It was dark, eight fifteen pm by the grandfather clock that hung in the library and Liam stood in the middle of the hallway, rummaging through the bookshelf trying to find a book about human psychology. That was his usual setting for weekends, when he intentionally kept himself free from working on his master's thesis. It wasn't that he did not like his major, but he quite often found himself interested in how the mind behaves and why. After all these years in university, he knew he would never have time for his passion if he did not force him to take some out of his schedule. 

Jessica on the other hand, was a university freshmen. Still trying to mold herself into her new life, quite different from 12th grade, which was more protective, offering some sort of support at each step she took. Here, she was on her own. Kiana happened to be the only friend she was able to make in these three months, and it was mostly because she and Kiana were from the same city. Kiana was extroverted and confident, whereas Jessica just did fine on her confidence level, that is to say- as long as someone didn't scare her, tried to have one on one interaction/ group talks with her- she would pretty much be normal. She didn't mind being alone, and was quite opposite from the outgoing kids people define as 'normal'. 

Despite all these anti-social traits, Jessica still couldn't escape the most basic emotion of well, um, attraction? Did I mention she applied in this particular university because she had a school crush, this guy, Ryan, who had applied for the same uni too. Although Ryan knew she liked him, (I do not know how, maybe she confessed? Hey! introverts might confess too okay!?) he did not give her any attention. So it wasn't a mutual affair. Still, Jessica herself did not know why she followed him all the way here. As time passed by, her feelings for Ryan also subdued, but the damage was already done so, yeah, nothing more to say about that.

Jessica was hurriedly walking towards the library, well, not to search for any books that she wanted to read, but to find her missing phone that was gifted to her just recently, like a month ago. Her phone was probably her only escape besides her laptop, where she could binge watch dramas when she had free time, no, scratch that, when she had free time because she procrastinated a bit.( Mind you, young fellows, university does not offer you any time that you could spend for free.)

She entered the library wearing a weary expression on her face and headed straight towards the table she was sitting at, which just happened, all by luck, to be now taken by Liam who was immersed in reading some new book about NLP that he had managed to find. Jessica stopped a foot away, mentally prepared herself to speak to a person, repeated a line in her mind thrice, and then she blurted out-

"Um, have you seen a phone here?"

Jessica was left flustered, because Liam had seemingly not noticed what she had said and now, ah, she had to repeat herself. Previously she was concerned, now she was nervous too. And this time she wanted to make sure Liam would be able to hear her, so she went a little closer and gently tapped on his shoulder.

Liam looked up to see a petite girl standing in front of him. She was tiny, looked liked an eighth grader at most. Funny how human height is decreasing with each generation! He thought to himself, and barely stopped himself from smiling.

"Yes?"

"I.. Have you seen a phone lying here?"

Liam looked at her face, she would not look him directly in the eye except for a while and it was obvious she tried that hard to maintain eye contact to appear confident, but it didn't work. Yeah, he was applying all his psychology knowledge on this girl right here. 

"Uh.. have you?"

"Yeah, it was here, I handed it over to the librarian." Liam said looking straight in her eyes, almost like analyzing her thought and behavior.

"Oh! Ah, Thanks!"

And then Liam couldn't stop himself from smiling when he witnessed this lass walk away with in the most stiff way he had ever seen. She was trying way too hard to not get noticed. He had read about this. Socially anxious people sometimes make lesser body moments, because they feel the lesser they move, the less people would notice them, when, in fact, it works the opposite because they don't blend in that way at all! 

It is what makes them even more visible to others.

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