her bottom lip as she showed Tessa were her office was located, as well as the breakroom.

"Really, we..we've never discussed the library." Tessa clarified as she helped herself to the coffee in the breakroom.

"Oh, well, his shop is just across the street from my husband's bakery."

"Oliver?  You're married to Oliver?" Tessa smiled.

Suddenly it was as if the ice was melting. Tessa said nice things about Oliver's baked goods. Kayla went on to tell her about their family, and Tessa actually listened.

about a ghost



"Oh, God..I really think we have a ghost in our apartment." Henry felt a little shakey. He hadn't slept a wink last night. Josie said she didn't either, but he caught her slightly snoring a time or two. He poured himself and Audrey a cup of coffee.

"A ghost?" Audrey smiled with a little laugh. She put cream in her coffee, and he went next to plop in enough cream to make the coffee a full meal.

"Oh, its horrible." He winced, trying to explain. I mean, the air was always on..until we realized we shouldn't try to sleep in Alaska every night...and well, it was this whimpering. I thought it was a puppy. But Josie just knows its a ghost. We both do." Henry couldn't get his mind off the ghost. "We did some googling." He nodded.

Audrey tilted her head as is she wanted to know more.

"Sure enough, something happened in our apartment. It was in the eighties..but still.." He shrugged as he took another sip.

"Like what?" Audrey winced, saying she'd never heard such  a thing.

"Well, you were probably barely born, you know." He looked at her as if he didn't need to explain another thing to her. "I'm just tired, OK. We have to keep the fan on now. You know, white noise."

Of course, he didn't know how to make a ghost shut up. Maybe he'd sneak home at lunch for a power nap.

there's a story



Audrey was pretty sure it was going to be a weird day after her conversation with Henry, but she didn't expect Jude's reaction when he found Tessa behind the circulation counter. His glare was of anger, even if words weren't spoken.

No way was he going to take his eyes off her. Of course, Audrey was ready for a STARE-OFF, if he'd only look her way. And then she noticed Tessa was in tears. Audrey winced hard wondering if she should speak to him. Instead she went to gather Tessa.

"Why don't we talk in my office?" Granted, it was no more than a closet, but at least she hoped Tessa wasn't going to let Jude decide if she should go.

"I'm sorry." Tessa smudged only a little of her eyeliner. "Maybe..maybe its..just me."

"He can be freaky." Audrey wished they could write him up, but the thing was, there was October to get through, and he had Friday Fright Night Videos after school. A video game marthon scheduled every Saturday and he was even doing some book clubs on popular YA trilogies. Honestly, he hadn't hurt anyone.

"I know." She pressed her lips tight. "I used to live with him."

"Oh." Audrey looked a little surprised.

"I guess..I thought...we would be together forever, but..well..." She sighed. "He has some issues."

"Like what?" Audrey wanted to know.

"I dunno..if I should say." Tessa would't look at her.

"Is he depressed, or something?" Audrey didn't mean to be nosy, but maybe they needed to investigate his past.

"He doesn't like to talk about it." Tessa winced. She took a minute or two to compose herself, but finally said, "He was abducted when he was a child. I dunno, what happened... exactly. But he was back home..when..he was in middle school..and then..later..he was in this car crash with his brother. Its just he can be so cold about some things. Like this anger, he doesn't know what to do with, but I don't think he'd hurt anyone." Tessa cleared her throat, "Please, don't mention it, to the staff...what I said about the abduction. He doesn't want anyone to know."

Audrey nodded.

"You're not going to let him keep you from working here, are you?" Audrey asked.

Tessa shook her head, no.

"I'm going to be OK. I just haven't seen him in an awful long time." She nursed her bottom lip.

2 comments:

  1. I hope Tessa doesn't let him destroy her life. She needs to live too.

    xx

    ReplyDelete
  2. I hope Tessa and Kayla become friends... we all need that ..

    ReplyDelete