Chapter Twenty: Library
RILEY'S POV
I walked out of the class, making sure to stop by the teacher's office to collect our topic slip before heading to my next lesson.
The paper read:
Poetry Analysis
Topic: Invictus by William Ernest Henley
Due Date: Next Monday
I stared at it for a moment before folding it and slipping it into my bag.
Throughout the rest of the day, I didn't see Xander at all.
The next day was the same—no sign of him anywhere in school.
Maybe he really was sick after all.
Once school ended, I headed straight for the parking lot. Just as expected, Mason was walking toward me.
"Hey," I said, giving him a small wave.
"How you doing, Riley?" he replied, leaning against a car.
"I'm good. Um… do you know why Xander hasn't been in school?" I asked.
"Not really," Mason shrugged. "He just said he's not feeling well. If you want me to pass a message, I can."
"Yeah. Just tell him the project is due next Monday."
"Aight. I'll let him know," he said, waving before walking off.
A few minutes past four that evening, my phone rang.
"Hey, it's Mason. Kayla gave me your number. Xander said I should tell you to come over."
"Oh—uh, is he okay now?" I asked.
"I don't know. That's all he said."
"Alright," I replied before the call ended.
I stood up from my bed, went to the bathroom, washed my face, and lightly applied some powder and lip gloss.
When I arrived at his place, I rang the doorbell. After almost a minute, Jason opened the door.
"Hey, Riley."
"Hey. I'm here to see Xander."
"He's in his room. You know where it is," he said, winking.
"Just a school project," I muttered, walking past him.
When I got upstairs, I knocked gently.
"Come in," Xander said.
I opened the door slowly, peeking in before stepping inside. He was seated at his desk, head resting on his arms, his back to me.
"You're sick. We don't really have to start today," I said, sitting carefully on the edge of his bed.
"I would've called you anyway," he replied, sitting up.
I handed him the topic slip. He read it quietly, then looked at me.
"You good at analysis?" he asked.
I shrugged. "Let's research first."
I pulled out my books and sat on the floor.
He joined me.
By a few minutes past six, we decided to stop, even though we hadn't done much. Still, I realized something important—Xander was actually smart. Observant. Sharp.
He didn't talk much, and he looked tired, but when he explained things I didn't understand, he did it patiently. I didn't even mind feeling a little dumb.
At some point, I caught myself staring at him.
The way he analyzed a line, ran his fingers through his hair, then calmly explained it—I didn't realize how long I'd been looking until he lifted his head and caught me.
I quickly looked down, my cheeks burning.
"Are you coming to school tomorrow?" I asked, packing up.
"Yeah. We'll meet in the library after school," he said, standing.
"Okay."
Downstairs, I ran into Jason again. He winked—again—and I blushed—again. I also saw Kayla and Mason before heading home.
The Next Day
I got dressed in a short black jean skirt and a grey oversized shirt, left my hair loose, and headed downstairs.
After school, the bell rang and I packed my books, heading straight for the library. I chose a seat that wasn't too open, but not too hid
den either.
A while later, Xander walked in, his bag slung over one shoulder. I watched him approach before he sat beside me.
"Hey."
"Hey, Rachel."
That was it.
We got to work—him doing most of it, me trying to keep up while pretending I wasn't staring.
"Do you get it, Rachel," he asked, lifting his head, "or is my face explaining everything?"
"I'm not staring at you," I defended quickly.
"I never said you were," he replied calmly.
"Now listen, so it doesn't look like I did all the work."
He leaned closer to explain.
That was when a voice interrupted—
"What are you two doing?"