Jane

"Okay, so all I need you to do is go through each shelf and dust all the way around. Start from the back, and work your way to the front." My mom had decided to hire Niall part-time on Thursday's and Monday's when I had to work by myself. It was good because he could do all my least favorite things like cleaning.

He had started this Monday and after showing him everything there was to know about the library, he could finally get to work. "Alright then if you need me, I'm over there." He took his rag and ladder and headed to the back.

I heard the bell of the entrance ring and was caught off guard as Harry walked in. It was weirdly cold today being September and all, so a gust of cold air came in behind him. "Hey Harry, what are you doing here?"

He wore a leather jacket and had his helmet with him under his arm. "Need to use the computer again, I have an assignment due tomorrow and I need to type that speech for class." A kid ran past Harry and I called after him to slow down.

"We're a little busy today, do you want me to keep your helmet back here so no one touches it?" He handed it to me and I placed it under my desk behind my purse. "Did you work today?"

"Yeah just got off, I need to get this assignment done because I have to work tomorrow morning before school." Over the past few weeks, we had talked more and he began telling me about his work and how much he hated the guys he worked with. His boss was an old man who gave him the job because Harry was the only one who was good working with motorcycles.

"Okay well have fun." I joked as he went to sit down in front of the desk getting to work while I began going through a pile of donated books.

Niall was extremely helpful throughout the rest of the day. He was good at cleaning and took direction very well. "We're closing in fifteen minutes, ladies and gentlemen," I announced.

"Do you want me to put these boxes in the garbage?" Niall asked. I nodded too busy counting how many people signed up for September's book club.

"Jane?" Harry asked on the other side of the counter. "What are you doing on Saturday?" I looked up at him, his eyes burning into mine.

"Saturday?" I thought about it and knew my mom would want me to work. "Nothing after two, why do you ask?"

"I was wondering if you'd like to go to the beach with me?" I was very fond of the beach, and it was supposed to be very nice and warm this weekend. Plus it gave me an excuse to see all of Harry's tattoos for the first time.

"Sure, sounds like fun." He smiled and stood there for a minute. "I'll see you tomorrow?" He stood there looking around, "what?"

"I sort of need my helmet." He said awkwardly.

I blushed, reaching down to pick it up and giving it back to him. He chuckled waving goodbye and left.

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After we closed up Niall helped me straighten up the mess a group of kids made in the young adult section. "Hmm?" Niall said as he reorganized the books.

"What?"

"Some guy I saw outside when I took the boxes out, he looked familiar, and I think I just remembered where I've seen him." He stood up walking to the other side where all the books were out of place.

"What does he look like?" I wondered.

"He was in here, short brown hair, black long sleeves, black pants." I stopped and realized he was describing Harry. No one else came in here wearing a black long sleeve shirt except him.

"Did he have a motorcycle?" I asked.

"Yeah, you saw him too?" Niall was unaware that Harry and I know each other. "Anyways I saw him earlier and I couldn't quite remember where I knew him from, but right now it just hit me."

"He's a friend of mine." It got quiet and Niall sighed.

"Maybe it's best I don't tell you then." He said in a serious tone. I got up going around the shelf and looking at him. "What?"

"Why don't you wanna tell me?" I crossed my arms. "Is it bad?" It did worry me that he said he recognized him. What if it was something like the FBI's most-wanted list?

"For me, it's not, but that's because I saw what happened before it happened." He shrugged.

"But what happened?" I kneeled next to where he sat on the floor fixing the bottom shelf.

"It was a few months ago, football season and I was at a bar watching some game a few weeks before the Superbowl. Anyways there's this girl in there and her stupid boyfriend is being loud and obnoxious. He's drunk, yelling at the screen, yelling at his girlfriend. The girl tells him he needs to calm down and he doesn't like that." He gulped. "The guy grabs the girl by the arm and practically drags her out. But she told him to stop and started asking for help. Your friend stepped in and tried to help but the boyfriend went ape shit and hit the girl."

"Oh my god!" I gasped.

"This guy was huge, double the size of your friend." He explained. "But he went at him, they started fighting, and your friend knocked the guy out. He kept hitting him until the security got him, it was insane." I hummed standing up and walking around back to what I was doing. "Hey, Jane for what it's worth he seemed to be the good guy in this situation."

"Yeah, I guess." In a way he was yet it bothered me he could fight someone twice his size.

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Olivia texted me asking me if I wanted to get coffee before Friday's class. I agreed to let her drive while we went to a small cafe bakery getting something to fill our stomachs so I can concentrate in class. I told Olivia in line while we waited about the story Niall told me and she seemed distracted with a guy a few feet away.

"Stare much 'liv?" I poked her shoulder. We moved a few feet closer to the front of the line. She ignored me and ordered before I did. We took our stuff and walked out to the car. Olivia smiled at the guy and he walked over waving.

"Um excuse me?" He called after her. I turned away while he talked to her. She laughed and he took his phone out. After a few minutes they exchanged numbers and Olivia walked back to the car with a big grin on her face.

"Did you get his number?" I asked her.

"Yup," she giggled. "His name is Carter and he says he seen me around campus, thinks I'm really pretty, asked if we could hang out sometime."

"Go, girl, he's cute." She smiled as she drove.

It made me think of a lot of Olivia's ex-boyfriends. I've known her for a couple of years and she's had two real relationships and dated a few guys in between. They all had one thing in common, assholes. Every single one of those guys was a total dick to her. She's so smart, but when it came to guys she didn't really know how to pick them.

I also start to think of my past relationships. My first boyfriend was in high school. We broke up when he moved away. My last boyfriend was the summer before college. He broke up with me when I didn't want to have sex with him. He claimed we were going to drift apart, but I know he wanted to lose his virginity a whole lot more than I did.

Being a virgin in college isn't as big of a deal as people make it out to be. I was about to be twenty-two and I felt unprepared for it. My mom always tells me that when the time is right, you know.

When we got to class Harry scrolled through his phone and had his headphones in. I set my coffee down and put my bag of mini muffins next to it.

I pulled out my typed speech along with flashcards for when I presented. "Are you still nervous to go up there?" Harry pulled off his headphones.

"No, I should be fine, are you?" He shook his head. "So are we still going to the beach Saturday?

"Of course, unless you don't want to?" His voice sounded disappointed.

"Yeah I do, are you gonna pick me up or do you want me to drive?" I spoke slowly.

"I'll pick you up on my bike." He shrugged.

I was nervous again, I had never been on a motorcycle before. "Oh okay." My parents are gonna freak out unless they meet Harry first. They're not going to just let me get on the bike of a stranger and ride off into the sunset. I still lived under their house and had to follow their rules.

"What is it?" He asked. I took a long sip of my coffee.

"Uh, my parents are probably going to want to meet you, they worry a lot." He smiled and said it was fine. When he looked away he looked almost sad. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, it's just nice that you have parents that care so much about you." The sincerity in his voice made me want to give him a hug. Do his parents ever call him? Does he have parents?

Class began before I had a chance to even respond.

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Thanks for reading. Xx

-k