Life in the Stacks: A Library Drama part 14

Clint raised his hand as he approached his niece. Emma flinched, closed her eyes and waited for the sting of the slap. When it didn’t come she peeked at her uncle and gasped, seeing Emery standing in front of Clint with his hand firmly planted on Clint’s arm.

“Don’t touch her,” Emery warned.

“Get out of my way, boy,” Clint slurred.

Emma looked from her uncle, to Emery, then to Natalie who kept glancing at the door.

“I think everyone needs to calm down,” said Natalie.

“Emery, let go of Mr. Montry’s arm.”

“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll do what the lady says.” Clint glared at Emery.

“Mom, he’ll hit her.”

“No, he won’t,” came a male’s voice from the door.

“Daddy!” Emma ran to the tall man in military fatigues. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m on leave, thought I’d surprise you. When I got to the house there was a message on the machine for Clint saying he was needed here because you were in trouble.”

Two police officers entered the library. Natalie greeted them. “Thank you for coming, officers. I believe Mr. Montry is intoxicated.”

Emma watched her father walk slowly towards Emery and put his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “I think the officers can take it from here. I appreciate you defending my daughter. I won’t forget it.”

Emery released Clint’s arm as the two officers cuffed him.

“I’d like to add assault to the list of charges,” Mr. Thatcher said to the officers. “I’m sure this isn’t the first time he’s raised a hand to my daughter, but it will definitely be the last.”

The officer on the right nodded. “As soon as the other patrol car gets here to transport him, we’ll be taking statements.”

Emma ran to her father and buried her face in his chest. He lifted her chin to face him. “Now, what’s this I hear about you being in trouble?”

*Can’t wait for part 15? Go to http://bvilleteen.blogspot.com.

Life in the Stacks: A Library Drama part 12

Natalie jerked out the thumb drive and powered down the computer. 

 “Please don’t call my uncle,” Emma begged.  “I didn’t know what was on the thumb drive I swear.”

 “He’s already been called.  You’re a minor, we had no choice.”  Natalie tilted her head.  “What do you mean you didn’t know what was on the thumb drive?”

 “It’s not mine.”

 “Whose is it?”

 “Em…,” Emma stopped and stared into Natalie’s concerned face.  How could she tell Natalie her son had given her the thumb drive? 

 She glanced around the library looking trying to find a way out of this horrible nightmare.  Everyone was staring at her.  Darcie and Amber laughed as Kimberly sat with her mouth open in shock.  Darcie held her iPhone out recording the scene.  “Can you say YouTube?” Darcie said to Amber.

 “Well Emma?”  Natalie tapped her foot.

 Emma looked at her feet.  “I found it in the parking lot.  I thought maybe there was something on there that would identify the owner and I could get it back to them.”

 Natalie sighed.  “Why didn’t you just take it to the circulation desk and have them put it in lost and found?”

Emma shrugged.

 “I guess it’s too late for that now,” said Natalie.  “Let’s go to the lobby and wait for your uncle.  I’ll explain it to him.  Usually we’d have to ban you from the library, but given the circumstances I’ll let you off with a warning.  But next time, Emma, use your head and take it to the circ desk.”

 Emma nodded and let out a deep sigh of relief, if they met Uncle Clint in the lobby maybe no one would see him.  Natalie slowed as Emery walked in and approached them.

 “Tell your dad it’ll be a bit.  I need to wait for Emma’s uncle,” Natalie said to Emery.

 “What’s wrong?  Are you ok, Emma?” asked Emery.

 “Everything’s fine, just a misunderstanding,” said Natalie.  “Emma I’m going to try to catch your uncle on his cell before he gets here, you know save him a trip.  Wait here.”

 Emery watched his mother leave.  “What’s going on?”

“Oh, I think you know,” said Emma.

 “I’m pretty sure I don’t.” Emery ran his hands through his hair.

 “Well, I opened your little gift and almost got kicked out of the library.  You know a small part of me thought you liked me, but all you wanted was a good laugh.”

 Emery opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a man tripping over a potted plant by the door.  The man caught his balance and cursed loudly.  He stood up straight and tried to smooth the wrinkles out of in his plaid shirt.   “What are y’all looking at?  Stupid plant was right in the door way!  Now where is that good-for-nothing niece of mine?”

 *Can’t wait for part 13?  Go to http://bvilleteen.blogspot.com.

Life in the Stacks: A Library Drama part 11

Emma watched Emery leave with his father and looked at her watch; still half an hour before it would be safe to venture home. Her Uncle Clint had moved in a week before her dad had been deployed.

