His Touch Remains

1. First Encounter

I stretched my arms and rubbed my eyes while yawning after finishing my dreadful inventory. My eyes got itchy after focusing on the books and newspapers for more than an hour. I craned my neck from side to side to ease the tired muscles. Doing the inventory was the most exhausting part of this part-time job.

A loud roaring of a motorcycle from the road below awakened me a bit. It was already dark outside when I peeked on the window near me.

"Overtime again," I groaned. I lazily walked towards the librarian's desk, on the right side of the double door that unusually stayed still the whole time I was working.

It's almost a month since I started my part-time job. Fortunately, it fitted my class schedule. I didn't plan on getting the job but I wanted to try new things. Or more like... I'm redirecting my life back to its normality. This was the most suited side hustle for me while studying.

Although it's boring when I'm alone—waiting for students to ring the chime—I also got to relax because the quietness of the place. It was the one thing I lack and I finally found the perfect place for my peace of mind. I couldn't bare to lose it the third time around and this library was a perfect haven for my bothered being.

The chime rang which signaled the arrival of someone inside the small Parisian library. Lana's shoes stomped with the wooden floor when she hurriedly walked. She stopped in front of the table, panting. Her eyes were gaping while her mouth was in search of air.

"L-Leslie, I'm sorry. Our last prof d-dismissed us late," she said when she finally recovered but her uneasiness was evident with the way she spoke.

I stood and reached my bag on the top of the drawer behind me. "Obviously. Anyway, I just finished the inventory."

"W-Wow! Thank you. I'll make it up to you tomorrow. I'll come here one hour earlier so you can end ahead of time." The stiffness of her face loosened up a bit as she smiled at me awkwardly.

"Sure. I'm going." I slid my bag on my shoulder and walked to the door. I was about to open it when someone familiar pushed it from the other side. I tightened my grip on my tote bag as my mood turned sour upon seeing the most annoying girl at St. Clare University.

"Oh, look who's here," Louisa's irritating high-pitched voice reverberated in my ears. She raised an eyebrow at me, crossed her arms, and intentionally bumped her shoulder on mine. "Step aside, loser!"

I was shoved backward, making her friend Venice walked inside easily, smirking at me like it was a victory seeing me stumble.

"Pathetic loser," she spat while looking at me with mockery on her face.

I gritted my teeth in pure annoyance, still controlling the fire inside me that's slowly burning. But one more flick and I could see myself getting out of hand. One thing's for sure, one of my problems was controlling my triggered emotions.

They sat at the middle table like they always do at the school cafeteria. This was an unusual appearance. They don't belong here. There's no way in hell they will study or read books. That would never happen even after the world ended. So I opted to stay for more minutes.

"Thank God you stayed." Lana let out a breath of relief. "You're the only one who can stop them if ever they make a scene here. Students will be coming by quarter to eight. What if they will be so loud or something?" she worriedly asked.

"I won't let that happen." She went off to arrange the catalog while I sat back on the chair. I rested my back on it, my eagle eyes observing every move of the two girls who scattered their mirrors, make-ups, and cellphones on the table.

I smirked and rolled my eyes. Really? At the library? And in the evening? These girls do not know their right places may it be here or at school.

Louisa and Venice were known to be the famous queen bitches in school. The typical brat girls who knew nothing but to put colors on their faces but not with their attitudes. They bully weaker students because they think they were the rule. It's bullshit. When did fame become one? That's pure arrogance.

They were like barbarians in the modern world and I couldn't stomach it fairly because I could sympathize with the victim. It's cruel but I could be crueler to the oppressive.

"Hey! Can't you see we are using these chairs?! God... what about those chairs? Are you blind or you just want to piss us?! Dumb."

My mind was brought back to reality upon hearing the enraged Louisa. Few students have entered and it was a pity that the girl chose the wrong person to ask for an extra chair, considering that it was just their bags sitting on it. I straightened my posture and tapped my fingers on the table, waiting for a green color which means a go signal for me to interrupt.

"S-sorry. I didn't recognize it's the two of you." The girl's voice quivered. She looked down and pressed her palms together. She's slowly consumed by her nervousness and fear combined.

"Move..." I whispered to myself. My eyebrows twitched when she raised one of her heels as she took one step back with so much uncertainty in it. "Come on..." Is that it? Just one step back?

"Where do you think you're going?!" One side of my lips curled up when Venice did not fail what I expected of them. Too bad for the girl, huh. "Here, put all of these inside our bags and carry them for us until our service comes here." She pushed their things to the girl's side.

She gullibly stepped forward. One by one, her meek hands picked up the make-ups, lipstick, and other things hovering on that side. The avoidance of eye contact as she was looking down was the only thing keeping her brave, I'm sure. But Louisa and Venice kept on teasing her. They were pulling her hair, pushing her head, and mockingly slapping her cheeks.

