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Library Plans

"What'd you get?" Adonis asks T once he's returned to their shared dorm room from the school offices. He drops the package on his bed and takes off his jacket.

"Don't know. You can open it if you want." T says, brushing a hand over his head as he sits at his desk and watches his friend grab a scissor, ease it open and then drag it across the top of the box, slitting the tape down the middle before pulling the flaps open.

"Holycrap." Adonis says, gazing into the box in awe before pulling out two soccer jerseys and holding them up. "They're signed by both our favourite players." T stands and walks over to his friend, grabbing one of the offered jerseys he's handed and the two guys laugh in excitement.

Coming from backgrounds of wealth, it's sometimes shocking what your parents can get you.

Take these jerseys for example; they also come with four attached tickets to the upciming game T and Adonis were dying to go to that year, and now here they are, with jerseys signed by two team players, all sent to T by his uncle, as a "just 'cause" gift.

"Well, I guess there's no need to buy them ourselves anymore. VIP seats will already be waiting for us by the time this rolls around." Adonis tells T and they smack palms with big smiles on their faces. This year is starting out weird but has potential to turn out amazing, T thinks to himself, gazing down at the ticket in his hand.

*****

"I hope you still pondered your studies on your unexpected day off yesterday because I have a fun surprise planned for all of us today. Pop Quiz." Mr Harrison announces to the class and they all groan as he starts handing out the papers. "You have forty five minutes to complete the whole paper.

"You know the rules. Refrain from raising your eyes from your paper, and do not bother to talk because that automatically takes a few points off the quiz. Your time starts...now. Good luck." Mr Harrison leaves the classroom and T simply stares down at the paper on his desk, tapping his pen on his cheek. Screw it, he thinks and then he fills it in, not running into any errors he's aware of at the moment. Being a star player for the Thrive soccer team doesn't just require you being physically fit or naturally talented, it requires stable academic grades and levels so T had no choice but learn to be good in school since he generally didn't want the title handed over to him by most people's parents. Him and his friend Adonis always agreed on earning it when it came to their passions. Like soccer.

Adonis fills his paper in carefully, not really rushing it, but making sure he gets a decent grade on the test, no matter if it's supposed to be a revision test, he's a hardworker.

He watches a girl stand at the same time as his best friend T and they walk to the front of the class and place their test sheets on the desk of their teacher before going to sit down again and he smiles at his friend.

'Showoff', Adonis mouths and T chuckles to himself as he shrugs.

'Easy'. He mouths back.

"Something you'd like to share with the class Mr. Sideris and Mr. Cash?" Mr Harrison asks the two best friends and they share a smile before sheepishly keeping quiet again.

The rest of the students slowly hand in their papers once the timer goes off and then they're given a few pages to read from their textbooks, everyone annoyed and dreadful at the piles of homework they've been given especially so early in the year.

The bell rings, then everyone packs up their bags and they rush to leave class.

T and Adonis walk out of the classroom simultaneously and then someone runs past them, just barely missing running over them.

"Hey, watch it." Adonis says and the girl waves behind her, not bothering to stop or look back and the two male friends scoff at her. "I'm so sorry, excuse me!" Giada throws over her shoulder, rushing to get to the library on time because a full investigation has began regarding the fire and she was asked to guide the firemen through the whole lay out of the place since she knows it best...

"Seth? What are you doing here?" Giada asks her brother once she's walked around the blackened library, a white safety hat on her head and her brother turns to look at his older sister, camera in hand.

"I'm taking pictures. The whole thing with the ash and fallen rubble creates a good background to shoot in front of." He says, moving his hand around and as he talks and she nods slowly.

"Are you documenting the fire for the school newspaper?" Giada asks him and Seth laughs, wiping an imaginary tear as his sister looks at him in poor amusement. She doesn't really get what's so funny? "What's it then? Fun? Just tell me."

"Well..." Seth trails off just as a girl dressed all in black from her coat, to her chunky boots and whatever pieces of clothing or jewellery she has on and Giada's eyebrows shoot up in question.

"It's a photoshoot for your brother's new website and social media actually. We're putting out a portfolio to start building up his career as a photographer." The girl tells Giada and she holds her hand out. "By the way I'm Courtney."

"Giada, nice to meet you." The two females shake hands and Giada smiles. She knew her brother was into cameras, but never did she know, it would be this much. "Anyways, good catching up with you guys, I have to get going. Have fun though." Giada and her brother, connect hands, do a gesture of clicking fingers and then she leaves them to return to her post.

"Hi there, sorry I'm late." Giada says to the captain she was told would be leading the investigation of arson, that may or may not have been commited, juding by what they find.

