Chapter 32
Chapter 32
Chapter 32 – The Crazy Question (Anj‘s POV)
This is the third time I yawn, and Dylan and Anya glance at me every time I do that. I blinked and tried to focus on what I was reading, but I couldn‘t help myself from closing my eyes. I already slept early last night, yet I still feel sleepy and tired.
I shook my head, but when I couldn‘t force my eyelids to stay open, I rested my head, pressing my forehead on the book on the table.
“Is she okay?” i heard Dylan asking Anya.
“I‘m not sure,” She whispered, “She‘s been acting weird, and even Sister Grace is worried about her.”
I groaned, raising my head to look at them. “I can hear you, you know.” I wanted to cry, not understanding what was wrong with me. Maybe my body was already asking me to rest because ever since I returned, I made myself very busy, focusing on work and my studies to forget about Sky.
“Last night, we caught her memorizing the prayer book in Latin,” she clucked her tongue.“ Maybe she‘s possessed or something.”
I sneered at her but chuckled as I remembered Aunt Rose calling Sister Grace last night because she thought I was possessed, reciting the prayer in another language. I need to get distracted, and my hobby of making perfume is not helping me these days. Some scents made me nauseous, and when I tried forcing myself to create a perfume, I ended up vomiting in the bathroom.
“What are you doing later?” Dylan asked Anya, whispering this time when the librarian glared at us.
“Why? Are you going to ask me for a date?” She joked and covered her mouth with the book she was reading when the librarian hushed us.
He rolled his eyes at her. “No, but I got a bonus, so I was hoping to – “he stopped talking and looked at me, catching me as I took a carrot stick inside my pocket and put it in my mouth in a hurry. He narrowed his eyes at me. “What‘s in your pocket, Anj?” I shook my head, fixing my eyes on the book and chewing the carrot really slowly. “Are you keeping chocolates in your pocket again, Anj?” hissed Anya as she rose to her feet and sat beside me.
“No!” I shook my head again, but she put her hand inside my pocket, taking out one stick. “Rabbit!” She wrinkled her nose. “I knew it! You‘re the one stealing carrots at night in the kitchen.”
I groaned. “Stealing? I live in that house, remember?” I complained, and perhaps my voice was a bit louder because the librarian stood up and walked in our direction.
“If you can‘t stop yourself from making noise, go somewhere else,” she said, eyeing the carrot stick in my pocket. “No eating in the library. If you can‘t stop your cravings, study in the cafeteria, not here.”
“I‘m sorry, Mrs. Livy,” I said, standing up to gather my things, but then my nose caught the scent of her perfume. I used to love it, but this time, I wanted to puke as soon as I smelled it.” Oh, dear God!” Good thing we were near the doorway. I left my stuff on the table and ran outside toward the nearest restroom as I covered my mouth with my hand, afraid that I might vomit in the hallway.
***
“Is your blood sugar low again?” Anya asked when I went out of the restroom. I glanced at Dylan and saw him peeking at us, looking worriedly at me.
Another student entered the restroom, so I stepped out and walked in Dylan‘s direction.
“You should have told us you‘re not feeling well,” Anya raised her eyebrows at me, giving me my bag and books.
“Here,” Dylan approached me, giving me a bottle of water but looking at me as if he wanted to take me to the hospital. “Thanks,” I smiled. “This is nothing serious, Dylan,” I assured him as I opened the cap and drank. Please check at N/ôvel(D)rama.Org.
He nodded. “The last time you said that we were in the ambulance the next minute, we were taking you to the hospital because of food poisoning.”
I frowned at him. “I was twelve,” I chuckled, remembering I stupidly ate expired food. He smirked at me. “I got a bonus... so anything particular you like to eat?”
“Ice cream?” Unsure about it, I forced a smile, hoping he would just buy me ice cream and let go of his worries. One thing about Dylan was that he would follow me around until he was sure I was really okay.
“Don‘t overact, future boyfriend,” Anya teased, anchoring her arm in Dylan‘s forearm.
“You like me?” Dylan joked, pulling Anya closer to him.
“Ew! Not me. Anj!” She looked back and winked at me.
“Shut up!” I mouthed, causing Anya to giggle. I rolled my eyes, checking my things, when I realized my hairpin with peacock design was missing. I can’t lose it because that hairpin seemed important for Sister Grace. She has been putting that in my hair ever since my head started growing hair when I was two.
“I‘ll follow you. I‘ll just check something in the library,” I said, not waiting for their answer; I i turned my back on them and walked hurriedly to the library.
Ms. Livy could only let her eyes follow me when I entered the library, walking back to the area where we sat a while ago. I heaved a sigh, worrying that I had lost it. It seemed rare since I could not find anything like it in hair accessories stores. “Looking for this?” Ms. Livy asked, startling me when I turned back because she was already standing behind me.
I sighed in relief, breathing out as I took the hairpin from her and put it back in my hair.“ Thank you, Ms. Livy,” I said, trying not to inhale. I don‘t want to run back again in the restroom to vomit.
“You‘re welcome. That seemed important to you, Anj,” she said, walking back to her table and returning to what she was doing. Only now that I realize what she is doing, Ms. Livy is sorting out Christmas decors from the box near her table. I have been distracting myself for the last two months, yet Sky has never gotten out of my mind.
I walked toward the door but stopped when Ms. Livy called me. My eyebrows raised, waiting for her to ask me the question, but she seemed unsure if she wanted to say it to me. “It‘s okay to tell me, Ms. Livy,” I smiled, thinking she would just remind me of the rules again. “I‘m not sure if I was the right person to ask this, and besides, I know you, Anj,” she said, shaking her head. She was right because Dylan, Anya, and I have been coming here since we all started studying at the university. We were more like her regular customers here even when smartphones became popular that most students rely on researching on the Internet than coming here to the library. “It‘s okay to ask me, Ms. Livy,” I assured her. She heaved a sigh, a deep one, leaving me to think that I should have not just told her to ask me. She turned her head and wandered her eyes for a while to make sure no student was nearby to hear us. When her eyes fixed on me, she looked at me from head to toe as if scanning my body like a book. “This is just a crazy question, but I could not help myself asking...” she took a deep breath.” But are you pregnant?” I met Ms. Livy‘s eyes, hoping she would say she was just joking with me.