“He’s staring at you.” Finn announces, snacking on an apple. His crunching startles me more.
“Would you get out of here! Go with your friends.” I grumble. He just laughs it off.
Another person comes up behind again. I swear I am debating on just staying at this point, particularly all the kids are gone and there are a few stragglers.
“He was staring at you. When are you going to jump his bones?” Layla pops in beside me. I roll my eyes. There is more to him than just to jump his bones.
“That will never happen and the day I talk about my sex life in detail will be a cold day in hell.” I cross my arms.
“Uh huh, keep telling yourself that, honey,” Her and I start to walk out the door. There outside, waiting and holding the door is Keola. The golden hour sun hitting his eyes, illuminating his exposed skin. He glows with the radiance from the light, captivating every dirty thought in my head.
Instant horniness comes. Layla and I see the last kids out as they walk towards the direction of the library.
He lingers behind me, a wave of clean scent, mixed with a dose of orange. Like the man just came out of the shower and orange caressed his skin. Normally, I’d pass on that, but with him it is light and addicting.
I can see Layla smirking, “Lottie, you keep looking like you’re about to bust and I’ll play cupid.”
“You push me in that direction, you won’t be back after break.” I joke with her.
“Yeah, you can try but you won’t survive without me,” she laughs. Someone catches my eyes.
Marcus.
Marcus hangs back. But something in him, silent, reserved.
An alarm in my head goes off.
I walk quicker up to next to him.
“Hey bud.” I say softly, trying not to scare him off.
His solemn eyes gaze over at me. “Hi, Ms. Lottie.”
“Ms. Oh sweetie, come on.” I nudged him. “Now when do you call me that?”
He shakes his head, but no hint of a smile on him. All I want to do is console him. Tell him that, unlike my upbringing, emotions are not weakness, rather strength and power.
“What’s going through that head of yours?” I ask him.
He shrugs. No response. Yet I can see the wheels turning in his head. He had been quiet and healing physically, but emotionally and mentally waiting for a cure.
“Listen.” I know he’s listening. “Do not think that me, the workers, or even Cedric are disappointed in you. You got stuck with something that may have been out of your control. But it does not mean that me or anyone else won’t have your back. Know this, you came back to us,” I say to him, hoping the words would reach him.
He glances over. His eyes steady on me. “You knew a safe place for you and you came back. I am so proud of you for that. If you ever want or need someone to talk to, I hope you know I will always be here.”
I wish I could fix what is going on in his head.
But unfortunately, we can’t. I have to accept that he hears me and that he will come to me or anyone else when he needs us.
The library for some is a safe haven, an escape from reality or the troubles of the world. I see the kids all sprawl out, taking their own paths for themselves. Everyone has their favorite section, mine is the religion section.
Located in the far left corner of the library, snuggled in the corner with chairs and tables for a study area that is hardly used, hidden amongst the classics.
I thought I was alone, as my head tilts looking for what may be new or something I could revisit. But when a wave of fresh orange hits my senses, my heart skips a beat.
“Keola,” I softly growl out. Not what I needed right now. My head is already stuck in a tailspin, I didn’t need his help.
He comes closer, a sense of heat, tells me so.
