My Wife

The school bell rang ten minutes before the hour and doors in the hallway burst open forcefully as students spilled out into the hallway in a jumble. The sounds of voices and clattering footsteps thundered in the wide stone corridor. Five young men walked down the middle of the hallway as if they owned the place. The crowd split naturally like the Red Sea. Something about them made people pause to stare. At first glance, one would think it was their good looks but in actuality, everyone knew of their superior family background. After nearly four years of University life, the gossip had reached all corners of the school and no one dared to get on their bad side. A young man with honey-blond hair and shining emerald eyes stood out— Henry Farley, nicknamed “Adonis” because one could only admire him from afar. In his twenty years, he never had a female companion, focusing entirely on his studies and building work connections. The others in his group were quite similar, consisting of young men from old money, heirs to their family’s wealth, and all bachelors by choice. Some would call them responsible but only they knew the reason for their abstinence. “Hey Henry, it’s Friday, you want to go to a pub to let loose? It will be our last time before exams.” Henry’s calm green eyes met with Ethan Jenkin’s eager brown ones. “No thanks. I’m going to the study hall.” The other young men looked at each other in confusion. “Why? You never studied this hard before, not that you need to, you’ve aced all your courses so far.” Henry didn’t offer a response and simply broke off from the group, heading towards the library. The others only hesitated for a second before running after him. Something was off about Henry and they wouldn’t miss it for the world. *** The library was quiet with only the rustling of a turned page or a muffled sneeze breaking the stillness. No one bothered to look up as the group of young men pushed open the heavy set of mahogany doors and walked in. No one interesting ever visited the library on a Friday evening. Henry didn’t waste any time and walked straight to the back and sat at an obscure corner table. Leaning back, he grabbed a random textbook off the shelf behind him and propped it up in front of himself before huddling down so only a tuft of his golden locks was visible behind the huge text. His friends raised a brow and exchanged confused looks before they emulated him, squeezing in at the same table. With an annoyed grunt, Henry jabbed at them with his elbows and waved his hands urgently, shooing them away. Zayn Abdalla, a handsome Arabian man, wrinkled his nose and gave a small huff before rising and walking behind a bookshelf. Grudgingly, two more got up and shuffled around until they found a hiding spot that gave them a clear view of Henry but wasn’t conspicuous. Only Ethan, the… most inquisitive of the group remained next to Henry, refusing to give up his front-row seat despite Henry’s physical prompting. Wincing from the jabs, he stubbornly squeezed closer and tugged Henry’s book over to partially cover his face. Henry growled quietly but eventually gave up trying to drive away his pig-headed friend. After a few seconds, Ethan peered over the book to scan the room furtively and whispered, “What are we doing here?” Henry placed a finger to his lips and he checked his watch. Only two more minutes… There was a plop at the desk in front of him and Henry and Ethan tentatively peered over the top of the book to see a young woman with long brown hair settling down at the desk in front. The familiar gentle scent of flowers and licorice wafted over and a smile tugged at the corner of Henry’s mouth. After she sat down and pulled out her workbook, she lowered her head to review her notes, ignoring everything around her. At that moment, Henry lowered his book and stared at the woman's back. Ethan propped his face on his hand looking between the two young people with a goofy smile, but a swift stomp on his toes set him right. Ethan stifled a groan and his face drooped over the wooden table. He turned towards his friend, his watery eyes blinked expressively at Henry’s impassive face as if trying to understand why his friend was so ruthless. Henry glanced down and curled his lips in a silent snarl and when he glanced up, he found himself looking into the woman’s eyes. Blushing furiously, his head whipped down to his text and for the longest time, he couldn’t look up again. The others hiding behind the bookcase exchanged knowing glances, smirking at the absurd discovery— Henry Farley had fallen in love.