Crushing On The Geek (Crushing On You) (7 page)

      “I'm saying it how Greg said it,” Tamara said.

      “I think both of you need to stop listening to Greg. He's not
that
smart.”

      “Jealous, much?” Tamara laughed.

      “No. It's just that Greg has always been pretty out there.”

      “So what do you know about Sir Bedivere or Sir Bedwyr or however you want to say it.”

      “If you're talking about Sir Bedwyr, he was a knight of the round table.”

      “Like King Author and the Knights of the Round Table?”

      “Yeah,” Josh nodded, “See the thing he's best known for is throwing King Author's sword into the lake.”

      “So, he was a bad guy?”

      “No, King Author told him to, but that's neither here nor there. The statue might have been named for the guy from mythology, but it doesn't mean the it has anything to do with it.”

      “Then why are you telling me all of this?” Tamara asked.

      “Because you asked me,” Josh said.

      “Well, thanks for the ride, anyway,” Tamara said as she exited the car. “You sure you don't want to come and help me, Amber? Just think of all the times I've helped you shop.”

      “You'll be okay. As long as you don't rip up any books you won't have to worry about finding a good deal,” Amber giggled.

      “Fine,” Tamara said.

      Tamara pushed open the large double doors and stepped inside. She rubbed her palms together thankful for the warmth radiating from the walls. Her hands trembled as she walked from the lobby into the main part of the building. She had been here plenty of times before, but never alone. Standing here now without Amber made Tamara feel like a trespasser, a very lost trespasser, nonetheless.

      “Can I help you?” a familiar voice called from behind a roll of books.

      “I'm not exactly sure what I'm looking for,” Tamara admitted.

      “Most people aren't when they come here,” the librarian appeared from behind the row of books.

      “I'm just going to have a look around if that's okay?”

      “Sure, if you need help, just come and find me.”

      “Thanks,” Tamara said and ducked in between two rows of books. She looked up at the shelves, had they always been taller than her? Without bothering with reading the titles of the books Tamara moved onto the next row. The covers told her all she needed to know. Tamara was pretty sure trashy romance novels weren't going to help her, unless Sir Bedivere was using his offerings to court a lady knight piece. Tamara stiffled a giggle and quickly checked each row of books for anything that looked promising, wondering how Amber made it seem easy to find anything and everything in a library.

      She was about to give up on thefiction section when the spine of a book caught her attention. It was a white book with gold lettering and a tiny faerie with bright gold wings. Tamara was pretty sure it wouldn't help her, but it looked interesting at least.

      “Faerie Bella Goes to School,” Tamara read out loud, “Great. It's a kid's book.”

      “Sometimes, childrens' books are more insightful than adult books,” a lady said from behind her.

      “I don't think this is what I'm look for,” Tamara said looking over her shoulder. She blinked twice and the book fell from her grasp, clattering onto the floor. The woman was taller than Tamara by at least a foot. Her eyes instantly went to the woman's feet, thinking she must be wearing heels, but her pale feet were bare and her toenails painted a deep crimson. Her dress was black, billowing around her knees and fitted at the hips.

      The bodice was low-cut and Tamara thought the woman looked a little too old to be wearing a push-up bra, but with the cleavage the dress was showing, the lady must have been, but it wasn't her bare feet, nor the low-cut dress that had Tamara bemused. It was the glittering black wings she wore on her back. The wings looked to be custom made, the fabric was thick and looked life-like. Tamara raised a hand intending to touch them, but they fluttered. Startled, Tamara stumbled back three steps. Light danced through the woman's green eyes and her black curls bounced as if a breeze had shuffled through the building.

      “Those look really... well real,” Tamara said, stooping down to retrieve the fallen book.

      Halloween was creeping closer everyday, but it was too early for costumes. Besides, who were costumes to the library anyway?

      “Thank ye, lass,” the woman said. Tamara noticed a faint trace of a fake Irish accent.

      “Your accent needs some work,” Tamara said and reshelved the book.

