Lying Half Smiles

[Shane Ackley]

There had been quite a learning curve for Shane in coming to this school, it was bigger, there were dozens more people, and a whole host of things that he had to learn about it, but he was enjoying it. What he wasn’t enjoying was the library, it was such a huge and vast place compared with his old school, additionally, the library was also a little more indicated and there tended to be someone there to get the books. It was a smaller school and he certainly could say there weren’t nearly as many tables just in the middle of sections there. It had had everything they’d needed but it just hadn’t been necessary for them to do much, so given that he was new he was having to ask a lot of questions, so he was forcing a polite smile and tone, forcing himself to be nice to people, to smile at them and to interact politely with whomever had agreed to help him on that occasion. He’d been talking with someone specifically as they helped him navigate his way to the charms section, and had headed up talking to them for a bit. He’d laughed at the right points and smiled at them, but god did he want to get away, it was a little intense for him. When the person eventually finished speaking and Shane was able to say goodbye he forced the smile one last time and sat down at the nearest table, ignoring who ever else had been sat at it. He just didn’t want to even think about it.​

 

[Charlie Madison]

Charlie always felt weird in the library. She didn't really bother studying much at the best of times, but on the occasion that she did, it felt strange to be so close to Mum's office. It was reassuring, sure, to have Mum at school if anything ever did go wrong, and she did a good job of giving Charlie and Emily their own space, but it felt strange, to just be sitting here, and know that Mum was just the next room over in her office. It had to be done, though. Charlie hadn't really bothered looking at any of her school books over the break, and now school was back, and all of her classes seemed to have assigned reading. She had found one of the books she was looking for and settled in at a table to skim it, hoping to get the gist as quickly as possible so she could get out of here. Charlie hadn't been at the table long though, when an unfamiliar boy sat down across from her, immediately sending Charlie onto high alert. The last time she had been approached by someone she didn't know, it had almost ended in a fistfight. She didn't like talking to people she didn't know, but after the disaster of last valentines day, Charlie was perpetually suspicious. "What do you want?" She asked, eyeing the boy over her book.

 

[Shane Ackley]

Shane looked up at the girl sitting at the table he’d set himself down at. He looked at her with a small glare growing over his features, why did this girl think he wanted anything from her, ”I don’t want anything, I’m sitting,” he replied shortly, putting on a smile for the person he’d spoken had somewhat drained him and he didn’t particularly have the energy to keep it going with this girl and whatever problem she might have with him sitting down. It reminded him of his last school, of the people who had claimed an area on a desk and were just so unwilling to share with anyone. ”Am I not allowed? Is this entire table yours?” the boy spoke quietly, in a rushed tone, but he would leave it there, no need to get any further into this with this girl, there was just no need for that at all. Instead he just turned his attention away. He’d get up and go eventually, he’d found what he’d come for, found where to find it, he didn’t need much else. The teen spotted the person who’d helped him walk back through and he forced one final smile. God, he’d leave soon, just had to centre himself. He needed some peace and quiet after this. Maybe a nice trip down to the cliffs would be better, this library as quiet as it was, it just wasn’t right. ​

 

[Charlie Madison]

Charlie knew she could come across prickly at times, but in this particular case, her concern seemed to have been warranted. Her frown deepened at the boy's snippy response. "You didn't even ask." She snapped back, eyeing him. "Someone else might've been sitting there. Or I might be waiting for someone." Neither thing was true, Charlie had come to the library alone in the hopes of getting this finished as quickly as possible, but this boy was getting on her nerves now. She watched him smile quickly at someone else, rolling her eyes. The smile was clearly fake, given his snippiness with Charlie, and she found herself only growing more irritated at this boy.

 

[Shane Ackley]

Shane looked at this girl as she snapped back at him, he could admit that he had been like that towards her and certainly deserved it being thrown back at him, but that didn’t help him. Had his previous school made him completely unable to make any friends? Sure the people who’d been helping him, whom he’d been nice to might want to be his friend but that wasn’t real, least not on his side. He was barely even listening to this girl as she continued speaking. He just seemingly sat back further in the chair and staring forward as his expression just went a little blank, near devoid of any emotions. He sat in silence for a moment before shaking his head, ”I’ll be gone in a moment. Then your someone will be able to sit down again,” he replied without even looking towards her. She was annoying to him, claiming an entire table for herself, sure maybe someone could’ve been sitting there but surely it didn’t matter if he just took a small break, if he just sat down for a moment and then cleared off. He’d be out of this girl’s hair soon enough but he was questioning whether the people in this school were any better than the last, or perhaps that maybe the problem wasn’t them at all. ​

 

[Charlie Madison]

Watching the boy's face as she spoke, Charlie saw something strange in his expression. It looked like he was disconnected completely from what they were talking about, and it was an expression Charlie had seen a few times in her past. She had watched kids in homes she lived in shut down like that when things got too difficult, and was fairly sure she had done the same herself at times. Sighing heavily, Charlie shook her head. "I didn't say there was anyone going to sit there, just there could be. You never asked." She sighed again, picking up her book. "You can stay, I don't care, just ask next time."

 

[Shane Ackley]

Shane was surprised by the change in her tone, it was going over exactly what she had said before but it was a little less harshly said, and it seemed almost a little apologetic. Maybe not quite actually apologetic, but much like how he'd stopped himself from digging a little more into this situation she was too. Honestly, he was kind glad about it, and without his expression really changing he just nodded, "Fine, thanks," was all he said in agreement, accepting her minimalist terms. He looked down at the books he had and picked one up flicking through it lightly. He wanted to sit down because this place was large and confusing and he needed to be nice to people to be able for them to help him, and oh boy did he need help. He turned slightly and leaded a little against the table as he read the book. He knew that he hadn't exactly asked if he could stay, but their conversation let him believe he maybe could. He kept his gaze on the book in front of him as he thought of the move to this school maybe it had been a mistake, he liked it more, but it was bigger there were more people and he needed to work on being nice, but he was happier....maybe. ​

​

Shane closed the book he had and picked up the next one and began flicking through it, noting that the specific things he had been looking in these books for was not. He needed to look again, but he didn't want to ask someone again, he felt too emotionally tired to do so. Instead he glanced at the girl and sighed, he wanted to leave his stuff, so that he could carry a little more and not be ladened with his stuff, "I loathe to ask, but can you watch my stuff for a bit? Please," he added a little please at the end, so that hopefully she might just say yes. Hopefully that would make her a little more amenable to what he was asking.​