Paper Planes

Riley dropped the book against the librarians front desk with a scowl on her face. After that incident under the oak tree she had gone to her last class and finished it despite being spoiled, wanting to know how everything came together as some sort of closure.

The librarian looked at her with wariness. "Can you please not create such noise?" She scolded.

"I'm displeased with this book" Riley replied although it wasn't the story she was displeased with but the anonymous person who took her joy away.

"That doesn't mean you can be insolent" the librarian sighed and took the book off the counter.

Lillian wasn't new to the antics of this young lady who despite being a person who blended into the crowd had a personality that could stand out with anyone. Being privy to her ways since she was a freshman coming and going and borrowing many books that it seemed as if she's read the library's whole stock, Lillian felt like a guardian watching over a headstrong, foolhardy teenager.

Riley propped herself against the front desk and frowned some more accompanied by a heavy sigh and watched as the librarian checked the book in and put it on a cart near her.

"Is there anything else you need?" Lillian asked and Riley looked at her.

She was about to open her mouth when the librarian beat her to it, "something that has to do with borrowing a book, returning it or using the library computers" she interjected.

Riley stopped short before clamping her mouth shut and Lillian went back to typing away on the computer behind the desk.

"I was spoiled" Riley spoke up anyway after a moment and the older lady sighed.

She glanced over at Riley who slapped down the folded paper airplane on the counter. "I demand a refund!" She exclaimed.

Lillian looked at the young girl and then at the paper craft that was losing its shape and had wrinkles in it. She fixed her glasses before picking it up.

"You did not pay for anything therefore there's nothing to refund" Lilian said to the outrageous girl.

"Give me back my ignorance!" Riley blurted out and the librarian hushed her and shook her head. This young lady always said some weird things.

Lillian looked at the contents written on the paper plane and raised an eyebrow at Riley.

"Someone sullied my reading experience like some joke" she spat out.

Lillian didn't know if she wanted to laugh in amusement or exasperation at the girl's problems that she somehow always seemed to drag her in and they were always blown out of proportion.

"Then you should take it up with said person" the older lady gave back the paper craft.

"That's the thing, I don't know who did it. There was no one in the vicinity when I looked, the only hint was the signed letter A" Riley informed.

Lillian quickly concluded that she wasn't going to be able to get back to work unless she entertained her weird, outspoken regular so she turned away from her computer and gave the tall brunette her attention.

"So what will you do about this?" The older lady questioned as she looked at Riley's troubled face.

There was a moment of silence before she spoke up. "Well... I don't know, I thought you could give me an idea" Riley said with a confused look.

Lillian dropped her head in disbelief. So not only did she get unreasonably worked up but she wanted to confront someone she had no clue who they were and no way to figure it out. This girl was too impulsive!

"I don't know what to tell you, Riley. I'm not the FBI, I can't just find mysterious people" Lillian said.

Riley sighed, she knew it was a long shot since she didn't even know if they went to this school but then she thought; they had to, right? Why would they be on the premises otherwise? That's when a thought popped up inside her head and she smiled at the librarian.

"It seems like they knew the book so maybe they borrowed it at some point, correct?" She questioned.

"That could be" Lillian answered.

"Then can you look up all the people who borrowed it? If any of them have a name that starts with A?" Riley leaned forward enthusiastically, smiling mischievously.

When she finds this person she will have a word with them and make them regret ruining her reading experience. Riley's mind swirled with different ways on how she could show this person a lesson.

"I could" Lillian bated, "but I won't" she said.

Riley's smiling face crashed and switched into an incredulous gaze.

"Wha-!? But why?" She asked.

Lillian sighed. "Those aren't records a student needs to know and it'll take an arduous amount of time to do as you're saying especially not knowing the specific person you're looking for, plus it's against my job description to do so".

"Lillian, you're a librarian. You guys basically track down people for one book if they are one day late. It's your duty to find people who breach library protocol" Riley pleaded.

"Can't you find this one person for me? Just this once? Think of it as they haven't returned a book in months and do your thing" Riley imitated a typing gesture in the air for emphasis.

Lillian shook her head, "that's not how things work. When a book is missing or overdue we look up the person who borrowed it and go from there. We can't just randomly look up someone who might not even be in the system" she informed.

Riley stared in disbelief before sighing. She guessed this is where the mystery of 'A' comes to an end before it even began.