Page 31 of Something Rad
And, most currently relevant, I don’t know why she chooses to voluntarily spend her every afternoon working in the school library.
Come to think about it, there’s a whole lot of things about Sara Beth Cooper that I just don’t know.
But, what I do know right now, is that she must be on track for a world record in the number of library books returned to their rightful spot without actually looking at where they’re being put. I know this because, over the last hour while Ms. Rose has been walking me through the introductory stuff that she missed showing me yesterday, every time I find myself glancing at Cooper, she’s already looking at me.
Well,lookingis probably not the right word. More like glaring. Or glowering.Scowling, maybe?
Regardless, she never lets me see it for long, always looking away the moment my eyes land on her.
After the first three times, it started to feel like a game. A very frustrating game. After the tenth time, however, the game started to turn kinda fun. Because every time I caught Cooper staring, she seemed to get more heated, her pace quickening and the aggressiveness with which she was shoving the books into the shelves intensifying.
Aside from my and Cooper’s glaring match, the rest of library detention is a breeze. Ms. Rose, who is actually pretty cool by the way, gave me my short list of duties as library aid, explained the filing and shelving system, and set me up with a key to the library for days she might not be here or has to leave early. By the end, I think I have a basic concept of what it was that Cooper was flying around doing at light speed yesterday.
It’s five minutes after 5 p.m. by the time Ms. Rose lets me go. Sara left right at five on the dot, smiling and waving at Ms. Rose and completely ignoring my existence as she grabbed her backpack and walked out the door.
I grab my own backpack, slipping on my Ray Bans and speed walking out to my Camaro. I have a little over twenty minutes before I need to pick Denise up for our date at Mary Lou’s. That’s just enough time for me to drop my things at home and freshen up real quick before I head her way.
I’m speeding out of the parking lot and halfway down the street when something catches my eye. I slow my speed and push my sunglasses down my nose just far enough to confirm that it’s Cooper along the side of the street. I recognize her old backpack and the red scrunchie she decided to sport today. I also see that she’s carrying some sort of clothing garment on a hanger for some reason.
I glance at the clock on my car radio, seeing that it’s 5:11 p.m. I know I should keep on driving. I know thatshewould want me to. I know that she doesn’t even want to speak to me. I know she’ll just blow me off and most likely be rude to me in the process.
But I pull up right next to her anyway.
“Hey,” I call.
Cooper shudders in surprise.
Jumpy little mouse, she is.
As soon as she realizes that it’s me that’s called out to her, her brows pull tightly together. She never stops walking, looking my car once over before turning her attention back to the road in front of her.
“Hey,” I say again, driving along next to her. When she doesn’t respond again, I call her by name. “Yo,Cooper!”
“I heard you the first time,” she replies without looking my way.
“Well, maybe you should have answered the first time.”
“Would have if I wanted to,” she says, continuing forward.
I shake my head, my eyes rolling. “Hey, I was just trying to see if you were okay.”
She finally slows to a stop, turning to face me. “If I was…okay?” she asks, her forehead scrunched in confusion.
“Well, yeah,” I reply, stopping my Camaro next to her. “You know, if you needed a ride or anything.”
Her auburn brows raise further, but she doesn’t say anything.
“It’s hot outside,” I say, shrugging.
“It’s really not,” she responds. “And I always walk. But…thank you, I guess.” Then she spins on her heel and continues her trek.
I glance back at the clock.
5:14.
I need to go. I shake my head, starting to accelerate but then letting off right away. I idle my car, waiting for Cooper to catch up.
“You really don’t want me to just drop you at home?” I ask her once she does. “I’m pretty sure it’s right on the way to mine.”
