READ FOR ME

BAD HABITS

We made it a habit.

Swapping books everyday and talking about what we thought about them afterward.

A terrible habit that shouldn't be giving me butterflies. And that wasn't all.

For two, We also talked about how our days went and whatever we achieved or failed to do.

A habit I shouldn't fall accustomed to.

But I did.

For three, she was opened up to me about her mother's freakish controlling ways that she was enslaved to. Secrets for secrets, I told her about my mother's obsessive belief of curing my 'book' disease. Barbara giggled saying if that was a disease then she hoped she could catch it from me or something. Like some flu.

My class representative phoned me up complaining about how I was never there so I had sacrifice my library time and catch up with my education again. I hated it.

Stupid class representative for making me feel so guilty with his 'It's for your own good' and 'I know it's hard but it will end' chit chat.

I rolled my eyes as Madam Winiester went on about how there were twenty two national parks in our country and how Ngorongoro was NOT one of them because apparently, it wasn't a national park as we had been told for our entire lives.

For a second, I wondered if Barbara missed me?

No. But it didn't hurt to play with the possibilities.

She's obviously packing up right now, it's half past four.

--------------------------------

It was 6pm when my classes ended and without caring how idiotic I looked, I checked up the library.

It was closed, obviously, but I guess had a little hope that she was there.

Of course, she wasn't.

It was closed and all I had was the last book she gave me .. 'How Beautiful The Ordinaru' by Michael Cart. A wonderful collection of pieces from l***q+ writers.

Fuck. It had been three days and I felt like if I didn't a glimpse of those blue orbs I might die.

As if in cue, Mr. sweet old class representative phoned me up.

" Yes, Amir?", making sure he caught the hint of boredom in my tone.

" I know this is college, shouldn't be following you around and everything but we have class-"

" first thing at 7am tomorrow morning, I know."

" Yeah, exactly. Glad to know you actually know what's going on outside those books these days."

" Not like I have a choice", I rolled my eyes.

" Anyway, there's-"

" gonna be a quiz, I know.-"

" Don't-"

"miss, I know.", I sighed. " I'll try not to while pretending not to care that it's set on ungodly hours of the night which should be spent on my bed. Don't even get me started with the fact that it's a freaking friday."

Amir laughed. " Seriously, it's just 7am, C'mon "

" Exactly."

" And I'd really like to keep on enjoying your rants but I gotta go now, beautiful "

" Of course you do, CR duties I presume. Let me not make you late for that meeting. See you."

" Bye."

I began my walk to the bus stop the second he hung up and I swear I saw a familiar silver Audi pass by.

" One more day, Mack.", I breathed. " Just one more day."

I hoped I'm not the only one looking forward for our saturday date.

Wait, date?? s**t, I really need to get a life if I ever think a girl like Barbara would go on a date with someone like me.

"It's not a date."

That's what I've been telling myself all through the rest of the evening.

I had a book picked out for every day I didn't see her.

I wished she was the one listening to my rants and how horrible my day was, instead all I had to confide in was the f*****g wall.

I wanted to hear her talk about what annoying thing her Mom made her do this week so I could remind her, for the hundredth time, that her life was hers not her mother's, she's the one who should be in charge of it.

I wanted to hear her say something new about my book disease. I wanted to know her comment on every book she read because I think we were a book club of two.

I wanted to ... to .. to ... to .. to touch her thighs- Oh Lord God forgive me because that thought was becoming a habit too!

Shit, I need a book.