“Just doing my family duty,” he had said as he snagged a beer out of the fridge when her father thanked his brother-in-law for staying with Emma.

Both Emma and her dad knew it had nothing to do with family duty and everything to do with being evicted for an alcohol induced tantrum he had thrown in the presence of his landlord.

Clint had always struggled with drinking. When he was buzzed, he was the funniest guy in the room. When he was drunk, he was the meanest. He spent a couple of months in the county jail for breaking a pool stick over a bar owner’s back for cutting off his drinking supply.

Luckily for Emma he kept to a routine of being buzzed by noon, and wasted by three and at work by six. How he kept his job at The Pub was a mystery, but Emma guessed you didn’t have to be sober to pour other drunks beer. He’d come in around four in the morning and be passed out on the coach when Emma left for school. This routine worked out for both of them; she stayed out of his way and he didn’t lose his temper with his niece.

Grabbing her bag, she headed to the computers, thumb drive in hand. Typing in her password, she decided to check her e-mail before seeing what Emery had left her. She sighed as the inbox indicated she had no new e-mails. It had been a couple of days since she had heard from her father, but that was normal. She shook the worry from her thoughts.

Picking up the thumb drive she slide it into the USB port and clicked open the folder that read “For Emma”. Pictures of naked men started popping up all over her screen. Emma gasped and clicked frantically with the mouse, trying to close all the lewd pictures.  The firm hand of Natalie Pratt grasped her shoulder.

“I’m sorry Emma; I’m going to have to call your Uncle. Come with me.”

 *Can’t wait for part 12? Go to http://bvilleteen.blogspot.com

Life in the Stacks: A Library Drama part 10

Emery rolled his eyes at Darcie.  “Good luck with that.  Pretty sure you’re not going to get what you want this time.”

“We’ll see,” sang Darcie.

She got up and glided over to her friends.

“Done with Emery already?” asked Kimberly.

“For now,” said Darcie.

“Maybe he’s just not that into you,” said Amber, smiling.

“Whatever,” said Darcie.  “Have you ever known a guy not into me?”

“Seems to me,” said Amber, tracing the edge of the table, “that he’s into Emma Thatcher.  I mean she’s the one with the thumb drive.”

“Then why doesn’t he talk to her at school?” asked Kimberly.  “Seems like this is the only place he wants to be seen with her.”

Darcie watched Emma finger the small black rectangle.

“Amber, did you bring your laptop?” asked Darcie.

“Like I go anywhere without it?”

“Can you get the library’s Wi-Fi in your car?”

“Yes, but I don’t want to go out there!  It’s cold, let’s stay in here.”

Darcie reached in her purse and slipped out a black flash drive similar to the one Emma still twirled in-between her fingers.

“We can’t; I don’t want anyone to see what we’re doing.  Kimberly you stay here and make sure Emma doesn’t leave.”

Amber sighed and grabbed her computer, following Darcie to the car.  A few minutes later the girls returned, faces red from giggling.

“What?” asked Kimberly.  “Tell me!”

“Did Emma go anywhere?” asked Darcie, ignoring her friend’s question.

“No, she sat there staring at that thing the whole time.  What’s going on?”

“I’ll tell you later, not here.  Pretend to study or something.”

Darcie watched Emma over her English book, waiting for the right moment.  Emma shifted in her chair and started to get up.  Darcie held her breath and exhaled slowly as Emma sat the drive down and made her way to the bathroom.  She glanced at Emery who was concentrating on Google.

Stalking over to Emma’s table, Darcie quickly switched the thumb drives.

*Can’t wait to find out what’s on the thumb drive?  Go to http://bvilleteen.blogspot.com.

Life in the Stacks: A Library Drama part 9

 Emma pushed the gift back to Emery.  “I don’t want your presents.”

“I think you’re being unfair, Library Girl,” said Emery.

“My name is Emma, not ‘Library Girl’, and just how am I being unfair?”

“You automatically think I’m some jerk, just because I happen to have friends who are jerks.”  He shrugged.  “I don’t automatically think you’re a nerd, just because you’re studying all the time.”

“Thanks,” Emma said sarcastically.

Emery slid the box back to Emma.  “This is just a little something to show you I’m more than what you think I am.  Go ahead, open it.”

“Will you leave me alone if I do?”

“Maybe, but I’m not making any promises.”

 Emma sighed and pulled on the red ribbon.  Lifting the top off the box, she picked up a small black thumb drive.  “What’s this?”

“It’s something you don’t know about me.  Something that I hope will change your mind about me.”

Emery got up.  “Just promise me you won’t look at it while I’m here.”

