Read Online Evil Librarian by Michelle Knudsen - Free Book Online

other kids in the library. He’s
doing
something. I don’t understand it, but I know it’s something bad. And you spend all that time with him, and now he’s got you doing things I don’t even think you know that you’re doing, and I’m so
scared
 —”
    Annie finally manages to rip her arm free and then uses it to push me away from her. I stumble back, looking at her helplessly. She’s not listening. She’s not hearing me at all.
    “Fuck you, Cyn,” she says, which is kind of a shock because Annie hardly ever swears like that. And never at me. “I can’t believe you. I really can’t. For once I have something good happening, something fun and exciting, and you have to try to mess it up for me. You suck as a friend sometimes, you know that? I’m always there for you,
always,
and you —”
    I realize suddenly that she is close to crying. I reach out to her. “Annie, no, I’m not —”
    She smacks my hand away. “Don’t talk to me. Just leave me alone.”
    This time when she goes for the door, I let her.
    At lunch, I find Leticia and Diane at our usual table near the last set of windows. They move their stuff to make room, then look behind me for Annie.
    “Where’s your better half, Cyn?” Diane asks.
    “She’s probably at the
liiiibrary,
” Leticia drawls, rolling her eyes. “That girl is crazy.”
    “Yeah,” I say. Although they don’t know the half of it.
    “Mr. Gabriel is pretty damn hot,” Diane says. Leticia rolls her eyes again, and Diane leans forward across the table. “No, really — have you seen that man close up? Seriously L, he’s like,
amazing
looking. Like once you start looking it’s hard to stop. We went to the library in English today to start working on thesis outlines, and I don’t think any of us managed to get anything done.”
    I am on this instantly. “You went to the library? Are you okay?”
    Leticia and Diane both turn to stare at me with identical
what the hell are you talking about?
expressions.
    “I mean, did anything weird happen? I heard — I heard some weird stuff about him, that’s all. The librarian.”
    “Oooh, like what?” Leticia’s eyes go wide. “Is he a
naughty
librarian? Has he been reading aloud from the sexy parts of the books or something?”
    Diane snickers. “He could read the frickin’ dictionary and make it sound sexy. He makes me want to do lots and lots of research. I think I’m going to write my paper on sex scenes. Do you think Mrs. Stiller would go for that?”
    Leticia pretends to think about this. “You’d have to include a lot of footnotes with explanations. She probably wouldn’t understand a lot of it.”
    “I could include some helpful diagrams.”
    “Maybe you could get your sexy librarian to help you.”
    “Ha! Annie would scratch my eyes out. You know she wants him all for herself.”
    They’re both laughing now, but it’s not funny.
    Leticia finally notices my lack of amusement. “What’s up, Cyn? You okay?”
    No, I want to tell her. I’m not okay. And neither is Annie. And Mr. Gabriel is . . . is . . . what? How can I try to explain when I don’t even know what I mean myself?
    “It’s just — Annie and I had a fight. She’s really pissed at me.”
    Leticia and Diane exchange a startled glance. They know Annie and I hardly ever fight. “What happened?”
    “I — I tried to talk to her about Mr. Gabriel. I mean, I think she’s going a little too far with all the time she’s spending with him, you know? Having a harmless crush is one thing, but she’s skipping classes to go to the library, and she’s acting all — different. Haven’t you noticed it?”
    Diane picks at the crust of her sandwich. “You don’t really think she’d — you know — 
do
anything, do you? Or that he would? I mean, I don’t think it’s such a big deal if he flirts with her a little, but he wouldn’t . . .”
    “I don’t know. It just seems . . . wrong. I’m worried about her.