LETHAL

chapter 8

"hey Sheldon," I said enthusiastically at the lanky man who stood in front of my desk.

"hey, Lia. how's it going yeah?" he matched my tone and spoke loudly leaning on the desk and kissing my cheek. I blushed like always and smiled up at him.

"everything is fine Shell. just some school stuff." I shrugged as he looked around the library.

"why didn't you come by on Wednesday?" I questioned, as it was his routine to come and spend some time here.

"I had some urgent work to do. couldn't make it. why? did you miss me that much?" he flirted with a wink and I almost laughed.

"stop it Shell. what will your lovely wife say?" I stated and the man had snickered on my question.

"oh she will surely come in my dream and whoop my ass." he shrugged and I couldn't stop but laugh this time. Sheldon lost his wife some years back and since then he come here every other week and take home tons of books. he sometimes sit at the tables here whenever he feels down and I sit down with him to keep him company.

Sheldon suddenly turned to the side when he heard footsteps approaching my desk near the door. Enzo stood there with a clenched jaw and hard eyes but why? I had no idea. "I'm stepping outside for a smoke." he muttered before leaving. I looked at him through the blinds and true he stood near the street lamp, smoking. didn't he know smoking was dangerous and injurious to health?

"love is in the air?" I was snapped out of my reverie with Sheldon's voice. I looked at him stunned before furiously shaking my head.

"what? no! absolutely not!" I felt the need to come clean. "he's just my schoolmate."

"yeah, and I am just a fool." he retorted and I looked at Sheldon with a weird face.

"come on. don't tell me he didn't step outside because he was burning in jealousy?" Sheldon said and I looked at Enzo again through the blinds. he stood right there but this time he was talking to someone on the phone.

"you're crazy Shell. we don't even know each other that well" I justified but it seemed Sheldon wasn't taking any of my statements seriously.

"well whatever. but the boy seems to not belong here." he said as he followed my line of vision and stared at Enzo along with me.

"Yeah, I heard he's from another country." I shrugged as I looked away from Enzo and concentrated back on Sheldon.

"let's leave him be. tell me did you bring the books?" I asked changing the topic. it wasn't going anywhere really.

"yeah, I did. here they are." Sheldon placed the huge package of books covered in a brown paper bag.

"thanks. let me just enter them into the system, till then you can choose the other books you want. you know the route to your favorites?" I said like always and Sheldon nodded before going deep inside the Library, he knew the shelves here like the back of his hand. he was really too good.

I busied myself in work when Enzo entered through the front door and didn't spare me a glance and headed to the table where his stuff was. I saw him placing his things back and coming back to the desk.

"what needs to be done now?" he asked nonchalantly.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "you haven't been to a library before?" I asked surprised and he nodded shrugging his shoulders.

"well, you can place the book here and I'll cut out your name from the system." I smiled at him before doing as I said.

he waited blankly and I got done with his stuff. "you're good to go, have a nice day." I said professionally and Enzo just gazed at me without blinking an eyelid.

"cool." and just like that Enzo left the place. I wondered why did he even show up. he could've just done his assignment through the internet. but it wasn't my headache to worry.

the day went smooth for the next hours and before I knew it, it was time to head home. I called Valenie to know if she needed anything from the departmental store and when she didn't say anything to bring, I hopped on the bus that dropped me near the apartment buildings.

I was hungry and tired. I just had coffee and some biscuits for lunch and it was already dark outside. I decided to order pizza once I reach home.

I got inside the apartment with my set keys when I heard Valenie talking on the phone. it must be her younger sister Marie or her sweet boyfriend. and remembering her sister I remembered my own elder. she will definitely have my head one day. she was just about to give birth and her husband, Drake was afraid of her tantrums as he was the only one at their place.

God. I needed to go visit them and our Aunt in Austin. she was calling us since years to come visit her. we planned to take a plane down to Austin once I get done with my high school. just a month was left and I was very eager.

waving at Valenie, I blew a flying kiss her way and headed to my room which was once a total mess when I left in the morning and now everything was at its place. God. Valenie must have gotten tired cleaning the whole day.

I planned on thanking her with a gift or food and enjoy our Sunday tomorrow.

"Lia you are back." I heard Valenie and I put on a baggy shirt with my panties before getting out of the room.

"yeah Val." I said. "you were busy on the phone so didn't disturb you!"

"oh yes, it was Mom. she was asking at what day we will be returning. everyone is missing us there." she said sadly and I ran to her and hugged her.

"hey, it's just one month now. we'll be visiting them the moment we graduate." I said, kissing her cheek and she nodded wiping the stray tear that escaped her eye.

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