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Adora sees her sometimes, in the Bright Moon Library where she works. The girl doesn't talk to anyone, or make any noise whatsoever. Yes, they're in a library, so being quiet is kind of the modus operandi, but it's not quite the same.
No, this girl seems to have a constant scowl inhabiting the place where Adora's convinced a gorgeous smile is supposed to be. Adora, however, has no evidence of this, because Adora's never seen her smile before. Not once.
What does she look like?
Also mostly a mystery. The girl wears hoodies religiously, always with the hood up and covering most of her head. She's a brunette, at least, but Adora couldn't tell you anything more specific about how she styles her hair.
From the few times the girl has approached the desk when Adora was there to check out her books, Adora's only managed to catch glimpses of the girl's eyes under her glasses. Sometimes, they look blue; sometimes, they look green. Adora thinks it must be a trick of the light.
There's freckles across her cheeks. Adora's swears they're arranged differently every time she sees them, and she wants to count them one by one, mapping them out like the stars.
Adora also swears that the girl wears earphones whenever she's in the library. A few times, she's caught a glimpse of a white wire poking out from beneath the girl's perpetually up hood. Adora wonders what she's listening to, wants to ask, but never does.
The girl never scowls at Adora. Not once.
Adora's oddly proud of this fact. It feels like it makes them closer than they are, somehow. Even though Adora's just a librarian, and the girl is just an avid reader of...
Adora looks down at the books the girl has passed her to scan through: Six Ways to Skin an Egg – a murder mystery set in 2050 where the murder weapon is an egg. Between the Stripes – a comedy novel about a man who discovers he's a zebra in disguise but remembers nothing from before. And Lookin' Good – a mushy romance novel that Adora's pretty sure is 98% useless gays, in space.
An avid reader of random novels, then. No set genre. Which is definitely a pattern, because this girl often checks out two or three seemingly random books at the beginning of the week, and then by the end of the week returns most or all of them.
Adora looks up at the girl in front of her and quirks a quizzical brow, but when the girl meets her eyes for a fraction of a second she quickly turns away to look towards the entrance where Doris, another regular, has just managed to push open the front door.
Doris will take about 10 minutes to cross the floor to her favourite section, then she'll remember she has books to return and bring them to the desk, and then she'll go back to searching for more. This takes her about half an hour, and then Adora won't see Doris again for an hour or three while she reads through all the blurbs for the second or third time because she never remembers what they're about, bless her.
Adora loves Doris, she always has some random remark about her hair and how it looks better than it did the last time she was in, even though Adora never changes her hairstyle. The ponytail is just practical for while she's working, so Adora doesn't consider doing anything else with it.
Adora smiles to herself and scans through the books so they're on the system as checked out, then scans the girl's library card so they're assigned to her. The main use of the card is so Adora can ring up and pester people who don't return their books on time. Usually it's excuses like "I haven't read it yet" or "It was terrible so I stopped reading it, do I still have to return it?" or "Who is this and how'd you get my number?".
The girl looks back up as the receipt finishes printing, which Adora promptly tucks inside the cover of the book on top of the pile. She then places the library card on top of that, and slides the stack back across the desk.
The girl mumbled her thanks, tucks the books into her backpack, and leaves without a word.
There's no one else loitering near the desk, and Adora has about 15 minutes until Doris comes back with her returns so, naturally, Adora checks her phone.
(4) New Messages in BFS
Bow
My dads keep asking me when I'm bringing you guys over for dinner again! I swear they like you more than they like me! Their own son!
Glim
It's because of our boundless charm, obviously. Or they just know we're a food influence on u
Bow
You are anything but a good influence
Glim
Wow rude
Adora can't help but smile. The Best Friend Squad (Bow named them that in college and the name just kind of stuck) has been going round to the Archer's for dinner once or twice a month for the last few years. Every time it ends in some of game, which descends into some kind of chaos. Ever since the three members of the BFS became legally old enough to drink, they tended to get a bit more out of hand. Especially when they played Just Dance on Bow's ancient Wii that, despite itself, still works just as good as the day Santa left it under a younger Bow's Christmas tree.
Adora
You know we love your dads, Bow. I'm still free most Sundays, unless the library decides to change its opening times again
Glim
That was hilarious. I can't believe u thought they were purposely locking you out
Adora
I didn't have a key back then! Not my fault they decided to close on Sundays so the cooky old lady who repairs the damaged books can have the run of the place
Bow
Sounds like your fault for not checking your emails
Glim
Arent u at work right now? Why r u here
Adora
Oh sorry guess I'll go. I see I'm not wanted.
Glim
Is there tea
Adora
Maybe
Bow
Ooooo mysterious girl back again?
Adora
Maybe
Glim
Just ask her out already and be done with it
Adora
I don't know how!
When have I ever succeeded in asking out a girl!
Bow
There was that one girl in college who asked you to a flower show?
Adora
Yes... but that was her asking me, not the other way around.
Glim
Just do it Adora or i swear ill come down there and ask her for u
Adora
I don't even know her name!
Glim
So ask!
Bow
Wouldn't it say her name on her library card? Or on the system for what books she's checked out?
Glim
Bow ur a genius. This is why i love u
Adora
Gross
Glim
Ur just jealous
Bow
What she said
Adora
And i don't want to find out her name that way, it feels like cheating somehow.
Glim
Literally the only other way is to ask
Bow
Is she scary?
Adora
I've never seen her smile.
I want to.
Bow
Maybe you could try and make her laugh? Have you ever tried small talk?
Adora
No she just passes me her books and leaves when I've scanned them.
