Darling I Do

It all started in the library, where I sat reading a tattered copy of “A midsummer night’s dream.”

Though it was a book I’ve read too many times to count, there wasn’t any other way I could think of to spend the last few days of uni before winter holidays started. The library at the University of Brimbond was beautiful and held a great deal of books and articles. I could have spent hours in there delving in the magical world of stories. Honestly, I wish I could have went back there after all this time, just to relinquish the fond memories, but neither do I have my old Identification card nor does the new librarian know me as an old student. But in every other sense, it was a grand place to be.

As the last rays of sunlight diminished the flicker of the streetlights lit up the streets of campus and the city. The volunteers at the library all waved goodbye and silently left with their knitted hats and fur-lined coats.

The minutes ticked away. I sweeped my history homework into my Barbour tartan knapsack I had gotten for Christmas last year from my aunt in Portugal. My eyes never left the page I was reading. In one swift, but utterly stupid move, I stood up, took a step and fell to the confounded floor because I tripped over the leg of the chair. My book fell out of my hand and landed a few feet away from me. Thankfully, no one was here to see my pathetic fall, but to my demise there was. Everyone had cleared out of the library before my fall, all except for a gentlemen I only knew as an 18 year old twit who had nothing better to do than fool around in class. His name, escaped me at the moment, but I could recognize him from his brown hair and the bright red guitar pick necklace he always had around his neck.

He picked up my book and handed it to me.

“You alright?” He said.

“Peachy.” His questionable look faltered a bit and changed into a grin after I had said that.

“Are you new here? I’ve never seen you before.”

"I've been here for a while."

"You have?"

"I think you're in my Psychology class."

He nodded. “The name’s Oliver by the way. Oliver Wilde.”

He had dark brown hair that contrasted with my blond, and his green eyes seemed lovelier than my soft gray ones, but I didn’t dare say that.

“Charlotte Burrows, nice to meet you.” I grabbed my bag and walked out the library doors, without another word. The campus at night was a sight to behold on a winter day like this.

“Hey, wait!”

He jogged up next to me and looked at me for a second then looked straight. “Let me walk you back at least.”

“Why?”

He gestured around him comically and replied “It’s not safe at night!”

“And you are going to protect me with that?” pointing at his lanky arms covered by a furry red cardigan.

“These would stop a fucking bull.” He defended haughtily.

“A bull with anorexia.”

Oliver poked me on the side getting a short shriek from me, he laughed harder.

We walked silently after that until we reached my apartment buildings door.

“Goodbye then.” I whispered mumbled, caring not if he heard.

He smiled, “I’ll be looking for you.”

I didn’t know why I felt a little bit of hope that he would in fact be looking for me. I never met this guy before, and now he said after one little conversation (which was more one-sided) that he would be looking for me, obviously wanting to talk to me more.

I didn’t hate him, I didn't know what I felt towards him. He was a bother, always making jokes, never paying attention. I don’t even understand how he wasn’t kicked out. But he always had acceptable grades and didn’t do something so drastic like blowing up the whole common room in one of his experiments, experiments being dropping a mento in a bottle of soda. He was that guy that everyone knew and thought was so funny and cool. I didn't know what I was getting into.