The Library

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I saw Mei again on Monday.

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She was in the library. Same seat. Same book. Same long sleeves.

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I walked past her and sat down two rows away. I didn't bring a book this time. I just sat there.

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She noticed.

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She looked up, met my eyes for half a second, and then looked back down. She didn't ask why I was there. She didn't ask me to leave. She just kept reading.

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I watched her for a while.

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She read the same book. She'd read it before. She turned to the last page first, always. She read the ending, then she went back to the beginning.

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She never checked the book out. She just read it in the library and put it back on the shelf.

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She never sat with her back to the door.

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───

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After an hour, she closed the book.

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She looked at me.

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"Why do you sit there?" she asked.

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"Because it's quiet," I said.

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"There are other quiet places."

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"I know."

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She stared at me for a long moment. Then she looked down at her book.

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"You're strange," she said.

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"I know."

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She didn't say anything else. She just opened the book again and started reading from the beginning.

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I stayed for another hour.

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I didn't read. I didn't write. I just sat there.

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When I got up to leave, she looked at me again.

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"Are you coming back tomorrow?" she asked.

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I thought about it.

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"Yes," I said.

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She nodded.

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I walked out of the library and into the hallway and out of the school. The sun was going down. The air was getting colder.

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I didn't know why she asked. I didn't know why I said yes.

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But I did. 126Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Kcsso0HnD

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