Roman
“So, you’re definitely not interested?” The boy is asked the same question he had been a few thousand times before. His answer was always the same. “No.” The calmness of his brownish-green eyes is contrasted by his narrowed sandy-blonde eyebrows. “You could ask me a thousand times and the answer will still be no. Scratch that, at this point you probably have asked me about a thousand times.” Some indignation present in his voice as he slams his locker shut and redoes the combination. “Come on Roman, what do you have to lose here? It’s just a few minutes and we’re out like that.” Roman lets out a sigh and grabs one of the straps of his backpack starting to walk away from the lockers. “Look, if you’re so interested in this mine then why don’t you just go there by yourself?” A shorter slightly paler brunette boy about fifteen or sixteen responds with a nervous laugh. “I don’t have a car…”
“That sounds like a personal problem then.” Roman retorts as he continues through the seemingly endless hallway through the combating waves of oncoming teenagers. The younger boy struggles to push his way up to him but manages to do so. “Could you maybe just think about this dude? Do you know how awesome it’d be if people knew we actually got in and out?” Roman rolls his eyes and speeds up, “I’m not interested Percy, don’t you have Orchestra after school or something better than wasting my time to get to?” Against his better odds the young boy pushes his way in front of Roman and stops, “Fifteen minutes, that’s all I’m asking. I’ll even pay for gas.” Roman grasps his nose and winces his eyes, “Fifteen minutes. And you never ask me about this again.” Percy’s face lights up with excitement. “Fifteen minutes, you won’t regret this I swear!” Roman rolls his eyes. “Meet me outside after practice.” Instantly, the younger boy replies, “Got it!” With that out of the way Roman continues down the corridor.
He reaches a set of wooden double-doors with metallic handles and windows that peer into an ocean of bookcases. He opens the doors and lets the light scent of fresh pages take hold of him. He heads down the various rows of nonfiction, reference, and fiction alike scanning the spines as he simply peruses. His hazel eyes shine with wonder as he examines each and every last shelf. His steps seem to be calm and silent as if the very atmosphere of the Library was taking hold of him. He finds himself sit down in a faux-leather chair in a far-off corner of the small yet expansive room. He reaches into his backpack and takes out a textbook, a mechanical pencil, and his Algebra 2 journal.
All too soon his eyes settle on an analog clock that has its shorter hand pointing at 5 and its longer hand pointing at 12. He lets out a brief sigh and starts to place his things back in his backpack. He picks up his backpack and heads outside to the main entrance of the school. The main entrance is littered with various backpacks and students waiting. A few students resting on the benches just outside that would be resting against either the main building or that of the Drama wing. He finds Percy waiting alongside one of the columns that connected the open concrete hallways to the two main buildings. “Oh, Roman, did I keep you waiting long?” Roman shakes his head and grabs his backpack strap. “Come on, let’s go before I change my mind.” Roman starts to walk towards the main parking lot.
“Where is this place supposed to be anyways?” Roman asks as they continue to move through the columns of various makes and models. “Thirty minutes just outside of city limits.” Percy replies as they come to a stop. Roman shuffles the keys into his hands as they stand outside a dusty white sedan whose front windshield wiper seems to be missing altogether. He unlocks the car and starts the engine. The tank looks to be somewhere in the middle of 1/4th and E. Now reluctant, Percy opens the car door and straps himself in. “Seems this works out best for the both of us.” He wears a big grin. As Roman begins to undo the parking brake and change gears the sky begins to shift from a golden yellow to a heterogeneous mix of orange yellow and pink. The sun continues to creep ever so slowly down as Roman and Percy leave the parking lot.