Glim
I can't believe how useless u r
Its actually infuriating
Adora
Yeah well maybe i wouldn't be as fosdbihjsjw
''Dora!'
The sudden shout made Adora jump and she had to scramble to not drop her phone, accidentally pressing random keys as well as the send button along the way. Great.
Doris was standing across the desk, holding out a couple of their older romance novels and waiting for Adora to grab them.
Adora bolted into action as soon as she realised what was happening, pocketing her phone and taking the books from Doris carefully before scanning them through.
'Sorry about that Doris.'
'Bah! You young'ns and your screens. It's no trouble, 'Dora. I'll be back in a few. Love what you've done with your hair!'
'It's A-dora!' Adora called after her, for perhaps the hundredth time, but Doris just waved her off with a flick of her creaky old wrist.
Adora put the returns on the trolley behind her and pulled out her phone again.
Glim
Wouldn't be as what?
Did u die?
Hello?
Bow
I bet she dropped her phone
Glim
I bet she tripped
Bow
I bet she fell asleep
Glim
I bet she rocked too far back on her chair and fell
Bow
I bet she walked into the corner of the desk again and stubbed her toe
Glim
I bet she walked into the book trolley and is picking all the books up
Adora
Guys!
Im fine
Doris just made me jump
Glim
That was my next guess
Bow
Sure
Glim
It was!
Adora sighed and leant back in her chair, being careful not to lean back too far. Unfortunately, Glimmer's guess about her falling off her chair was not entirely made up, as it had happened a couple of times too many for her to try and defend herself.
The rest of Adora's shift passes by quietly and uneventfully. Doris manages to make it out in record time, and Adora heads home soon afterward with a quick "I'm heading out, see you on my next shift!" to Spinny, the library director.
Adora is subjected to a "useless lesbian intervention" as soon as she gets home.
***
Judging by mystery girl's previous comings and goings, today is the next day she'll be in. Adora has been pestered all week about asking the girl out, or at least asking for her name, anything to get her to stop pining after someone she doesn't even know the name of because she's too scared to ask.
What if it's too forward? What if she stops coming because she thinks I'm hitting on her? Well, I suppose I sort of would be, because I'd love to take her somewhere.
When the girl walks in, hoodie-clad and standoffish as usual, Adora's resolve just sort of melts like a forgotten ice lolly. When the girl storms past her desk, practically slamming her returns down for Adora to scan them back in, Adora almost jumps out of her skin at the forcefulness of it all. Before she can get a word in somewhere along the lines of please don't do that the girl is already gone, stomping off into the library like someone on a mission.
Adora just scans the books automatically, trying not to wonder too hard about what's got the girl so worked up. Sometimes she'll snap at people when they're in the way, or glare at others for being too loud. So being in a bad mood isn't especially surprising for her, but this somehow feels different.
The library is quiet today, Doris hasn't been back yet with her books, but that's okay, she still has another week on them. The only sound in the library is the girl's boots stomping around, heading from section to section with a kind of purpose that Adora hasn't really seen the girl display before.
Adora's watching her now, where she seems to have stopped just behind a bookcase, clutching four books in her hands and just sort of... standing there? She's not looking at anything, and she's not moving. Just as Adora is about to call out, the girl moves, disappearing behind the bookcase again for a moment before walking out again, striding towards Adora's desk with an intimidating ferocity. She slams the books down, making Adora flinch, and seems to be out of breath. Standing there, panting from rushing around the library to gather her books in record time, she looks anywhere but directly at Adora.
'Well?' The girl growls, tapping her foot on the ground impatiently as she waits for Adora to scan her books.
'Sorry!' Adora almost shouts, jumping into action to do her actual job, scanning each book as fast as she can so the girl's daggers-for-eyes can be aimed somewhere else.
With Me – A novel about a person who's haunted by the ghost of their log lost grandfather, who sends them on a quest to find answers. Maybe Someday – The tale of a girl who's boyfriend cheats on her and she starts writing music with this other guy to get over him. Grab a Drink – A guide to the best cocktails around the world. Would You – A story about a girl who's sister is hit by a car just after she leaves for college.
Adora, driven by muscle memory, slides the receipt into the top book, places the girl's library card on top of that, and slides them back over.
The girl just sort of stares at them for a moment, before looking up and meeting Adora's eye. 'You did it wrong,' she says simply.
Adora blinks. What? How did she do it wrong? She gets the receipt back from the top book and checks it over. It's as she thought; no mistakes.
The girl scoffs, laying the books out on the desk, 'no, dummy, you did them in the wrong order.' She rearranges them carefully, then looks up at Adora with the most bashful and nervous expression she's ever seen. It's not an expression Adora ever thought she'd see the girl make.
Adora looks down at the books.
Would You, Maybe Someday, Grab a Drink, With Me
Adora's cheeks immediately flush a deep scarlet, and she sputters, 'b–but I don't even know your name!'
The girl laughs. Actually, properly laughs. It's adorable, squeaky, perfect, and Adora wants to hear it again. Then she actually drops her hood, and Adora stares. She's got short brown hair, ruffled and messy, her eyes aren't either blue or green, they're both. Those details, added to everything else Adora's noticed about the girl...
To summarise, this girl is the most beautiful girl Adora's ever seen, and she wants to look at her forever. 'What, you never even looked at my card? Not once?'
Adora shakes her head slowly.
'Well, Adora,' she says, and Adora shivers at the way her name drips from the girl's mouth. She doesn't even question how the girl knows what her name is. 'I give you permission to look.'
So she does.