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Melanie

"Why is the food here always so disgusting, like is it too much to ask for some options that are actually edible?" I remarked as I pushed around a dry piece of chicken with my fork. The dining hall food was by far the worst thing about college, and I liked to complain about it as often as possible.

Alana rolled her eyes at my complaint, "Melanie stop trying to change the subject! Please come out with me tonight. Just one party, I know you will have fun if you give it a chance."

Every weekend she tries to persuade me to join her at whatever frat or house party she is attending, always to no prevail. This time I just smile and shake my head no, getting a defeated look in return.

"It is totally fine, I am going to go to my spot and finish this book I am really into right now. It is a mystery and I have to see who the murderer is." I explained knowing she wouldn't really understand.

My special spot is on the top floor of the library, a place where basically no one goes. There is a corner surrounded by book shelves that I like to sit in, next to a window that looks out over the entire campus. It feels like I can see everything up there without being bothered by actually people. In the month that I have been on this campus for, I have never run into anyone up there so I like to call it my little corner of campus.

Alana finally gives up on trying to get me to go out and goes back to picking at her food, not wanting to eat it either.

———

By the time I made my way toward the library it was about 8 pm and already getting dark. As I walked, I passed houses with greek symbols I didn't recognize with people loitering around them.

I headed into the library, going straight to the top floor. No one was around, probably because it was a Saturday night and the only books on this floor were academic ones.

I sat down in my corner and got out the murder mystery I was currently reading. As always, I grew engulfed into the story and before I knew it, an hour and a half later and I only had about a hundred pages left.

All the sudden as I was reading I heard a noise that seemed to be growing louder and louder. In the months I have been here no one has ever come up here on a weekend night, or really ever for that matter. I started to get nervous as I heard footsteps coming toward me, already on edge from the book I had been reading.

I stood up and looked through the stack of books closest to me in an effort to see who was coming but couldn't see much of anything past the large wooden bookshelves. My curiosity got the best of me and I decided to get up and investigate. I stood and walked to the end of the bookshelf and stepped into the aisle, however, I was abruptly met by a hard surface that caused me to teeter a moment and eventually stumble backwards.

I looked up to see who the large torso belonged to, to find a guy around my age looking down at me. Instead of speaking, I stood there staring like the socially awkward nerd that I am. I have never really had much luck speaking to anyone from the opposite sex, or really people from the same sex for that matter.

After a rather long silence, the stranger in front of me finally spoke up, "I'm sorry, are you okay?" I intended to let him know that I was fine but it came out as more of an inaudible mumble.

I assumed that after my uncomfortable response he would walk away, assuming I was just some freak and never see me again. Instead, he spoke again. "Do you by any chance know where I could find the history books? I know that the guy down there said they were up here but I have never been on this floor so I am a little lost."

As much time I spent on this floor, I never actually looked at what the bookshelves contained, I pretty much always made a b-line for my corner and got right to reading my book. "I'm sorry I actually don't know," I responded, this time much more audibly. And before I knew what I was saying, I added, "I can help you look if you would like."

Where the hell did that come from? I was already making enough of a fool of myself, I did not need to prolong the encounter and make him think I was an even bigger dweeb.

"Yeah if you don't mind, that would be great." He responded with a smile.

His smile was one of the cutest things I have ever seen. That paired with his perfectly messy brown hair and athletic build made him look kind of perfect. I'm sure it has gotten him his fair share of girls. But the girls he would be interested in are nothing like me, much more like Alana, I remind myself as I head back toward the books with him following closely behind.

"So what is your name?" He asked from behind me. I stayed with my back to him, finding it easier to talk if I didn't actually have to look him in the eyes, and answered, "I am Melanie. What is your name?"

He took a moment to answer so I turned around to see if he was still following me, "I am Hunter," he answered seeming a little thrown off.

Weird.

"Alright, what kind of book are you looking for?" I questioned, figuring it would be easier to look for the book if I actually knew what I was looking for.

"Oh right," he chuckled, once again giving me his charming smile, "It is for an American history class. I need a book on the Civil War because apparently my professor is from the 1800's and wants at least one of our sources to be a book."

I laughed lightly at his joke and nodded my head. I remembered seeing a few of American history books in the shelf across from my spot so I make my way over there with Hunter following close behind.

Him being here was pushing my anxiety to the max, so my goal was to get him his book and then go back to my little corner with my book hiding from the world and people like him.