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 Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 4:22 pm
She stopped at the library on the way home. It wasn't really out of her way - the library was situated nearly perfectly between the school pool and the Cowden home - but Tallulah was still antsy to get in, get out, and get on with her life. She had just come from swim practice, and while she wore her varsity jacket over her school uniform, her wet hair was dripping down her neck and it was sort of unpleasant. Not to mention she had homework to do.
Straight As did not earn themselves.
Tallulah did not understand students who complained about having homework the first day back. Of course they had homework first day back! If the teachers didn't establish what sort of workload they expected, then nothing would ever get done. And if her teachers wanted her to read The Scarlet Letter, then she would read The Scarlet Letter.
Only slackers used the sparknotes.
Tallulah was most certainly not a slacker.
Eyes sharp, she scanned the bookshelf in front of her. There had to be some mistake. The authors seemed to skip directly from 'Haverty' to 'Hax.' No 'Hawthorne' in sight. She sighed through her teeth. They had to have it. She stared at the shelf for a bit longer, hoping maybe the book was under some sort of enchantment and if she focused on it long enough it would appear, but had no such luck.
She really did not have time for this. She needed to get the book, go home, and read the first five chapters for tomorrow.
She turned around and started down the aisle in hopes that there were copies present in the library but very well hidden.
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Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 4:48 pm
Homework. Mili hated the sound of the word. She did not have time for such things.
Her assignments were as follows:
Write two paragraphs about her favorite part of summer.
Pick an element from the Periodical Table, and start on a presentation.
And, to read the first five chapters of The Scarlet Letter.
Teachers must universally assign the same things, because she heard several of those Meadowview students complainging about the same thing. Seriously, it was as if all the teachers got together and planned out how to crush all the student's hopes and dreams in well fell swoop.
She would ask her older friends later about the detail of the book, because she couldn't be bothered to look at it tonight; Mili had her own personal assingments:
Scope out the fresh-meat for any potential.
Practice her chess game so she could win first board this year.
And, to find any other excuse she could to get out of reading the first five chapters of The Scarlet Letter.
Even if she wasn't going to read it, she still had to find it her at the library and make it look like she read it. One must always keep her appearances up. Mili walked down the aisle to the 'H's.
A dark haired girl (who seemed to be dripping wet), rushed past her. Mili noticed her a bit too late though and bumped shoulders with her. "Um, excuse me", she said in an aggressive tone.
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Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 5:18 pm
Tallulah paused in her near-sprinting and looked back at the girl she had just bumped. "Sorry," she said apologetically, and winced a bit. Normally she would have checked to make sure the other girl wasn't hurt or that she hadn't gotten her wet, but she just didn't have the time tonight. She turned and kept walking, only to stop again a few steps later.
She recognized that uniform.
"You go to crystal academy, right?" she asked.
It was common knowledge (or supposition, at least) that all the teachers in the city got together over the summer and made sure their reading lists were up to standard, which meant every single junior in Destiny city had to read The Scarlet Letter, no exceptions.
"The book's not there," she said with a frown.
Which was odd, because it was a classic and any self-respecting library would have a dozen or so copies.
"Either it's not shelved yet or everyone else beat us to them," she reasoned, and hoped that the latter was not the case because she did not have time to go to the bookstore tonight. "I was going to go ask at the front desk," she informed the other girl. "Want to come with me?"
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Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 5:31 pm
Mili stared at the other girl for a second. Her powers of deduction were astounding. Well, the uniform was a give-me, but the rest was would have been harder to guess.
"Yeah... yeah, I'll go with you". She checked over her shoulder to make sure that none of her classmates were looking, and once she saw the coast was clear, she extended her had to the Medowview girl. "My name is Milla, but you may call me Mili".
She prayed that this social interaction wouldn't cost her any cool-points. It was in her benefit though to team up and attempt to secure copies of the book with someone else; this other girl looked like she was intimately familiar with the Dewy Decimal system and the inner workings of the library.
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Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 6:07 pm
"I'm Tallulah," she replied, falling into step beside the other girl. "You can call me Tallulah, because no one has yet found a nickname for it that doesn't sound downright idiotic."
This much was true. Even her own family had never found a nickname that managed to stick.
"Did Crystal just start today?" she asked. She didn't know if their schedules were in sync or not. Maybe it had started a week ago. Maybe it hadn't started yet. God forbid the teachers give out the assigned reading list before classes started. She would have liked to have it ahead of time and already finished the book.
"What's it like there?" she asked.
The only reason Tallulah would ever want to go to Crystal academy because they continuously trounced Meadowview at swim meets. She was not ladylike enough for their standards, nor enough of a rich snob. This girl didn't seem terribly bad, though.
