Thrust Into His Arms

GWENETH

This is not the first time that Calix had crossed a line. But this one is just so creepy.

I became startled and immediately slam the locker door shut when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I looked to see a girl. I do not know her name. But I know that she is an exchange student from England. We always encounter each other in the library. It is apparently her favorite school place too.

"Sorry if I scared you." She apologizes, her tiny voice carrying a deep British accent that sounds almost royal.

"The librarian said to tell you to return the books you took." She informs, and it jogs my mind off the creepy discovery a little and into the two medical and anatomy books I had taken from the library two days ago. The librarian had been very uptight about letting me borrow them.

She only relented after a lot of pleadings. I don’t know why she is particularly stringent when it comes to the medical and anatomy books section. It is very natural of her to send someone to remind me like this. "Okay I will." I tell her and she leaves. The books are in my bag, I should just go return them now and come back later to this. I have not seen Rex. He indeed told me that he would be a little late today.

I am starting to think that I should tell him. It is too much and too uneasy to keep to myself. Courtney’s death, and those things in my locker.

I sight the librarian coming out of the library on my way there. "I see you got my message." She says. "I was planning to return them." I respond. She asks to see the books and I handed them to her. She looks at the covers and flipped the pages, perhaps looking for any food stain or missing pages. I did not snack while reading through those books.

When I felt a snack crave, I put them away to prevent any stains from getting on it because she had warned me on that. "Treat them like treasure because they are treasures." She had said.

"Pass. You can go put them back in the aisle." She gives them back to me. "I am heading to the nurses office. I will be right back to check if you really put it there. And if you must take any other medical books, wait until I get back. Okay?"

"Okay." I enter into the huge library. It does not cease to amaze me every time I come here. I found just one person, and that person soon leaves. Now I’m alone in the large space.

It is like this sometimes at first period. But I have never been alone here before. It feels so calming. If only it can always be like this.

There are tons of books at every shelf. Some are piled into a small mountain at corners. I can almost smell them. New, not-so new, and very old ones. It is therapeutic. My dream is to live in a large, luxurious home where I can have my own personal library.

I will put in all the books I can get my hands on. The thought brings a smile to my face. I really hope it comes true. I walk around some of the space, touring through sections that I have not yet gotten to. The history teacher doesn’t come to class quickly which gives me time to do all this. If I go late, so be it. There would hardly come another opportunity like this. It’s great to be alone in here.

Whoa! They even have political books here! I take some books, smelled it and flipped through pages. I put them back on the shelf, turning to leave.

And my heart almost jumps out of my chest when I see Calix standing there behind me. Dread immediately starts creeping and drying up my bloodstream. "You scared me!"

How long has he been there? Wasn’t I alone in here?

There is a dangerous aura around him right now that I am literally holding my breath. "What do you want?" I forced my voice to come out to sound steady and strong, but I am collapsing inside from fear. That look he is currently giving me is sharp enough to carve flesh from bone.

I gulp.

It is about those presents.

It seems like I am in for it in his hands today. My pause is literally everywhere. My throat, my ears my hands.

"Why did you throw them away?" He asks, tone and voice dangerously like a river calm on the surface, but has strong currents and predators underneath.

"I—"

"Don’t you dare deny it. I saw you." I knew he had seen me, but this is a dangerous confirmation. "Was it you who put them in my locker?" I ask shakily this time. "Fucking answer my question!" He snarls, standing just a few inches away from me in the blink of an eye.

It is daunting to look at him right now as he is lethally furious. But I forced myself to look at him and hold his gaze.

"You’re right. I threw them away." I admit. Lying is not an option. "I could not keep them, and I knew that you won’t take it back if I try to return them."

"Were they not enough for you? You could have just said so."

"What? No it’s not that!

Those were even scarier than the Tulips.

How could I keep them when it came from you?" I fired.

Something strange flickers in his expression. I didn’t see it long enough to catch it as it was soon replaced by a glacier and laser look combined. I don’t know why I am feeling the need to apologize. But I do not. "I have to go to class now." I say hurriedly, trying to leave. But he stops me, grabbing my arm and throwing me against the bookshelf with a brutal and forceful impact that would have caused me and the bookshelf to fall over if it was not sturdy. His huge frame cages me in, leaving me no escape. I can feel the angry heat rolling off him.

"You could not keep them because it came from me?" He asks.