"Come with us loser," Louisa chuckled and stood so does Venice. The former flipped her hair and looked down to the students near her, showing disgust in her reddish face that made her looked like a clown—funny. The girl followed them from behind.

"Here I go..." I said to myself. I stood and leaned on the side of the table, shifting my weight on it as I crossed one leg in front of the other.

"Hey, Leslie! It was nice fighting with you today." Louisa smiled at me with so much fun and tapped my shoulder as they passed beside me.

I smirked. I was fast to catch her hand on mine, not wanting to let her go. "We're not done yet," my voice hardened, turning my head on their side confidently. "I told you not to touch me."

"Ah!" She miserably crashed on the floor when I shoved her hand with so much force. Venice and the girl gasped seeing Louisa knocked off like a bullfrog rolled by a dump truck. My eyes became playful with the satisfying view and with the fact that students inside saw her in this unexpected situation. I am that strong now, huh.

"How dare you?!" She regained her stance when Venice helped her get up. "Ugh! G*ddamn it!" It's funny how she could still smoothen her pink short skirt and hair while feeling furious. What a talent!

"Go!" I motioned to the girl who was just standing on the side, shocked. She dropped their bags and immediately ran back to the tables.

"F*ck! Come back here you loser! You listen to me and not to this...same kind of yours, loser!"

Venice tried to catch the girl's hair but I stood in front of them to stop any more damage. "Get your bags and leave this place peacefully," I calmly asked.

"No" Louisa shouted, making the students behind us stood in rescue but none of them moved even an inch. I could hear the tick-tock of the clock above the door followed the rhythm of everyone's heartbeats.

"Back off 'coz you won't stop us whatever...saving...you would do for those pathetic students like you! You will pay for this Leslie!" Her voice thundered, shamelessly stepping forward to level my glaring eyes.

Every day at school felt like a survival game. Seeing students who bully others just because of their arrogance and fame made me crave justice. I felt the need to fight them, maybe because I was tired of living like a turtle inside my shell for more than two years.

I was finally breaking free. Moving here in the small town of Adelaida gave me a newly found confidence partly because no one knew who I was. No one knew and that's the biggest takeaway in deciding to live here. I was beginning to start anew. To be bold, to fight, and not to be victimized.

"I will pay only if you deserve the payment. But, " I looked at her up and down. "You are worthless," I smirked.

Her chinky eyes went wide. It complemented the reddening of her cheeks upon hearing my horrible remark. "W-What did you say?"

"Do I need to shame you again? Well, you deserve more of it!" I spat angrily.

"Ugh! Don't try me b***h!" She burned with irritation. She grabbed my collar and pushed me to the nearest bookshelf, causing me to feel a stinging pain on my back when it hit the hardwood. My breathing hitched but I did not give her any sign of weakness.

The students gasped and moved back. I saw Lana moving to who knows where and Venice smirking on Louisa's back.

She pinned and locked her arm around my neck. "Don't push my limits, Leslie! Know your place! You are just a newcomer and you already have the guts to play with us?"

I gripped her arm around my neck, also leveling the intensity of her gaze. They were on fire as well as mine.

"I am not playing with you. I am teaching you how to play with me. I don't tolerate your actions and if those students don't dare to fight you back then I will!"

"Huh," she smirked. "You are no hero. You're just no one who acts as if you have something to show off. I bet you came from a dirty ragged family. Just look at these old... cardigan and t-shirt of yours. You're a rat-poor and pitiful girl who wants attention. Back off!" She pressed her arm deeper on my neck every time she uttered her words with intense loathing, almost strangling me.

She didn't know what she's talking about. No one knew who I was and I was a mystery for all of them. Everyone was intrigued but they couldn't possibly know who I was except that my surname is Cervantes, a commoner in this town. I was no one for her but I couldn't be just that.

"Nonsense. If you think I am like that then, you are the worst. You are very low, a loser, and more pathetic than the people you bully. Sorry, but l refused to be your victim and you will never get away from me. Do whatever you want and I will haunt you down whatever it takes."

With that said, I used all my strength to push her aside. I immediately walked to the desk and grabbed my bag. Lana came running on the door, we ended up bumping with each other.

"Sh*t."

"Leslie," she said, panting again but I continued leaping down the stair. "I called the—" I did not hear what she's saying anymore. My blood was boiling and I didn't want to listen or even talk!

My footsteps were heavy. I turned to the short aisle going to the coffee shop which was located on the first floor of the same building. I was looking down and my thoughts were on Louisa, cursing and killing her on my mind. Then again, a large and hard body bumped into mine.

"Ah! What the hell is wrong with you people?!" I stumbled backward but I pushed the man and did not bother looking at him except for the skull printed on his black shirt. Still annoyed with everything, I ran out of the building without looking back at the man calling me.