The devil spawn looks to me with a sharp glare. I hear some shushes, which echo around the library. I'm only assuming the library clerk made the noise, since I see no one other than Quinton and myself here. There are other sitting areas, but I doubt a student would shush someone. Anyway, back to the problem here.

"What are you doing?" I hiss, trying my best to whisper, but with it being so quiet in here I still feel like I'm making too much noise.

Quinton rolls his eyes as he flips another page of… of the book that I've been looking for! I should have known he had it. It's just my luck. My arch nemesis has the book I need. Of course he does, that makes perfect sense! I hate you, world.

"Reading," he replies. Somehow his voice is not as loud as mine. Of course it isn’t, because Quinton doesn't raise his voice. He always speaks slowly and precisely. He pisses me off. "This is a library."

"That's not what I mean." I look over my shoulder to see if the old lady heard me. I can't really see her from here, but when I don't hear her shush me again I take that as being allowed to speak. I hop onto the couch across from the boy. He still hasn't bothered to look at me and I'm half tempted to go over to him and force him to but resist the urge to do so. "It's Christmas break. Why are you still on campus?"

"Why are you?" he asks.

"Don't ask me a question when you haven't answered mine."

"Why should I have to answer your question?"

I am going to have the word 'why' removed from the dictionary, immediately. I cannot believe my two weeks of wonderfully calm Christmas break are going to be ruined.

Knowing that Quinton is still around is enough to ruin everything, even if I do not see him after today. I will know he's here and know that I could run into him, and that is enough to ruin everything.

Maybe I should pack up now and leave.

Huffing, I throw one leg over the other and cross my arms. Quinton has his nose buried in the book still. By the looks of it he's over halfway done. I could ask him to lend it to me when he's finished… no, no, no, no, no! I will not ask him to lend me the book. Why would I ask him that? He'd say no anyways.

"Could you lend me that when you're finished?" What the hell! Why… didn't I tell myself a second ago not to ask him that? There is something wrong with my mind and mouth coordination. I need to see a doctor.

Quinton's dark eyes finally take a moment to peer over the book at me. The way he's holding the book covers up half his face, leaving only his smoldering eyes visible. Having his eyes on me makes me squirm. Geesh, if he keeps giving girls looks like that it's no wonder they fall for him...

Hold on, scratch all that. Dark, smoldering eyes? I'm nuts. I am serious, I need to see a doctor. I'm making an appointment as soon as I get back to the dorm. I have issues. I need to be medicated.

"You can read?" His voice is enough to tell me that behind that book he is smirking. His question makes my eyebrow twitch in annoyance.

"Yes, I can read. I can kick your ass, too, pretty boy." Being around him makes me violent. I am not the type to throw my fists so much, but man, when I see him, I get the urge to pound his face in with a hammer!

Quinton, with a roll of his eyes, snorts. "You could try, Princess. Anyways, I'm nearly done. You can have it afterwards."

My anger begins to dwindle down to a small flame. Did he just… offer me the book? My shock must have been written all over my face, because Quinton is speaking again. "You look more stupid than usual with your jaw hanging open like that."

Quickly, I snap my jaw closed. The action makes him chuckle. The sound makes me shiver. It's strange to hear him chuckle like… like he’s amused. Quinton doesn't get amused. He's always bored or annoyed… okay, he's usually just bored. The only time he seems to be annoyed is when I'm around, which I am quite proud of, by the way. Hearing him chuckle is such an oddity that I have no idea how to respond or react to it. It goes to show that he is human and, honestly, that freaks me out a bit.

“Uh... t-thanks… I guess."

"Hmm."

I'm not sure why I stay after we're finished talking. I somehow find myself watching videos on my phone—with my headphones in, of course, because I don't want to be 'shushed' again. Quinton doesn't say anything. In fact, he doesn't look at me again until he has finished the book and gets up to leave, handing me said book before he goes.

"Make sure to get an ice pack," he says after tossing the book into my lap.

I jump a bit at it suddenly landing on me before staring at him in confusion. "Huh?"

"A paragraph in and I bet your brain will be fried."

I really hate him.