Poison

[ 4 ]

I sit at the desk and slowly check in books. I try my best not to look at the clock, knowing that dong so would just frustrate me more. These shifts are short but they draaaaag on. One can only check in so many books before they get tired of it. People rarely come to me for help. No one really uses the computers and no one ever checks out books. In fact, I'm almost positive no one even knows where the library help desk is.

I stare at the dwindling pile of books, knowing that once they finish I'm stuck here for the next hour and a half with nothing to do. Just as I go to grab the next book, I hear someone clear their throat. I look up and am confused to find Asa standing a few feet away with his large phone in his grip. He's dressed in casual apparel- a white t-shirt sweater, black joggers, and matching sneakers. His face is slack and he looks like this is the last place he wants to be. You and me both.

"Hello," I greet him, unsure as to why he's here. Does he need help? Or did he see me and feel the need to say hi? I highly doubt the latter so I assume he needs some kind of assistance.

"Ivy, right?" he responds with the same bored look on his face.

"Yes," I confirm with a short nod.

"I need to find a book," he informs me in a dry tone. He takes a long stride over to me and slides his phone across the desk. My fingers stumble over the keys as I type the information into the computer and press search. For some reason, I feel nervous under his scrutinizing gaze. I can't help but wonder what's going through his mind. He probably thinks I have no sense of style; he always catches me on my off days. When I finally find the book he's looking for, I relay the shelving information to him in hopes that he'll nod and scurry off. He doesn't even try to act like he understands; rather, he blinks at me for a few seconds before sucking his teeth. "That made no sense."

I roll my eyes but stand up with intentions of showing him where it is. I start in the direction of the shelves but he remains in his spot. I pause and wait for his footsteps to come but they don't, so I look back at him and raise my hands. "Are you coming or what?" I ask in a slightly impatient tone. His shoulders slump and he lets out a small grunt before trailing behind me. I run my finger along the spines of the books until I reach the one he's on the hunt for. He doesn't even bother checking and just tucks it under his arm. Satisfied, I return back to the desk to check it out for him.

"Can I see your Student ID?" I request with my palm extended.

"Why?" he questions skeptically with slightly furrowed brows.

"So I can steal your identity, of course," I retort before motioning to the book. "Don't you want to check this book out?" I trail in an attempt to diminish his suspicion.

He takes his wallet from his pocket and hands the plastic card to me. I swipe it and look at the information that comes up on the screen. Asa Carmichael. I wish it said more, like his grade for example. Maybe I should've worked elsewhere where the information was more plentiful. Or maybe I can stop being a creep and finish this transaction.

I stamp the book and hand it back to him, along with his ID. "It's due in a week," I inform him as he picks it up.

"Okay," he replies. I give him a nod before he turns and leaves me alone at the desk. I glance at the clock and sigh when I discover that only ten minutes have passed.

When I get off of my shift, I meet my best friend Aaliyah outside of the library for lunch. I haven't seen much of her because every day this past week she's gone home right after her classes. She surprised me by proposing lunch for Thursday so I obviously agreed, having to push it back a few hours because of work. She doesn't seem to mind judging by how she greets me with a tight hug.