Moving the trolley from shelves to shelves, Maya collected and arranged books according to their genres and sections.
Humming her favorite song, she was in high spirits.
She passes by in between the horror and mystery sections, she comes to a hault. She tilts her head in confusion,
There shouldn't be anyone in the library by now, it's late. She looks at her watch and it just clocked 8pm.
Leaving the book trolley, she slowly approached the sleeping princess.
Her head rests firmly on the open book, she must have fallen asleep while reading.
Long brown hair, long lashes, small smooth pink lips and a small nose. The sleeping beauty is a beauty indeed.
Maya pursed her lips as she stared at the girl, she knew her, she sees her often at the library. She always seats at this spot here next to the big windows.
Maya never knew she'd get to see her this close up.
"Very pretty" she muttered.
Then came the feeling, the feeling of wanting to touch this sleeping beauty without waking her up that is.
Unsure of which position to stay in order to feel even if a strand of her hair. Maya squats opposite to her. Right now she was facing her hair. Slowly she reached out
"Almost there" she whispers to herself. She lowers her hand and got caught in the fiercest grip ever, to think someone who sleeps so delicately can have a firm grip as strong as this.
The sleeping beautys eyelashes flutter as she opens her eyes. She's oblivious of her surrounding and had no idea someone's arm was being crushed under her will.
Maya winced in pain. The sleeping beauty finally takes notice. She lets her wrist go and gave an awkward laugh
"I'm sorry it's reflex" she said apologizing.
Maya rubbed her wrist, she was completely taken aback by how much the sleeping beautys beauty was, she was pretty earlier while asleep but now, with those piercing green eyes and that soft beautiful voice she's even more, no shes gorgeous.
"Miss?" She calls out causing Maya to come back to reality.
"I'm sorry I hurt your hand" she apologized again
Maya nodded "it's no big deal. Such a strong grip you got there"
The sleeping beauty laughs awkwardly and mumbled a yeah. She takes a deep breath and exhes slowly while smiling, "the temperature's cool here, I must've fallen asleep".
She closed her book.
"Here I was thinking the book must have been boring and you just slept" Maya said with a laugh but the sleeping beauty just smiled. So much for trying to initiate a small talk.
"Uh....the library is closed now you need to go home" said Maya.
The sleeping beauty widens her eyes, shes taken aback "really? What time is it", she hurries her phone from her bag underneath the table and its past 8pm already
She sighs thinking back to her cat kiki at home, she must be hungry by now.
She got up on her feet, picks up her bag and hands Maya the book she had. "I delayed you right?" She asked
"No no, I was just closing up when I saw you" Maya scratch the back of her hair.
"Okay. I'll get out of your hair now" said sleeping beauty.
Maya was somewhat disappointed, not much as a name from the sleeping beauty. At least she's not rude.....
Suddenly it starts to rain heavily with thunder and lightning sounds in the sky. They both looked outside the window in a daze. Maya immediately remembering something cursed out loud
"Shit! My bike! It's out there", Maya throws the book to the book trolley and dashed out of the library with sleeping beauty running behind her .
Maya is faster and reaches the door before her, "hurry, hurry up sleeping beauty" she calls out. Maya locked the door and ran outside.
"It's soaked" Maya groans as she drags it out of the rain. She sits on the stairs case with a sigh.
Sleeping beauty comes down to join her. Still standing, she pulls out a portable umbrella from her bag, always prepared.
"It's cold out won't you stay inside to warm up?" Sleeping beauty asked
"Nah I'll just hang here till the rain comes down a little, if I ride now there's a chance I'll be in an accident. What about you? Isn't it too cold to walk under even with an umbrella" asked Maya in return.
The sleeping beauty stands for while calculating. She certainly can't afford drugs and treatment right now, it'll be safer if she waited here....but with her?.
Coming to a short decision, she sits a few inches away from Maya on the same staircase.
They both sigh into the cold air. The awkward silence between them was like an abyss, a dark void slowly eating you up till there's nothing left.
"Well you like the library a lot" Maya breaks the unending silence.
The sleeping beauty raised an eyebrow, "what do you mean?" She asks, unsure of what Maya was getting at.
"What I mean is having specific days and time for doing something, doesn't that mean you like it a lot" Maya clarifies but the sleeping beauty still is confused
"What are you getting at, what times and days"
"Well you come over to the library on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and sometimes Sundays and strictly by 4pm and you leave by 7pm. You love reading books don't you" Maya said
The sleeping beauty was baffled, she giggles "seems like I've got myself a stalker" she says with a smile
Maya , feeling embarrassed immediately denied "no no nothing like that I'm not a stalker definitely not stalking you, I just happened to be places at times, I just like taking notes of stuff, I'm not a stalker nope" said Maya in her defense.
The sleeping beauty laughed at the gesture of Maya, she looked cute when flushed.
"You're right I guess, I do love reading books, my mum was an author maybe that's why" sleeping beauty replies while staring at the pouring rain. She rests her arms on her folded knee and rests her chin on her arm. She exhales.
After a short silence, sleeping beauty giggles again, "my name....is not sleeping beauty " she said