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The rain pattered down the windows outside of Nevermore Academy’s library. Inside, the air smelled like old paper and candle wax. Students sat at the many tables lit up by small lamps, noses in books, whispering among themselves, or came to find a place to get some rest. Lightning lit the glass windows, casting patterns across the floor.
Morella sat in the far corner of the library, away from the other students. She usually came here when she wanted a moment away. Whether that be to read something the library had to offer or to work on things she is learning from her classes. Though the schooling isn’t the same as when she was alive with reading, mathematics, and science and not about spectres and the like. Regardless, Morella found a strange, yet calming atmosphere in the library.
She would come with Lenore on some days, if she is up for having the company with her, but this time it was supposed to be Ada. Not that she had intended to ask her to come in today because it’s pouring outside, but Ada had come up to her in such urgency, she couldn’t say no. She needed help with studying for a test in Ms. Poppet’s class, and according to her, Morella was one her best options. And she’s late. Morella had told her to be at the library at 4:30 before the rain came, but now it’s 5:15 and she still hasn’t shown up.
Part of Morella is worried that Ada had flaked out on her and she’s not coming. The other part of her hopes that maybe she would and it’s just Ada being Ada and she lost track of time.
Morella turned another page in the book she was reading when she heard the doors open and clicking footsteps running across the floor. A chorus of shushes rise as Morella looks up to see Ada, running towards her. Strands of wet hair clung to her face and her uniform was soaked. Morella let out a sigh of relief as Ada slid into the empty chair next to her.
“You’re late.” Morella said, closing her book.
“I know I am,” Ada replied. “I have a group of friends too, you know.”
“For a moment, I thought you weren’t going to show.”
“Well, I’m here,” Ada murmured. “Now are you going to help me study for this test or are you going to sit here looking as cute as you can be and complain about me being late?”
A pink tint rose on Morella’s face as Ada stared into her eyes, waiting for an answer from her. But Morella didn’t say anything. She just opened up another book and sat it between her and Ada.
Let’s just hope that she is actually willing to study. Morella thought.
“Okay, let’s start here.” Morella spoke, pointing at one chapter. “I asked Ms. Poppet about what books she recommends for looking into spectres more. She says this would be our best bet. It would have a lot of things about what might be on the test, so you won’t have to stress about anything when it’s time to take it. This chapter is about our spectres and how they work, where they come from, how we can use them. Does that sound like a good place to start?”
There was no answer.
“...Ada?”
Morella turned to find Ada looking at her.
Not at the book’s pages. Just her.
“What?” Morella asked.
Ada didn’t speak immediately. Her eyes had that faraway shine to them. Her hair was still wet from the rain, curling at the ends, and the one strand was still stuck on her cheek. The lamplight made her features look softer, casting warm shadows.
Morella’s stomach did a strange little flip.
“Is there something wrong?” Morella asked again.
Ada blinked. “Nothing…it’s just…guess I’m tired.”
“Okay…” Morella raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Tired looks different to most people. You look completely distracted.”
“And what if I was?” Ada smirked.
Morella opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again. Ada is full of all kinds of surprises, but catching her off guard like this wasn’t one of them. And her words were not helping her keep her blush down.
Morella shook her head and pointed back to the book in front of them. Using her other hand to hide the creepening blush on her, though she was certain that she wasn’t good at hiding it from Ada.
Stay focused, Morella.
“Page eighty-two,” she said briskly, stammering over her words. Ada let out a low chuckle from her throat and Morella’s cheeks even got warmer. “Read from this second paragraph and take some notes as you go. We don’t have all night.”
Ada let out a low sigh and rolled her eyes. She leaned in, scanning the text with her finger as she read. She didn’t sound interested in reading the text, but the way she sounded as the words came out of her mouth was music to Morella’s ears.
***
The rain stopped a while ago. It was now dark outside. The tall windows of the library reflected nothing but the golden flow of the desk lamps. Most of the students had called it a night and went back to their dorms. There were only a few that stayed behind hunched over books and dozing off between pages. Morella was one of them. She was still at the same table, her finger grazing the page she’d just read to Ada — per the suggestion that they take turns reading to move along faster, but even then Ada has made that a difficult task — when she felt her gaze again.