      The woman laughed, making Tamara take another step back. The air vibrated over her arms, sending a chill up her spine. The lights flickered and for a moment Tamara thought the floor trembled beneath her feet. It stopped so suddenly that she couldn't be sure.

      “Oh, lass,” the faerie said breathlessly, “Ye be a funny one, but on to business, shall we?”

      “Business?” Tamara asked, crossing her arms and jutting out her hip. Just who did this woman think she was? Did she have Tamara confused with someone else perhaps?

      “Ye've a faerie problem,” the woman said leaning against one of the tall shelves, “Pissed off the wee folk, so to speak.”

      “What are you talking about?” Tamara asked, fighting the urge to roll her eyes, feeling the woman wouldn't take very kindly to it.

      “Well, ye gotcha yourself a faerie problem don't you?”

      “I don't think so,” Tamara said.

      “So, ye haven't had anything weird happen, then?”

      “How do you know about that?” Tamara asked, taking another step back.

      “It's me specialty after all, isn't it, lass?”

      “Look, lady, I don't know what you're talking about, but I'm fine really and now I'll just be on my way out the door,” Tamara said, turning away from the woman and quickly walking away.

      “Look here, lassie,” the woman said, cutting Tamara off a the next row of books, “Ye've got yourself a faerie problem. I didn't give it to you. You let that handsome lad lead you into pissing off the wee folk. Now, you've got to appease them. If you don't they'll never leave you in peace and you can forget about anything ever happening between you and that handsome lad.”

      “What are you talking about? I know you're all caught up in the spirit of Halloween, but lady, everyone knows that faeries aren't real.”

      “Think what, ye will, lass, but the problem won't go away on its own, ye know.”

      “I'm outta here!” Tamara said, stepping around the lady.

      “Leave our lands! Go on, lass! You're not welcome here, anyway, theif!” the lady shouted and Tamara heard an object zooming through the air. She ducked just before the thick book would have collided with the back of her head.

      “What the hell?” she turned on her heels, scooping up the book intent on throwing it back at her, but she was gone.

      Tamara looked down at the book in her hand. Its cover was as dark as the midnight sky and just as empty as a starless night, if that starless night happened to fall on the night of the dark moon as well. Tamara flipped it open searching for a title page.

      “Appeasing the Wee Ones.”

      “Appeasing the Wee Ones?” Tamara said out loud.

      “There are times when mortals must make amends to the ones they insult,” the first line read, “Mortals often trample over the lands that belong to the fae, the wee ones, the wee folk, the spirits of nature, and those of infinite names. It is widely known that these small people are not apt to quickly forgive nor overlook a trespass. They will pursue the smallest insult with determination. If you a brave (or stupid) enough to seek them out beware that the tides of nature side with them.

      Do not lie. Do not steal. Do not take what does not belong to you. If something is on their land, it is theirs. If you have need of it, it is best to ask. If no answer is given, leave something of equal use in the place of the object you take. If you make your home near the land of the wee folk leave an offering of milk and honey, to apologize for the trespasses you make in your ignorance.”

      Ca-caw ca-caw, the screech of a crow echoed through the library. Tamara glanced around, wondering who had let the crow inside. Had it came down through the rafters like the starling did that one time in middle school?

      The bird screeched again and Tamara turned on her heel, deciding that she was ready to leave. The black book was tucked firmly under her arm, because Tamara wasn't so sure the woman in the strange costume hadn't been right. They had taken something that wasn't theirs. It could have been a faeries.

      Another screech sounded, closer to Tamara this time. She looked over her shoulder to see the bird flying towards her, the tips of its wings brushing against the edges of the bookshelves, knocking books off if they stuck out too far. The crow wasn't slowing down. Tamara doubled her pace, taking long, quick strides. The bird screeched again and she covered her ears, still holding tight to the black book. Not sure what else to do Tamara made a run for it.

