The next day I woke up with the same routine as before, and will be for a while. Get dressed in another simple shirt jeans, and a light jacket, and head off for my two other classes for the day. Which is Sociology 109, and Art 120. Art 120 was great, the teacher discussed to us what we would be doing for the semester overall, and then he had us due a few sketches. My art teacher kind of reminds my of the Performing Arts librarian, he’s a real man’s man, he appears to be in his late thirties, black curly hair and tan skin, he’s wearing a suit and tie, and is kind of burly, but also walks in a elegant way, his name is Professor Noah.

After my classes, and eating my usual lunch of a clif bar, crackers, and carrots, but adding a delicious chocolate chip muffin, I head over to my car and to the Performing Arts Library.

With my Humboldt community service t-shirt I head over to the Library. Mr. Owen greets me with a, “Hello, Ms. Jones. How are you today?”

I smile and say, “I’m okay Mr. Owen, and you can just call me Jay, and how is your day so far?”

Mr. Owen smiles and says, “I’m well thank you Jay, and Mr. Nate, Mr. Bright, and Mrs. Grace have worksheets and such for you to print with notes on how many copies to make, and if they want them double sided or not on the note paper clipped to the original copies, they’re on your desk”

“Okay thank you.” I say. 

And head over to my desk which is right behind the book checkout desk, I get them and go to the library copier, the copier section is pretty decked out with anything someone who’s making copies could ever need, with built in shelves of different stacked colored papers, and to the right of it a table with a large paper cutter, staples tape, and hole puncher. Mr. Nate wants 40 double sided copies of an article about the Americas GMO farming. Mr. Bright wants 36 tests of 10 pages printed and stapled. And Mrs. Grace wants 47 work sheets of 4 pages printed and stapled. I re-check the note and notice how Mrs. Grace and Mr. Nate want the copies as soon as I get them done, and Mr. Bright wants his copies dropped off at his office slot, so after dropping off Mr. Brights copies in his designated slot, I get out my map and head over to the other classes.

These building are huge and beautiful, but I can’t admire them much, because I need to get to the 2 classes, and get on with putting back the recently turned in books. After turning a few corners and walking down a few halls, I make it to Mr. Nate’s classroom 114, I slightly nervously knock on the door, and go inside, thankfully Mr. Nate’s directly in front of me and just a few steps away, he’s lecturing off a powerpoint, I ignore the few eyes on me and slightly smile and hand him the copies.

 “Thank you Msss….” 

“Jones,” I say, as I feel my cheeks getting slightly warmer. “AAhh yes, I forgot, Ms. Jones thank you with the copies,” I smile and say, ”your welcome,” and I leave the room.

Thankfully Mrs. Grace is just the next door over room 115, I knock and head in, she’s having an open discussion in her class, they seem to be talking about their views on a book called, To Kill a Mockingbird, I remember reading that book in high school, as I enter the room, Mrs. Grace see’s my shirt and the copies and motions me to put them on her desk, on the other side of the room. I stick to the wall and head over. It’s a large rectangular sized room, with white walls and beautiful hardwood floors. As I place the copies on her desk, I hear her loudly clear her throat and says in a authoritative voice,

"Perhaps you can help us in our debate Ms. Jones, did you read this book in High School.” I turn towards her and say, “ yes I did.”

“Then what’s your opinion on Boo Radley, why do you think he stays in his house, and leaves Scout items in a tree?” Mrs. Grace asks, looking at me with almost pleading eye’s, she must not have been getting anywhere with her students responses.

“Well I read the book a while ago, but I do remember thinking that he’s shy and possibly misunderstood. Maybe he didn’t want to deal with people’s already made up dispositions towards him, because of how he acted when he was a boy. And maybe he left Scout those items in the tree, because he was innocently playing with her in a way. Maybe he saw her as a innocent girl with wonder and curiosity in her eyes, who would find the items in the tree and think about magic. Whatever his reasons I think he was innocent about them.”

Mrs. Grace smiles and with relief in her eyes says, “thank you, Ms. Jones.”

I smile, feeling slightly embarrassed, and reply, “your welcome.”

A boy suddenly loudly states, “ Well I still think he was a still some perv!” 

And the whole class erupts in laughter, much to poor Mrs. Graces dismay. As I’m walking to the door, with the class slowly calming down and continuing their discussion, I feel a pair of eyes glued to my back, and when I turn around to close the door behind me. I see that girl from the portrait who I thought was breathtaking, her auburn hair is in a tight braid, and she’s wearing the school uniform, that consists of a white long sleeved button up shirt with the school symbol of a pair of ballerina shoes, a paint brush, and violin, in a circle with the Academy name in the middle. She’s wearing a knee length black dress, and she sitting straight up, legs crossed, hands in her lap, and staring at me with her striking pale blue eyes, like I’m slightly surprising her, my heart flutters a bit and I look away and out into the hallway, feeling a little out of breath. As I’m walking back to the hallway, I stop and use the bathroom, I look at my face in the mirror as I’m washing my hands, and see my face has a whole new type of blush on it.

I make it back to the library and start putting the stacks of returned books back the their original places. After I’ve fully calmed down, I start to think about that girl again, and how obviously by my reaction I’m a little taken with her, and I’m silently praying it will blow over soon, so I can focus on my books, and my major.