chapter 69 *Wingspan*

i walk through a short empty hallway and a pair of doors that lead into the main space. 

natural stone ran through the first floor and stopped at the rope style spiral columns that went around the inside of the library to match the shape of an oval. 

side stairs with metal railing made out of the same natural stone as the floor spiraled up and around the wall for an easier access to the second floor. lots of students went to the second floor for better privacy to, ah, you know.

one large slab of black golden marble gleamed underneath the green lamps like star galaxy stone. and behind the immaculate desk stood a tiny figure of a woman who mustve been a librarian at stark house for decades if not easily half her life. 

the womans pale white skin had developed massive sized wrinkles that drooped down her face.

beaming, i greeted the surly old woman who never smiled or said my name even though i'd been coming to the library every single day. "hey greta." i drop off the latest novel i recently picked out. 

it was kind of slow and i wasn't a fan of the ending.

greta was the only librarian that we had and this two level dome shaped library was her sanctuary and each student and teacher that came inside to study and break her computers came uninvited. 

from here i had a better look at the bright glittering strips of mostly blues and greens that ran throughout the marble table and smiled when i caught sight of the corners that poped and shined with smaller flecks of red and gold.

greta greeted me with a nod like she always did. no happy grin of expressed delight or twinkling eyes of amusement when i narrated the highlights of said book that i just gave back. 

greta didn't seem like the science fiction type but i was in a good mood and i wanted to make conversation. not even gretas ill-tempered attitude could bring me down. 

i was still giddy from coming back from the headmistress  office and what better way to satisfy my need for alone time than being in the library.

greta reminded me of what ms. donovan wold end up looking like when she got to be a certain age except greta was extremely old-fashioned, behind the times conservative, and a miserable old coot who never returned a hello much less acknowledged the people that came into the library as living breathing intellectual beings. 

she took comfort in the solitude and taking care of books was her preferred activity of an evening out. i wasn't all the more better but greta could try a lot harder.

"back again i see." greta complained in a low wispy voice. 

though reasons beyond my understanding greta always remained irritable and in a bad temper when she saw me. maybe it was because when it came to books i could never shut up.

 greta used her metal frame stamp to post the check in date on the inside flap. i had two more days left until it was technically due but i was a fast reader.

"i wanted to see if you had any Crime and Punishment in paperback?" i ask feeling hopeful.

greta discreetly says no by way of a slight turn of her cheek. "not since you last asked me but i suggest you take a look anyway. after all, you never know what you might find in here." 

greta rotates her attention to a metal rolling cart that grouped together a variation of laminated covers of recently past due and previously used titles before they were then cataloged and went back on the shelves.

the open repository was spacious with plenty of comfortable sofas and empty tables to go around. unlike the dining hall, the library had tall windows that brought a soft earthen glow around every inch of space not to mention a beautiful view of the woods.

for obvious reasons it was my favorite place to be. reading was my hobby of choice as entertainment went.

i move my finger across a wide shelf counting down until i found what i was searching for and somehow managed not to jump for joy.

with Crime and Punishment finally in my possession i pick a seat in the back near a window. 

i open the book to the first page and begin to read. it was the perfect choice for me since i loved a compelling story written from a dark frame of mind.

"is that any good?"

i fold the corner of my page to remember where i left off at. i had a bad habit of forgetting what number i stopped at and so i always made sure to put a marker in the book i was reading. "yeah, actually, it is." i say.

i look up ready to defend myself. "not to be rude but what are you doing here toby?" 

though i enjoyed Gretas company i knew she would not hesitate in kicking me out for verbally disregarding school policy; it was annoying how she took the whole no talking thing seriously. many times i had seen her throw students out for even whispering to themselves.

i try not to make a big deal when he sits down in the single leather couch beside me and pulls out a book to read brushing me off. he wasn't violating my personal space because of the round table in between us.

even so, i squirm in my seat at his full attention. with toby around it was difficult not to feel antsy.

"truthfully?" toby murmurs. he looks at me in the eye.

i shake my head. yes. no. i wasn't sure what exactly i was saying to him. my thoughts were focused on surprise since i thought he was going to sit there and not say a word to me.

"i come here to get away from it all. quiet places relax me." he made a good point.

"that makes sense." although i went to the library in hopes of escaping the real world and the people in it. sometimes i just needed a break.

toby lifts an eyebrow mocking me. "does it?" he goes back to ignoring me and reads a nameless book that was covered with an ugly brown grocery bag.

i look down feeling stupid for bothering him.

silently i open the marked page and focus on the words but i couldn't seem to get past the first sentence.

i sigh agitated with my self control.

i look up at toby after trying and successfully failing to read the same line twice. his long legs were out wide and his back low as he put the open book to his face.

"do you read a lot?" i hear myself asking. 

my ears turn red from embarrassment. geez. could i be any more of a dork. what did i care about his love of reading? whatever. there was no way i could deflect the question now that it was out there and ready for him to pick up.

toby never withdraws from his stance on the couch. i had noticed that he kept the book in frot of him even after i had stupidly asked him another question. 

sometimes i could be so stupid, stupid, stupid. i couldn't blame him for not wanting this conversation i was apparently hell bent on having. he was probably wondering if he should answer me or not. 

a few agonizing seconds pass before he decides that im trustworthy of knowing his little secret. 

"you wouldn't believe this but up until a certain age i couldn't read low level childrens books. i rarely have time to just sit and enjoy myself with a good book in my hands like i want to." he says turning a page.

i shut up quickly. he came here to read and here i was sidetracking him with my questions. dr. cambridge said it was my way of deflecting uncomfortable situations. personally, i sucked at it. 

my social cues weren't the greateset hence the babbling.

danika, the really pretty asian, parades in front of toby without stopping once.

she intrudes his personal space by stealing his book from him. "we need to talk." she taps her black boot aggressively never once looking away from toby to acknowledge the girl that sat next to him.

not getting up from his chair toby snatches the book from danika without much effort. toby sighs when he realizes that danika wasn't going anywhere until he followed her.

i watch as toby rolls his eyes at danika. 

toby stands up and tuns his back to danika, winking at me as he indiscreetly puts the book in his backpack taking his time to zip it shut which i was sure danika knew was for her benefit judging by the knitted eyebrows, scrunched up nose, and slight lift of her mouth that meant she was irritated at toby for taking long.

grinning, Toby looks at me. "it was nice talking to you."

too surprised to say anything i was unable to come up with something cool as I watched toby hook the strap of his backpack and leave. 

danika shoots me a look and follows toby out of the library.

i sigh looking at the empty seat as if he were never there.