"I still think this be a bad idea...." Asha was wringing her hands as Rae and she walked down the clean hallways of their school.

"It be fine.", Rae said in a nonchalant tone, although she couldn't help being nervous herself. She felt sure someone would notice the extra weight in her bag and couldn't help glancing at everyone that passed by her. Her eyes skirted across the hallway as she searched for her friends, but it didn't help that that it was especially crowded in the morning.

Finally, her gaze landed on two figures leaning against some lockers. Martin and Sophie were very two different people. He was scrawny with blonde, practical looking hair. Pretty much everything about him was practical, actually, and he would rid of anything that came in the way of his grades. He reminded Rae of Ethan, in some ways.

Sophie, on the other hand, was much liked by everyone. Her kind face did not belie her personality, and her honey eyes shone with delight every time she helped someone. It was beyond Rae's understanding how those two became friends. And yet,  it was clear from the way Martin's body seemed to tilt towards her that he wanted them to be more than friends.

Asha and Rae walked toward them, her footsteps getting heavier with dread. Martin gave the slightest nodd of the head to acknoledge their presence. After Sophie had given everyone an unnecessary hug, Rae realized that starting this conversation would be harder than she had thought.

"Um, I be having to tell you something."

"What it be?", Sophie said, concerned, while Martin just scoffed, probably annoyed that his time with Sophie had been interrupted.

"Yes— but not here, I—"

"There be no where else.", Martin's eyes narrowed, "Class be about to start. If you have something to say, you be saying it now."

Rae made eye contact with Asha, as if asking her for help, but she just shrugged. What an absolute useless paperclip! (A.N: I'm so sorry, I wrote this at like 12:30 last night. I have no idea what I was thinking, but it was too ridiculous to take out) Rae took a deep breath. "Fine. I be having—" she dropped her voice, "b-books. Lots of them. And- and I be needing your help."

They reacted exactly how Rae expected them to. Sophie with a polite gasp, and Martin with a snort and a "You've got to be kidding me."

"No, I be serious. My neighbor she—" Rae gulped, unable to say it, "she gave them to me."

Martin was still not convinced. "One, if she be rich enough for books, she not be living here. Two, no one would be giving books away, especially not to you."

"Martin, that not be very nice.", Sophie said quietly.

"Yeah, Martin.", Rae snickered as he blushed down to his neck, "That not be very nice."

"And three," with forced politeness, "even if you not be lying, why you be telling us?"

"I think she be telling the truth.", Sophie interrupted again.

It was now obvious that the two sides of Martin were at odds with one another. He finally decided on, "I want to agree with you, but I have to see for myself to be sure."

"It be in my bag! I can't be showing you!"

"Just the tiniest peak."

"But someone could be seeing—"

As if on cue, Riley walked over, smiling that annoyingly bright smile of hers. "This be random, but you know what I be loving? Birthdays!"

Now, Riley wasn't mean. Not in the slightest. She wasn't your typical lip gloss wearing, hair judging, giggling villain. But she was the sort of person to say, "You know what I be loving? Birthdays!", to try and subtly announce it was her birthday. She was loved by every kid, parent and teacher known to mankind. She and Sophie got along great.

So it would've been customary for Rae to like Riley, afterall, their mothers had formed a great friendship at the same time of their pregnancies, and they even looked almost alike. But Riley was always that little bit smarter, that little bit faster, and her nose was always that little bit smaller. So, of course, Rae despised her. Which made her despise herself for despising her. (A.N: What was I writing again?)

"Oh yes. Birthdays be great.", Rae said unenthusiastically.

"And your birthday be exactly three week earlier from today! That be exactly three weeks before mine. Is that not be that amazing?"

"Ooh yes!", Sophie gushed, "Today be your birthday." Asha and Rae rolled their eyes in union. "I be bringing you a flavoured pill."

"Really?", Riley beamed, "You be remembering? You didn't have to do that."

Even Rae had to agree that was over the top. Flavoured pills were expensive— Sophie must've saved up all year to buy it. Then again, this was Sophie.

"It be cake flavoured.", she said as Riley popped it in her mouth, closing her eyes delightfully.

"Sophie, you be too kind.", she turned her attention back to Rae, "I be loving your backpack."

"Thanks, I love yours too.", Rae mumbled in response.

"Does it have the flap inside, can I be seeing?", as Riley reached for the bag, Rae felt a flare of panic inside of her. She frantically tried to pull it away, but Asha intervened just in time.

"Nah." She was amazingly calm, "It be the dirt cheap ones from Roof-Mart."

"Oh.", Riley looked disappointed. "Well, I be seeing you later. Thanks again, Sophie." She squeezed Sophie's hand and left for her classroom.

Now, both Rae and Sophie were smiling.

"Thanks Jones.", Rae felt faint from relief, "And you— you be too kind, Sophie. How can you stand her?"

She shrugged, and Martin (who was staring too intently at Sophie's dimples) cleared his throat. "So, can we be getting back on topic? Show us them!"

"Oh, for gods sake...", Rae pulled out two of the books, amused as Sophie and Martins' jaws dropped, "Just take them!"

"But we not be— we can't—", Sophie exclaimed.

"Quick, before someone be seeing!", she shoved them into their hands and they frantically put them into their bags. "Look, technically, nobody should know you have them—nobody should know I have them. But I be wanting you to read them and tell your friends about them. I have the chance to start a library—"

"For free? Rae, that not be business effecient!", Martin was finally interested.

"That be the point of a library. Plus, I only be giving them for rent. Not for sale."

"Yes, but in the market they be thousands of dollars. It makes sense to at least be charging $10 for rent. Not too much so they not be affording it, but enough to keep your business going. I'd love to be your financial adviser!"

"So you'll help?", Asha smiled.

Martin turned scarlet. "I—"

"I think it be a great idea.", Sophie chimed.

Martin sighed for a very long time. "Fine."

"Good.", Rae pushed them to face the other direction, "Now go tell your friends about it, and if they be interested, tell them to come to me. But be discreet!"

Martin and Sophie started walking to class, but just after they had left, Mrs. Terracotta burst out of the classroom where they had just been talking. She look worried. "Asha and Rae, you—you better be getting to class."

Asha widened her eyes at Rae. Rae couldn't tell how much she'd heard, because the only thing she could hear at the moment was the painful racing of her heart.
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A.N: I can't figure out what to put here... it's soo late. Well, it won't be late when I publish, but it's sooo late.

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