It had been happening for hours since she and Ada opened up the textbook. The shifts in attention that Ada tried so hard to hide from Morella, the soft sighs, the half-sleepy and half-dreamy “uh-huh, I’m listening” that didn’t even follow the text. They managed to get a few chapters through, but with Morella fighting sleep and Ada not taking her eyes off her, they weren’t even halfway finished with the content they were supposed to be studying.
At first, Morella thought that Ada was also just tired like she had said before. But she caught her in the act. Her head was tilted slightly, her chin propped on one hand, her eyes on Morella and not the book.
“Are you even listening?” Morella asked, a mix of frustration and softness in her voice.
A beat. Then, a dazed, “Mhm.”
“You didn’t even say anything when I mentioned how spectres represent an aspect of the time we were alive or when we died.” Morella retorted.
Ada scoffed, unashamed. “Sure…”
“It’s on this page here, and Ms. Poppet mentioned it in class.” Morella pointed.
Ada leaned in closer to Morella that their shoulders brushed against each other. “Sorry. I got distracted again.”
“So I’ve noticed.”
Another moment of silence goes by. Ada reached over to Morella and started playing with Morella’s pigtails, curling the ends around her finger, admiring the softness and color. Morella stiffened, breath shuddering. She didn’t move. She didn’t pull away or push Ada’s hand back. Her cheeks flushed, trying to remember where she even left off, but Ada was making that very difficult.
“I thought you wanted me to help you study,” Morella spoke, swallowing the lump in her throat.
“I do,” Ada sighed, twirling her hair slowly. “This is nothing but multitasking.”
“Right.” Morella grumbled, trying to look back at the book. “And what did we just read about the manifestations of a spectre?”
Ada’s hand never left Morella’s hair as she spoke. “There was something about feeling big emotions. Whatever you were feeling when you died.”
Morella didn’t even have to look at Ada again to know that she was staring at her.
“Between you and Prospero, I think you’re the cutest.” Ada uttered.
“What?” Morella asked, flustered.
“Don’t get me wrong, Prospero is handsome and all, but you just have this…soft look in your eyes,” Ada continued, a small smile on her lips. “If I were an actual ghost, I would haunt this library just to look at you.”
“Ada, we should really focus on studying, it’s getting late.” Morella said.
But Ada wasn’t listening. Her fingers grazed Morella’s as she reached across the open book, her hand lightly brushing against hers. Like it was almost accidental.
Morella didn’t pull away.
“You’re not even trying anymore.” Morella muttered.
“Oh for God’s sake, Morella,” Ada groaned. “I’m studying you, so that counts, right?”
Morella blinked. She wasn’t sure if she was supposed to laugh, hide under the table, or brush Ada off. Her hand closed inward slightly as she tried to find the right words to say.
Morella settled on a quiet and cautious question. “Do you actually need my help with studying?”
Ada looked at her moment. Then, she raised her hands in mock surrender and let out a soft chuckle. “No, not really.”
“Y-You didn’t?” she stuttered.
“I..” Ada’s voice softened as she pushed a pigtail over Morella’s shoulder. “I wanted to see you. Be around you without our friends being present.”
Morella’s mouth was open, but nothing came out. She wanted to say something. Lash out at her for wasting her time, but she was just there, lips parted. Her thoughts have jammed up somewhere between Ada’s confession and the fact that she was still looking at her like she was studying her.
Morella stammered something. Anything. It had only stopped when Ada leaned in and kissed her cheek. Now, Morella was sure she was red as a tomato as her hands clenched in the fabric of her skirt. The kiss was quick and nothing too intimate like it was on her lips, but it sent a shock through Morella’s body.
“Adorable, just adorable.” Ada murmured, grazing her thumb over the same spot where she kissed Morella as she stood. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
Morella could only look up at her, still processing the kiss.
“For next time,” Ada said with a wink, “let’s ‘study’ again. But no books. No libraries. Just me and you. In my dorm or yours. Maybe when Lenore and Annabel aren’t there, okay?”
With that, Ada turned on her heel and walked towards the library doors, her ponytail — now dry— swishing behind her as she walked.
Morella sat frozen in her seat, her lips parted like she still had something to say, her hand slowly went up to touch the spot where Ada’s lips were. Her face was warm — practically burning — and she couldn’t quite stop the small smile that pulled at the corners of her mouth.
They hadn’t studied much like Morella had intended, but tonight was something else.
And Morella kind of hoped that Ada would ask for her help again tomorrow.