The Simmons public library

The Simmons public library was a melting pot of the haves and have-nots, a mixture of homeless people and the wealthy older residents of the nearby neighborhood.

Everything seemed out of place and a visitor would often mistake the library for the home for the elderly. Since I grew up here in Simmons, I wasn't a bit surprised by that. 

I walked closer to the Librarian, greeted and told her my reason for being there, which was a compulsory community service option the principal gave me for bathing my friend's legs with diluted acid by mistake.

The Librarian looked at me like I was filthier than the homeless people who hanged around the library. I could tell that the principal had told her all about my compulsory community service.

“Go and dust the books in the shelves. Be careful with those blue shelves, they are temporary plastic shelves that will be replaced anytime the Town chief remembers that there is a library in the town. Don't rest on the shelves, they might fall over." She dished out instructions.

Looking around, just to see if there was a possibility of seeing Adams, my crush from school, the room appeared even more rowdy.

I heard that he visited the library often and that made my compulsory community service to the Library sound fun. 

I picked the books, dusted them and put them back on the shelf. My mind wandered back to the previous week at school. Greg, my childhood friend had told me that Adam would certainly not like to be with a girl prone to accidents like me. After hearing his statement, my skin hair stood erect like they wanted to fight for me. All those insults were too much to hold in.

I just dropped what I had in my hand, with the intention of walking out of the lab and never talking to Greg again but, the scream from Greg made me realize that It was the conical flask, with slightly diluted acid in it that I dropped.

Its contents spilled on Greg's shoes and the lower part of his trousers.

“Adam would never want to be with a girl like you who is prone to accidents.” 

His words hunted me again.

 

I tried to redirect my focus to the books and how to please the Librarian so that she'd put in a good word for me at school. 

“Hey, is that Percy Jackson's complete book series you are holding there?”

A voice startled me.

The realization of the owner of the voice startled me more, my blood turned to ice at that instant. It was the first time Adams would talk to me directly.

I turned swiftly, without dropping the two books I held out.

Being too close to the shelf, and the fact that Adam's presence made me lose control of my impulses, I rammed the book I was holding into the books railed in the temporary shelf and they all came tumbling down at the other side of the shelf. 

An old lady, who seemed oblivious to the whole situation tapped me, to ask for something I didn't even hear well and, I made a jerk forward without thinking about anything else aside from Adam's breath. Immediately, I tipped the temporary shelf off it's stand and its entire content fell on the floor with me at the top. 

I could feel the gaze of almost everyone around burn into my skin as I struggled to get up. 

The Librarian came over with obvious hatred for me.

"I warned you about this, didn't I?"

I nodded meekly trying to hide my tears. For that moment, I forgot that Adam was still standing close to me until his deep voice echoed in the room.

"Ma'am, she is not at fault. I startled her without knowing. We are sorry ma'am, We will clean up this mess as fast as we can. I promise. Just don't report her to the principal."

My cheeks heated up into a blush. I looked at the Librarian too, giving her my gentle I-am-not-as-bad-as-you-think look. 

"Okay, but you guys had better clean up this mess before I change my mind."

I sighed in relief, as I turned to start picking up the books. 

"You are hurt." 

He exclaimed, bringing my notice to the cut in my hand from the nails on the shelf. 

His hand found it's  way into his pocket and then to my hand, wrapping my wound in his handkerchief.

"Just sit over there, I will handle this. "

I sat at a nearby chair, watching him closely. My cheeks still heated up in a blush.

"Maybe the community service wasn't so bad after all," 

I said to myself.

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