"Captain Bernie Sanders." He says and the two shake hands, Giada glancing around at all the other men and waving. She pulls on a handy coat, covering her expensive jacket and she takes in the heights taller than her and it should be quite intimidating, except, Giada is used to going to business events with her parents where, majority of people there are older men with ties and suits, so she's pretty sure that she can handle this.

"I'm Giada Nubia. I volunteered weekly here at the school library ever since my first year of High School. Before that, in grade school, I spent all my time studying or just reading for fun, so I know all the secrets it holds." Giada says with a smile and the captain nods.

"What's that supposed to mean exactly?"

"Let's just say that there's literally nobody who knows the library better than me. That is, besides the the first school librarian, who is currently in recovery due to the fire and will only return after six months so because of that...You have me."

The men nod and then work starts. Giada pulls out the two sets of blueprints she brought along with her and then lays then down on a table that was brought outside, weighing down the ends with some magnets before grabbing a pencil and starting her explanation.

"So, the bones that have been left of the building, show that it's two stories worth of a library. The first floor of the library had; three study rooms, two bathrooms, female and male. Here we're looking at a large student lounge; four elevators, a reading room, obviously our lobby area, around here a media and computer viewing room, computer kiosks, four stair cases leading to the second floor-which we'll get to in a minute-circulation and refrence desk areas, about three main staff rooms and obviously, our stacks of books. Fourteen rows, six back to back shelves in each row." Giada talks with no stop, circling everything in a bold red marker, writing on and pasting sticky notes as she speaks so nothing is left out and the men look at her with wide eyes as she explains and they work on keeping up with what she's saying. "Everyone following, we getting the vibe I'm trynna put off?"

"I'm pretty sure. I think you can continue Miss Nubia." The captain says, and then Giada goes into launching about how the second floor stored more book shelves than the first floor did, an apartment space for the two librarians and some storage rooms that no one really knew was in there.

"But all in all, that's the library of Thrive." Giada smiles dropping her marker on the table, looking satisfied with her work before looking up at the firefighters in front of and around her.

"How old did you say you were?" One of the men ask Giada and she smiles.

"Eighteen in a few months." She answers and his eyes widen.

"You know a lot for your age."

"Thank you. Do you have any additional questions? I have to head to class, then I'll return later if you're still here. Tomorrow too, same time, same place." Giada says and they tell her they should be fine, handing her a card to call them if she remembers anything else she thinks should be inclusive before letting her go on her way. Giada takes off the hard hat that she had on, along with the tacky coat and quickly jogs to her next class, claiming her seat just as the scheduled bell goes off and she lets out a sigh of relief. Just in time.

*****

Giada makes her way to her dorm after school and she reads her new book, using her new Kindle as she walks. "Miss Nubia." Someone calls, but Giada doesn't hear or take in her surroundings as she keeps walking, too invested in her book.

"Miss Nubia." The vice principal calls once again as him and the principal work to catch up with the distracted student as she walks across the campus grounds. The principal of Thrive is never present, and no one knows why. Although, when he is present, it's always something bad, or extremely good. I wonder which one it it today...

"Miss Nubia!" The vice principal yells a bit louder but Giada keeps on her path, smiling as she swipes to the next page.

"Yo Giada! They're calling you!" A student yells as he passes right by her and Giada fimally looks up, not having started her next chapter yet.

"What? Who?" Giada asks, and the guy who shouted out to her points. "Oh, thank you."

"No problem." He laughs, going about his way and Giada turns back and walks to the principal and vice principal of the school, painting a smile on her face.

"I was invested quite a bit in the story." She apologises and the two principals nod at her in understanding. "Principal Reagan, what a surprise. Is everything alright?"

"Yes yes, everything is fine. We just saw you passing by and we wanted to know how the meeting with the arson investigation team went." The principal says and Giada pulls her expensive purse around to the front of her, slipping her e-reader inside.

"You mean the firefighters? Oh that went well. Anything in particular you'd like to know? All I could do was run them over the blueprints and plans before having to get to class." Giada says, taking out her lip balm and putting a bit on her lips, rubbing them together before smiling again.

"Well that's fine. You head on to your dorm and update us after seeing the gentlemen tomorrow." The vice principal tells Giada and she nods.

"Will do. See you tomorrow then." Giada turns and heads in the direction of her dorm building, thinking about the weird exchange she just had. Why is the principal at the school? She asks herself, while casually walking to her dorm. Something has to be wrong. Giada gets to her dorm building and swipes her access card before pushing the door open and using the stairs to head to her room.

She gets a few looks from girls who don't like her, a few waves and smiles from some who do. With Giada Nubia, you can either love or hate her. The love people have for her, comes from great admiration, and the hate comes from and envy and jealousy. Giada barely notes either though, too busy in her own bubble to really care about such things. Giada gets to her room and enters the code to open the door, before pushing into the large room.

"Hey Lindi." Giada smiles at her roomate before she shuts their door behind her.