After the incident, she barely had acquaintances nor trying to have, being timid and hysterical self is her greatest liability; not even clarifying the incident to those who misjudged her; afraid of talking to others or couldn't stand another minute to chat random people she could meet. Aside from being timid, her overly sensitive self could not endure to pull off a tough face hearing remarks about her being a white Negrita for having petite frame, curly jet coal hair, shone to silver metallic when struck with the rays of fair sunlight yet fair skinned.
Having no guts to retort or do something about her weaknesses, she just focused her library works and diligently earning her scholarship while studying her hardest in maintaining her grades. She couldn't afford to be distracted not even someone she heard the girls babbling about as she used to hear; giggling same name of a certain guy in the campus whom she barely knew; her shy self could not stand to look a man properly that she kept her head low every time she managed to converse one after that unfortunate incident.
She just fixed her eyes to the books and the cards piled; somehow she felt she was never alone not even when Cecile started her job in the construction firm away from the university. She just deeply sighed at the thought of it looking the students started to fill the library.
It was the peak hours that the library was fully occupied that students come and go and raced to loan references for in-depth study of different areas. Covering someone's shift during her vacant time, she busily assist all students who wished to borrow references at the same time getting another book from the reserved area who would like to wish to scan it for a while. Getting rushed by the students while still learning at the library works, she was confused by the references title and getting trembling as every students received the incorrect one. Height disadvantage her when she was trying to get a limited book of drafting course that she tiptoed and tried to move the book with her index finger.
Getting success in moving it, she continued to get it with her ingenious plan but the book slipped out of her grasp. Looking at the heavy and large book falling in the mid-air, she anticipated how painful it must be getting bruise let the book fell off her; knowing it already with its hard leather bounded cover. She just closed her eyes to receive them silently.
Getting a loud and hard hit, she just dizzily picked and offered the book to the next borrower who happened to be the guy whom she encounter in the registrar as well as her classmate in some drafting courses, Robert. She placed it gently before him; trembling while grasping the book and stuttering while instructed him to fill out of the borrower's form.
Robert followed her instructions and handed her the card afterwards. Sherrie silently prayed that he somehow will not recognize her or else she would be a laughing stock of the school as well as terrifying subject to be ridiculed. She was about to place the card in the organizer but she became uncomfortable to his silent long stares; trying to calm herself forgetting she had a big bruise on her head.
He just grabbed the book and started to pace few steps away from the front desk. Sherrie inhaled deeply as he walked away; scanning the guy's borrower's card once more and looked for his name. It was Robert Arancon. She placed it neatly at the organizer again and politely assisted the next student before her.
After her shift, Sherrie sat at the benches under the acacia trees; patting her bruised head from the accident earlier while waiting for her next class to attend. After refreshing from her shift, she headed towards the next subject's building and familiar person headed to similar direction when the university clock rang; it strikes at exact 3 in the afternoon on a cloudy weather.
Trying to be invisible from everyone's attention, she purposely found a seat in west side of the back corner of the room. She just focus on the coming instructor but to her surprised, a cold touch from the ice pack wrapped in white handkerchief gently rested in her head. Sherrie looked beside her and discovered it was Robert, displaying his calm face and warmly smiled at her. She timidly responded back and silently glad while having a tight grasp of the ice pack in her head. Replacing her head bruise with an unaware mute smile behind.
As the class dismissed, she immediately leave the room and headed to the library for her shift. Sherrie rushed her way so that she could arrange all the new books arrived and put them in the proper section and circulation so that she could too write the book report for the literature class.
"Sherrie Pineda!" a voice behind her startle her that she dropped her draft of her book report for literature class. She quickly pick them up shakily and she froze when Robert bent down and handed her the few pages of her work.
"I'm sorry, I startled you." he apologized as he straighten himself up as well as she does. She shook her head trying to calm herself before she speak.
"No it was really my fault."
"No, I insist, the fault is mine." he charmingly admitted.
"I'm not talking about my literature report," she started and tried to grab her thoughts to apologize. "I'm sorry for the incident in the register last enrolment. I didn't purposely trying to harm or harass you. It was an accident that my hair was caught in your polo's button."
"Oh that? Nah, forget it. Nobody even remembered it. It was really an accident, I could even attest that."
"Don't be nervous, I won't tell them though," he said to ease her tension and letting her feel comfortable afterwards. "Are you heading to the library perhaps?"
"Yes."
"We could somehow go there together, I will return the book I loaned the other day. It was already due I might have penalty in my school clearance." hitting the novel's hard cover in his grasp and created a loud thud.
Looking it was a novel place in literature section, she smiled knowing it will due tomorrow as per policy that it will took 5 days to due from the day it was loaned.
"You won't be charged anyway." she remarked confidently and she unconsciously smiled of the thought of it.
"Really?" he clarified as if he was still reading the book he loaned. " I was on my last chapter on it."
"You could borrow it again."
"Nah, I needed to focus next week's quiz, my mom would be hysterical and nag me countless times if I couldn't even pass."
"Ah about the analytic geometry subject?" she inquired and trying to propose a reference to begin with.
Robert nodded in agreement and really geared to pass that quiz.
"If you like, I could suggest what book is good to review for next week's quizzes." sounded like a whisper but he listens intently.
"Sure. I'd like that."
They almost reached the library building but it was Robert's friends directed their attention.
"It was my friends over there. I have to go Sherrie." he smile gently and started motioned to his friends.
"It's nice to meet you too." she silently replied as if Robert could hear it afar.