2. Parchment Paper
…
…
…
Seventeen's hands began to ache from flipping through countless of books. He has spent 2 whole hours trying to confirm his suspicions and hazy memories, but to no avail as he set the final book in the empty gap in the bookshelf.
Sigh.
He turned to look back at the bookshelves, all lines together like a sick labyrinth of knowledge with was useless to him. Well, his grades would say otherwise.
"Excuse me?"
Seventeen's ears almost perked up as he turned to look back at a young woman he recognised from some of his classes. His eyes darted down to her uniform, reading 'Library Asisstant' on a badge pinned over the breast pocket of her blazer.
She pushed her black framed glasses up and looked up at Seventeen. "Are you okay? You've been here for a long time flipping through books… do you need help finding anything?"
Seventeen washed with embarrassment. "Oh… haha… no, I'm good. Thanks though."
"Oh? Okay." She turned and walked away,
"Actually, wait a second!"
"Hm?" She turned back again. "Yes?"
Seventeen out his hands togehter and stepped towards her, an awkward grin on his face, showing his imperfect teeth. "Do you maybe… have any geographical books?"
The girl raised an eyebrow. "Uh… yeah, I think so. Are you a geography student?"
"Sure."
"Sure…?" She shook her head dismissively. "Whatever… I'll check in the back for you. Anything specific?"
"The oldest one you can find."
"Is this the kind of assignments you geography students get? Weird…"
"…Yep."
The library assistant left to check in the room behind the social area of the library. Several minutes later, she returned carrying a dusty, old brown leather book with numerous wears and tears. "Here you go."
"Ah, thank you!" He took the book off her hands. "When shall I return it?"
"You don't have to. I don't think anyone's gonna use that again anytime soon."
"Seriously? Wow, okay." He tucked the rather large book under his pit. "Thanks again." He exclaimed as he left the library, vernturing in the corridors once more. It was only then when he realised how much time he wasted by aimlessly flicking through books. He looked out the window; it was dark already. Well, it is the middle of December.
He left the building and following the footsteps in the snow towards the dormitories of the Unawakened students. While making his way there, he placed his feet in an already existing set of footprints in the snow. He knew they belonged Evangeline, despite being a little snowed over. He could tell because they wore the same make black leather winter boots.
Her feet were only an inch or so smaller than his.
'What a gorilla', he thought to himself.
As he made his way to the dormitories, he passed a group of 4 of the Awakened students, identifiable by their maroon necktie. One of the boys, quite a burley boy with a buzz cut approached Seventeen, who he matched in height with.
"What've you got there, normie?" His voice condescending, the eyes of his friends watching him from behind.
"Book."
"Obviously. What kind of book, huh? Looks like it belongs in a museum."
Seventeen scoffed and continued walking past them. "It's almost as dusty as your mothers cunt, eh?"
A few "oohs" could be heard from the group as a hand gripped Seventeens shoulder from behind with great tenacity.
Seventeen looked back, his eyes drooping slightly. "What?"
The burly boy moved his hand to the back of Seventeens neck, attempting to choke him as he lifted his other hand. Little holes began to sprout from his palm, letting out hot steam as he grinned. "Apologise, and I'll let you walk awa-"
Seventeen didn't waste any time, and smashed the spine of the hard, leather book against the boys crotch, causing him to drop to his knees as he wailed in pain.
"Argh!"
Seventeen looked to the side, watching his friends rise from the bench which they sat on. He quickly got behind the burly boy and grabbed the boys right wrist from behind with great strength, moving the steaming hand to his own face, keeping it at only a few centimetres away from his face.
Seventeen looked up at the boys friends. "Stay there, or he gets air fried."
The 2 boys and the girl stood still, worry plastered on their face.
"Okay… okay, man! Let him go, we're sorry."
Seventeen thought for a moment. Maybe he should just burn him a little. I mean, who'd believe him if they told the teachers that an Unawakened student caused that? No, they probably wouldn't even tell anyone out of pride. He sighed and let go of the burly boys wrist.
"…Hm. I guess I kinda started it too, anyway."
He adjusted the book under his pit again and followed the snow covered trail back to the dorm, leaving the students to tend to their friends tore testicles.
He followed Evangeline's footprints once again, making sure to grind his feet in the ground with every step. Further down the pathway, he noticed that her footprints turned sideways at one moment, facing the raspberry bush which he left behind.
"Hmm?" He walked to the bush and down at the abundance of raspberries which fell to the ground due to the climate. "Maybe she likes them?…"
He gently tugged his black, fingerless gloves back as he began to pick at the remaining raspberries which were still on the bush. There were only around a dozen, give or take one. He gently wrapped them in a tissue and carried them as he made his way to the boys half of the Unawakened dormitory.
'Boy's Dormitories: Room 8.'
He turned the doorknob and stepped into his dorm: a 4x4 meter room with two desks, a plethora of schoolbooks on each, a full body window on the far wall and a bunk bed, the bottom bunk accompanied with a young man.
"Hey, Reio."
The blond haired boy was slouched in his bed, unable to respond. His freckled face was red and his eyes were staring holes into the ceiling. He just responded in a faint groan.