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Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 1:28 pm
"Well Tallulah," Mili started, "today was our first day of class. Meaning yesterday was our last day of freedom before the bondage and oppression that comes with each new school year." She paused, and a bead of sweat ran down her head, "I mean, I like Crystal Academy fine". Mili laughed a slightly forced laugh.
"Father sends me there because it's the best option of a shining star such as myself. Our academics are top notch, and we excel at athletics. That is to say all the athletics that matter anyway. It's a great environment and opportunity for me to be around others who excel so greatly."
Mili could punch herself in the face for that last bit. To her it sounded like something from the information pamphlet they give to 8th graders who are considering going to the school. Not that there's much consideration involved; you either have the money to go or you don't. Simple as that.
As much as Mili hated going to school, she would hate it more if she had to go to Medowview though. She wondered how Tallulah could stand it; she seemed to be a lot more classy than the other low brow girls Mili had encountered.
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Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 3:27 pm
"I seem to recall we soundly beat you in basketball last year," nodded Tallulah, seeming rather serious for a moment. "But then your team nearly always beats us at swimming."
Clearly this was important to her. Then again, she was sopping wet and wearing a jacket that clearly said "Meadowview Swim and Dive" on the back. This season was going to be different, though. The team had decided as much and had a new training regiment to make their goal a reality. Crystal Academy Swimming was going down!
She smiled wryly. "I went to that orientation," she said, "You sound like one of the pamphlets they give the 8th graders. I almost went to Crystal, but, you know-"
She shrugged.
"Money."
Wasn't that what it always came down to?
"The help desk's over there," she said, changing the subject. "Let's go ask if they have the book."
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Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 3:40 pm
"Do I smell a hint of bad blood for our swim team?" Mili jokingly replied. "Don't worry, I'm not a swimmer, so I'm not going to take it personally". She tried to lighten the tone of the conversation as best she could.
As they approached the desk, Mili blurted out to the librarian in a quite inappropriate tone, "madam, we're looking for The Scarlet Letter. Well, two Scarlet Letters to be more exact. With haste, please."
She could feel the uncomfortable stares she was getting from the other people in the library, and heard a few muttered words about her being "rude". It wasn't of any concern to her really, Mili just wanted to get the book they needed, and there's no reason to not be direct about it. Well, other than the sign square in front of her that read "quiet please".
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Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 4:55 pm
"Just a little," admitted Tallulah with a quiet laugh. This girl was not as unlikeable as she had been lead to believe most Crystal students were. (Perhaps the people who started those nasty rumors had not actually ever met someone who went to the rival school?) She winced sympathetically at the librarian in a way that she sincerely hoped indicated that the two girls were not together, merely in the same predicament, but did not add anything to Mili's request - it would just be redundant.
The librarian gave both girls a look of pure contempt and went to find the books. Tallulah tapped her fingers nervously on the counter until she returned and handed the girls what looked to be the two singularly most battered copies of The Scarlet Letter in existence.
"Thanks," said Tallulah apologetically, and in retrospect thought that maybe politeness would have gotten them better books. She looked at the covers for a second but could not immediately tell if one book was in marginally better shape than the other. Giving up, she took the one closer to her.
"I should get my own copy soon," she confided to Mili as they walked away.
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Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 5:27 pm
Grabbing the leftover book, Mili grimaced a bit, but tried to give the librarian her best, forced smile. "Thank you ma'm".
"And agreed," Mili said, "I'd have gone to the bookstore, but I thought the library would be easier". She was enjoying Tallulah's company, and it seemed as almost mutual.
"Say..." she said slyly, "you wouldn't by chance want to be study budies for English class, would you?" And Mili also knew that aside from good company that Tallulah's studiousness would be an asset to her. "Well, at least if they keep giving us the same assignments that is".
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Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 6:31 pm
"This was on the way home," agreed Tallulah.
She considered it for a moment, taking her time to tap a finger against her pursed lips. "I guess I could," she said finally. This girl didn't seem too bad, and intelligent enough. She wasn't unused to carrying study groups herself, but even if the others didn't contribute much sometimes it helped herself remember to talk about it. "My schedule is sort of busy... hold on, I'll give you my cell number."
She paused at the nearest table to tug a gel pen (coppery) and a notebook out of her bag. She scribbled something on the paper, creased the page, ripped it, and handed it to the other girl.
"Give me a call sometime," she said, putting the notebook, followed by the library book, into her bag. "I gotta run."
She still had practically all of her homework left to do.
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Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 7:48 am
She put the number into her bag. "I'll call you for sure, Tallulah", and then watched the her run off. "Have fun with your homework," she called to her. Again the librarian gave Mili a strong glare that felt like a penetrating knife in her back. The librarian put her finger to her mouth:
"SHHH!"
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Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 7:49 am
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