Emma shook her head and Emery headed to the computer.  Sitting down, he typed in his log-in.  Butterflies invaded his stomach as he thought about what was on the thumb drive.  He had never shared his poetry with anyone.

Darcie pulled up a chair beside him.  “I saw you talking to her again.  Seriously, since when did you start spending all your time helping the needy?”

“Darcie, I don’t have time for this.  I have to finish my research paper.”

“What was on the thumb drive?” she asked.

“None of your business.” 

“When do I get my gift?”  She pouted her lips.

Emery gave her a hard look.  “Darcie, I am not interested in you.  I’m not sure why you think I am, but I’m not.  I like Emma.”

Darcie’s face flushed for a moment before she lifted her head.  “Listen up, Emery Pratt; I can have any guy I want in that school.  But I want you and I always get what I want.”

*Can’t wait for part 10? Go to http://bvilleteen.blogspot.com.

Life in the Stacks: A Library Drama part 8

                Emma gazed at the large Christmas tree in the middle of the library.  The blue and red lights twinkled at random sending flashes of colors cascading to the floor.  Letting her mind drift, she thought of the last Christmas she spent with her father.

                Rushing into the living room she squealed like a little school girl at all the presents under the tree.  Her father sat in his recliner drinking his coffee and reading the morning paper online.

                “ ’Bout time you got up.”  He looked over his computer and smiled.

                “We aren’t all morning people who get up at 4:30.  Seriously Dad, that’s still the middle of the night.”

                She glanced at the gifts and then back to her dad.

                “Well?” she asked.

                “Well what?”  He slowly closed his laptop.

                He smiled at her and she smiled back as they both dove for the gifts under the tree.  Blue snowman wrapping rained down as they devoured the packages.

                “Oh my god Dad, an mp3 player!”

                “I know it’s not one of those iPod thingies”

                “Are you kidding?  I love it!”  Emma hugged his neck. 

                “Here, open mine.”  She shoved a square package into his lap.  He took his time, careful not to tear the wrapping.

                “Come on, Dad!”

                 He smiled as he ripped the last of the paper off.

                 “Nice.” He held up the box.  “Dog food, just what I need.  I guess I’ll have to feed it to you since we don’t have a dog.”

                “That’s just the box.  Look inside.”

                He took out his pocket knife and slid it between the box seams.  Lifting the flaps he gasped.

               “Oh sweetie, it’s gorgeous.”  He lifted a leather satchel out of the tissue paper.  “I suppose you want my old green one now.”

              Emery sat down across from Emma, breaking her away from her daydream.

             “What do you want?” she asked sitting up.

             He smiled as he slid a small colorful box across the table. 

*Can’t wait for part 9?  Go to http://bvilleteen.blogspot.com

Life in the Stacks: A Library Drama part 7

                Emery watched Emma as she marched through the parking lot, looking at her feet.  He couldn’t tell if it was to battle the fierce north wind or because he had embarrassed her.

                “Emery Gray Pratt.”

                He cringed; she had used his middle name.  This couldn’t be good.  He did a mental list of all the things he could possibly be in trouble for as he turned. 

“Mom?”

                “What did you do?”

                Emery shrugged.

                Natalie Pratt approached her son.  “I just saw Emma Thatcher run out of here.  She’s a nice girl, Emery.  I won’t have a bully for a son.  You will apologize to that girl tomorrow if I have to stand over you.  I can’t believe you’d act that way.  I taught you better than that.  Picking on that poor girl; like she doesn’t have enough to worry about with her dad being in Iraq.”

                “Whoa,” he held up his hands.  “Mom, you’ve got it all wrong.”

                “Oh I do, do I?  Why don’t you tell me what I’ve got wrong?”  She placed her hands on her hips.

                “I like Emma.”  Emery looked at his feet.  “I have for a while, but only from a distance.  The other day she knocked over the display and I figured it was my chance to finally talk to her.”

                Natalie let her arms fall to her side and sat beside her son.  “So why was she so upset today?”

                 “She thinks it’s all a trick, a cruel game; like bet or something.  I tried to tell her I understood where she was coming from, but she stormed out.”  Emery took a deep breath.  “She can’t figure out why I would talk to her all of sudden.  It’s like she doesn’t feel like she’s worth talking to.”

                Natalie shook her head.  “You can fix that Emery.”

*Can’t wait for part 8?  Go to http://bvilleteen.blogspot.com.

Life in the Stacks: A Library Drama part 6

Emma stared at the front of her history book and felt her heart break as she forced herself to speak.  “I think you should leave.”

                Emery blinked.  “Really?”