      The crow's wings cut swiftly through the air and it let out another screech. Tamara let out a startled cry and rounded the next corner, cutting down another row of shelves. Surely, now that she was out of the dumb bird's way it would let her be. The crow flew around the corner and headed for Tamara again. She was panting, her heart thumping against her ribcage. What the hell did this damn bird want?

      She turned to run, but this particular roll of shelves ended with a dead end. It went nowhere, except the back wall of the library lined with high shelves. Having no other defense against the bird, Tamara raised the book in front of her face with both hands and squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for impact.

      The crow didn't fly into the book. Instead it came to a stop just above the book. Its wings outstretched and flapping, to keep it up. It turned its head to one side and looked at Tamara with a single large round ebony eye, making the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Her grip on the book faltered and it slipped from her grasp. The crow's black talon's wrapped around the book's cover and it squawked at her before flying off, carrying the book. Tamara chased after the bird, hoping to retrieve the library book, knowing her mom would pitch a fit if her account was fined for a lost or stolen book.

      “No running in the library!” the librarian shouted, slamming the book she was reading onto the check out desk. The thump it produced echoed through the library. Several other patrons looked up and Tamara felt the heat rising on her cheeks.

      “That crow took a book!”

      “What crow?” the librarian asked, crossing her arms.

      “You didn't see that huge freakin' bird?” Tamara asked, throwing her hands up, “It was huge! Even if you didn't see it, you must have heard it! One of you must have heard it!”

      Tamara looked from the librarian to the other patrons she could see. Everyone was shaking their head and a few, having grown bored of the spectacle returned to their books.

      “Really, young lady, just apologize for running in the library,” an elderly woman said, “There's no need to make up stories.”

      “I'm not making it up!” Tamara shouted, stomping her foot, “How could you not see it?”

      “I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave,” the librarian said.

      “What?'

      “You're disturbing the other patrons. I can't allow that at this establishment.”

      “Fine, but I'm not paying for the book the bird stole!” Tamara said and stomped towards the front doors. Laughter echoed behind her, sounding unnervingly like the woman who had thrown the book at her head. Tamara pushed open one of the large double doors and stepped outside.

      A thick fog had settled over the parking lot and the park across the street. Tamara pulled her hands into her sleeves and shivered. Not wanting to risk her mom's wrath with a phone call, just in case, she was out shopping Tamara decided it was best not to call her for a ride. A light mist of rain was beginning to form on the air, making Tamara wish she had her own car. Not that it was likely to happen. Even if she were to get an after school job her mom had made it clear that the entirety of the money would be deposited into her college savings account.

      Tamara walked across the parking lot, careful to keep her distance from the flock of black birds congregating around a piece of discarded candy. Her fingers trembled inside her sleeves as she began to mull over what had happened inside the library. She didn't want to admit it, but it was beginning to make sense. What else could possibly explain the tiny hand prints on her mirror?

      She retrieved her cell phone and punched in Hayden's number. It rang six times before he answered it. Was he angry with her for skipping out on practice? After all, she did suck at chess and skipping out on practice meant she would be even less prepared for the next tournament.

      “Thought you weren't feeling well?” he answered.

      “I'm not and the library just made it worse.”

      “Are you going to fangirl on me? What did you read that made you cry?”

      “What are you talking about?”

      “That's what girl's do when they read, isn't it?”

      “Yeah, some of them I guess,” Tamara shrugged, “but that's not why I'm calling you.”

      “Don't worry there weren't any notes from practice,” he chuckled.

      “Hayden, can you come pick me up at the library?”

      “Ah, so that's why you really called me.”

      “Well, not exactly. I do need a ride home, but I also need to talk to you.”

      “Don't worry about it. I knew you wouldn't last in chess club very long. So what are you going to do instead

      “What? No,” Tamara shook her head, “I'm not dropping out of the club. It's not that. Well, it's about the club, but it's not that. Hayden, this is going to sound crazy, so, I want to tell you in person.”

      “Why?”

      “Because if I tell you over the phone you just might hangup on me,” Tamara said, bouncing on the balls of her feet, trying to keep warm.