"…The fuck? You good?" Seventeen gently slapped Reio's cheek.
"I messed up, man…"
"Huh?"
"I added some weird powder to my rice earlier thinking it'd make it taste better…"
Seventeen snorted and slapped Reio once more. "You add powder to rice?"
Reio sat up, holding his stomach as he leaned back against the headboard. "Yeah… it said 'meat tenderiser', but I don't think it was.'
Seventeen placed the old book onto his desk as well as the raspberries and looks at Reio with an amused expression.
"Meat tenderiser, yeah?"
"Yeah."
"Meat tenderiser… for meat."
"…Yeah."
"Some genius you are."
Seventeen pulled the chair out and sat at his desk, brushing his sleeve against the hook to dry the melted snowflakes on it.
Reio looked over Seventeen's shoulder. "Watcha' got there?"
"Book."
"Huh? Why? You never took studying seriously."
"It's a geography book. Boring, I know."
"Uh-huh." Reio laid on the bottom bunk and faced the window, watching the dark, misty sky block the moonlight. "Wait… boring? Weren't you a geography student at one point?"
"Once upon a time, yeah. Now shut up, lemme read."
"Okay, okay…"
Seventeens hands trembled slightly as he began to open the book. Was this it? Would this confirm his suspicions? Would this explain these memories and where they come from? I'd there truly an inner world?
He opened it, greeted by the contents page. Dust few off with every page he flipped. As of now, there was nothing out of the ordinary. The pages were a white crinkled, but it was readable and most of the diagrams were untouched, as well as disproving. After quickly skimming over half of the book, around 70 or so pages, he slid it across his desk, and against the wall in a small fit of anger.
"Fucks sake…" Seventeen sighed and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Mhh?" Reio acknowledged Seventeen's frustration, but his attention was quickly shifted onto the window. "Sev, ya hear that?"
"What?" Seventeen looked at the window too. Reio was right, there was a faint tapping noise against the window.
The boys stood up and walked towards the window. Though dark, the moonlight illuminated two small, bush green eyes with black slits, and a round pit of black fur.
"Fattie?!" Seventeen exclaimed, loud enough to be heard from out the window.
"Mrrreeooowwww", Evangeline's cat replied.
Seventeen opened the window and reaches to pick the cat up. "C'mere you plump little shit." He cradled the cat like a baby and pulled it inside. He let it roam on Reio's bed. "Go play with your deadbeat uncle."
Reio chuckled as he play fought with the cat. "What's the deal with this thing anyway? He's been coming up here everyday for the past week now."
"I know his owner." Seventeen replied, sinking into his chair as he watched the two.
"Really?" Reio gently lifted the steel tag on Fattie's collar. "Evan…geline, huh? Gotta meet her someday."
"You already have."
"I have? When?" Reio blinked and looked at Seventeen.
"Like… everyday at lunch?"
Reio stared at Seventeen, his eyes widening a bit as his face contorted into bewilderment. "You're with HER?! Man… talk about punching."
"Nobody's with anybody." Seventeen scowled as he went limp in his chair.
"Unlucky."
"Shut up."
Seventeen turned to face his desk once more. "Oh, right." He pulled open his desk drawer and took out a little parchment bag which he pu5 the raspberries in, tying it shut with a piece of string. "Fattie." He called out to the cst and gently pat his lap.
The cat punched onto Seventeen's lap and perched on it as he snugly tied the small partchment bag onto his collar.
"Go give this to her for me."
Reio chuckles. "Such a gentleman."
"Always."
Fattie began playing with the pens and papers on Seventeen's desk, pushing them off the edge. It's claws tugged in the leather of the old book, which he also tipped over the edge and onto the floor, followed by a thud.
"Hey!" He picked Fattie up and looked at it. Seventeen sighed and stood up, carrying him to the open window. "Bedtime." He lightly pecked the cats forehead, watching the felines ears twitch in response as he let it out the window.
"Shoo."
"Bye Fattie!" Reio shouted.
The cat ran into the night, the jingle of his little bell getting fainted and fainted until no more.
Seventeen sighed and walked over to the side of his desk, picking up the stationary that was tipped over.
"…I can't believe it. Someone as ugly as you has got a girl like her."
"We're not dating."
"Somehow I don't buy that."
"Then don't, I couldn't care less." As Seventeen lifted the book off the ground, some of the pages opened and a small piece of folded paper fell out, of the back of it. Seventeen stared at it for a moment before picking it up.
"You know I once had a cat, it was called Dongle-"
"Reio, shut up." Seventeen ordered sternly. He opened the paper, feeling his mind get light for a moment as he read what was written in neat, old cursive.
'To whomever may be reading this, I know why.
This book will only be opened again for one reason:
To decipher the truth of this 'world'.
You are like me, and there needs to be more of that.
I'll be the one to tell you that this book will not help in the slightest.
There is a second library under the first with all the knowledge you desire.
Whether you can figure out how to get there or not is up to you.
Prove yourself worthy of the truth.'
- Victor Amodean.