                Emma looked up and brushed her hair behind her shoulders.  “You seem so shocked that a little nobody like me wouldn’t want to talk to a popular guy like you.  I’m not a charity case.”

                “I never said that,” Emery scratched his head.   “That’s just Darcie being Darcie.  Don’t pay any attention to her.  I don’t.”

                “Is this a bet?” Emma looked around the library searching for his friends hiding behind the shelves.   “I’ve seen the movies, too.   What do you have to do to win? Take me to the Snowball dance?  Kiss the geek girl? Just tell me so we can quit playing this game.”

                Emery’s mouth dropped open.  He searched for the right words to say as Emma’s blue eyes pierced his soul.  He saw years of bullying in those sapphire gems; she was right not to trust him.  Why would she think he was different than all the other jocks in school?

                He leaned forward.  “You’re right, you shouldn’t trust me.  Why would you?  I’d feel the same way if it were the other way around.”  He shook his head.  “Nope, I wouldn’t trust you at all.”

                Emma let out a deep breath.  “So what is it then?  Why the sudden interest?”

                “I honestly don’t know.  I saw you sitting in here day after day, just minding your own business.  Then I caught you looking at me and you knocked all those books over.  I just knew it was my chance.”

                “You’re chance for what?  To make fun of “Library Girl”?”  Emma grabbed her books, shoved them in her bag and rushed out of the library.

*Can’t wait for part 7?  Go to http://bvilleteen.blogspot.com.

Life in the Stacks: A Library Drama part 5

             Darcie looked down her nose at Emma.  She turned and sat on the table, her back in Emma’s face.

            “I thought you were going to meet me by the computers,” Darcie said, pouting her lips.

            “No, that’s not what I said.”  Emery leaned back in his chair.  “You asked me where I was going after school and I said probably at the library on the computers.”

            “Well I’m here and you’re here.”  Darcie traced figure eights on the table.  “So what do you say we go to Sharky’s and get a milkshake?”  Her green eyes sparkled under dark eyelashes.

            “Darcie, I’m kinda busy here.”  Emery gestured towards Emma.

            Darcie looked over her shoulder and rolled her eyes.  “Ick.”

            She leaned in close to Emery and whispered loud enough for Emma to hear.  “Did you get stuck with her on a project?  Poor baby.  I bet it was Mrs. Reese, wasn’t it?  She’s always mixing the elite with the social outcasts.  It’s like her charity or something.”

            “It’s nothing like that,” Emery protested.

            Darcie waved him off.  “It’s ok Emery, I know you’re just trying to be nice to,” she glanced over her shoulder, “it.”  She ruffled his hair.  “That’s one of the reasons I like you.  We’ll hit Sharky’s another time.”

            She flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder and sauntered out of the library. 

            “You could’ve gone with her,” Emma said.

            “I could’ve, but I’d rather talk to you.  Unless,” Emery looked at the floor, “you want me to leave.”

*Can’t wait for part 6?  Go to http://bvilleteen.blogspot.com.

Life in the Stacks: A Library Drama part 4

                Emma’s throat went dry as she tried to find something to say to the boy she’d had a crush on since middle school.

                “Let me guess,” Emery said, leaning back and folding his hands behind his head, “you thought I just wanted your answers?”

                Emma blushed, a now common occurrence in Emery’s presence.  She leaned forward and brushed her bangs out of her eyes.  He smiled as he noticed that her eyes changed color with her mood.  Now they were light blue, a bold contrast to her bright red cheeks.

                “The thought did occur to me,” she said looking down.  “It’s just that you’ve never spoken to me before the other day and now you’re sitting at my table.  People usually want something when they talk to me.”

                “You’re right; I do want something from you.”  Emery flinched at the disappointment that flushed Emma’s face.  He reached over and closed her history book, brushing her hand with his.  Lightning rushed through his body.

                Emma pulled her hand back and grabbed a pen.  “I don’t do people’s homework.”

                “You got me all wrong, Library Girl.  I see you in here every day, sitting alone, watching the world go on around you.  I just want to know what makes you tick.”

                “Makes me tick?” she repeated.

                “Yeah,” he leaned back in his chair again.  “I hang out with all kinds of people and usually it only takes me a few minutes to figure out what makes them tick, why they do what they do.  Except for you, Library Girl, you’re a mystery to me.”  He leaned forward and raised his eyebrows.  “A mystery I would very much like to solve.”

                Emma dropped her pen as butterflies soared through her stomach.

                “Emery, there you are!”

                A squeak of a voice echoed through the library as Emery cringed and closed his eyes.

               “Hey Darcie,” he said turning around to face the tall blonde supermodel disguised as a high schooler.