Roommate

Yuno grabbed the last book off the shelf and placed it on the top of books leaning precariously on the edge of the ebony wooden table behind her.

She adjusted her spectacles which refused to hold steady and pushed a strand of her blond hair behind her ear as a cool breeze worked its way through the open window.

Yuno ambled her way to the window. The stars were shining bright.

Yuno looked at the starry sky with the full moon in the middle, gleaming and shining along with the stars. She lifted her hand and tried to catch the moon as she slowly clenched her fair hand into fists. It stayed in the same position, smiling amiably at her.

Yuno let out a sigh and turned back towards the table.

She picked the books up, slipping are hands beneath the lowest book named ' A moveable feast'; her chin placed on the top of the pile of thick books.

Her fair cheeks were flushed when she reached the library desk on the other end where the 30-year-old the new Librarian John sat on his chair absorbed in the crossword of ' Canberra times'.

Yuno preferred the previous librarian Miss Jones. She wasn't particularly attached to her. She was like every other strict old lady but she was at least a lady.

Yuno placed the books on the desk, careful not to send them falling like a pack of cards. She gave a slight tap on the wooden desk with her knuckles, the paper clutched in her left hand.

" Mr. John?" she called.

John looked at the blondie by the top of the sharp edge of the newspaper and set it down on his chair, standing up and stretching his arms.

He looked at the books placed carefully on the desk and asked the 16-year Yuno standing on the other end with a nervous look on her face, " You will read all of that in a week? And today is the opening day..."

" Yes," she replied immediately. " Huh, maybe. I guess..."

John stretched out his hand. Yuno gave him the paper of the list of books she carried and waited for him to give him the nod.

John noted down the name and the date of borrowing of every book Yuno borrowed in the register of the 'Tulane academy' and gave her a nod to go.

Yuno let a sigh of relief, picked her books, and rushed off the library. She felt nervous around boys regardless of their age. A habit of hers even before she was sent to the boarding school the last year.

She crossed the library in the west section and walked towards her dorm under the moonlight, casting her long shadow in her path with the pile of books shadow even taller.

The academy which was spread across a 10-acre land was quiet except for the sound of rustling leaves and the faint barks of the academy dog, Bruno by the gate. It was 10:00 in the night, a time of hustle-bustle but the Principle Jean didn't want complaints in the opening day.

Everyone was either asleep or faking sleep in their rooms. Yuno was the only student awake according to her.

As she neared her room. Yuno wondered about her roommate for the year. She was happy that she had a room all for herself last year as the academy was new to the business without many students. It was peaceful.

But its popularity soared up in an instant when the basketball team won the local championship last year. This gave Jean a new idea.

Jean, the principle apparently hired the best coaches as in each sport she said in her interview .To lure the sports aspirants of the area. And it was a grand success which sucked for Yuno. She didn't like company.

She didn't attend the opening ceremony that morning as she dumped her bag on her bed as soon as her parents ' The gasais' dropped her and bolted straight to the library.

Yuno spent most of the day in her favorite spot, by the window and sat there reading novels and short stories. The prospect of room-mate didn't occur to her and she only started to think about on her way to the dorm.

" Will she be a sports freak as well?" she wondered. She never liked sports. The amount of training, hard work, and the risk factor is too high and she never understood why they do it when the odds are heavily against them. Everyone can't be a Messi or Ronaldo!

" I never understand them," she said in the cool night for none to hear. The leaves of the tress over-head swayed, the birds not daring to disturb the quiet.

A booming sound disturbed the quiet that settled over the academy. The books almost fell out of Yuno's hands. What was that?

The sounds continued. Ka thump! Boom! Ka thump! Boom!

The sounds seemed to come from the side of the academy where the volleyball court was present. It was behind Yuno's dorm, a wide curve cutting across the grass leading to the room.

Yuno stood near the entrance of the dorm of the girls, listening to the sounds hypnotized.

" Is someone practicing this late at night? What are the guards doing?" thought Yuno. Then she remembered that today was Monday, the day they hit the bar.

Ka thump! Boom! Ka thump! Boom! continued the sounds.

Yuno made her way to the room on the second floor listening to the sounds. Room no.201. She put the books down to unlock the door and felt around for the key in the back pocket of her jeans, when she noticed that the door was there was a slight gap.

"Roommate?" she wondered as she slightly kicked open the door, the books back in her hands. She placed the books on the table beside the door and felt around for the switch.

As the lights flickered into life, Yuno noticed that the room was empty. On the other bed were a backpack and a bag with the name ' Rachel'. A set of volleyball was present on the bed with one of them missing.

The cover was eagerly ripped open and lay on the floor, forgotten.

Ka thump! Boom! Ka thump! Boom!

Yuno got her new roommate. And she was every bit a sports freak.