Library

*beep beep beep beep*

The clock, the night stand, the cold shower, Uriel replayed the worst day of his life as if he was following a script, but it wasn't a coincidence at all. He stayed up late again studying, with his head stuck in some old book without a care for the world.

Time flies when someone does what they love and Uriel really enjoyed ancient history. From the first civilizations, like the sumerians to the classical era, he knew almost everything there was to know about them. He wasn't just an archaeology enthusiast that would read only what he found to be amusing or interesting in a disorderly way, he studied everything, even those books he thought were full of crap.

Now hurrying out of the dorms he was pleased to notice there was no one blocking his way. Although Mark used to do it all the time, now it was obvious for him that the only reason he did so was to meet with Tina, his now ex girlfriend.

Of course he would be interested in her, she wasn't just rich, she was the sole daughter of one of the most influential people in the whole city and, even though the Jacobs corporation was a big deal in the country, money would only go that far. They lacked the influence to enter the city in full, which was the reason why Matt Jacobs, the current CEO in the Jacobs company and his father, sent Mark to college so far from their home.

Uriel's insight on ancient history also gave him an edge to understand current matters such as these, but he wasn't interested in something like that.

He took a glance at the clear sky that reminded him of the many days where Tina would come pick him up whenever he woke up late, which was most of the time, and sighed knowing that she wouldn't come today.

The buzzing sound of his 'vintage' flip phone, which was the only crappy phone he was able to afford, snapped him out of his reverie. There were so many missed calls now that he was forced to put it in silence.

He wasn't interested in buying anything or spending money on useless stuff and the only ones who would call so many times could only be people who wanted money from him. Too bad he didn't have any to start with.

'Why didn't I get a job as soon as college started, maybe if I did I wouldn't be in this situation right now.'

He headed to the library to return the books he had previously borrowed.

He then was greeted by Mister Scofield, the librarian, who was a man on his forties with a look that would suit a butler much more than he did a librarian. His neat appearance and elegant movements made him quite popular with the female students and most of his colleagues were jealous of him. His handsome look and classy apparel gave him the chance to be with any girl he wanted, it wouldn't even be against college policy because he wasn't a teacher and, as long as the girls were above legal age, there wouldn't be any ethical issues if he was to take advantage of all the attention he received.

He wasn't, though, interested in that in the slightest. Much like Uriel himself, he only had eyes for his books and couldn't care much about anything else. Scofield read almost anything that fell in his hands and he would have been a great partner for Uriel to talk with, but their interests couldn't be more different.

Scofield was only interested in literature and, even though he read literally anything, he wasn't really interested in archaeology. Still, he would sometimes chat with Uriel about this and that, especially when Uriel brought up an interesting topic like mythology.

"What's the matter fellow bookworm, you seem to be down." Scofield said in his usual tone of voice, but showed his genuine concern with his eyes.

"It's nothing mister Scofield, I just... Nevermind..."

"Don't be shy, if you couldn't finish those books I could let you borrow them for a couple more days." The librarian pushed the books back towards Uriel who had previously placed them on top of the counter.

"No, I finished them yesterday. They weren't that helpful, but I did find a couple interesting things. That's not it, the first incursion is coming and I don't even have enough to pay for the ticket."

"Uhm, did you try getting a job?"

"I did, but no luck."

"What about cutting a deal with a company? I hear they love supporting young students."

"I tried that too, but as soon as I mention my interest in archaeology they back out. Even the small corporations have no interest in my skillset I suppose."

Mister Scofield lingered for a few seconds, then he started cleaning his glasses with his handkerchief.

"What's so important about the incursion? I mean, I know getting a trait could be a life changing event for most people but in your case it shouldn't make a big difference. You still want to become an archaeologist and I don't see how a trait would make things easier for you. If you happen to get a really strong trait you could end up being drafted, I've seen that happen to many promising students who drop their dreams the minute they get their hands on the first paycheck after going hunting."

Uriel trusted mister Scofield, much more than he trusted any professor on campus. They sometimes chatted about their personal matters, even if it was mostly small talk, but he still hesitated before dropping all his personal problems on his acquaintance.

"You see... I think you might have noticed I love books, I really do, but there's things I can only do in person. I would love to stop reading and start writing my own books, going to the archaeological sites and making discoveries that everyone missed."

"I see, books are great but they have their limitations. You can only learn as much as the author knew and all your discoveries would depend on the quality of those books." The problem wasn't related to books at all, but it was the only common ground in between them. It made it easier for them to understand each other. "And if you wanted to investigate on site, a trait would certainly make things easier and safer depending on what you get." The librarian continued with a friendly face.

When Uriel saw the smile forming on mister Scofield's face he felt a bit upset thinking that he didn't really understand his situation and that he was mocking him. But all changed when he heard his next words.

"Say young bookworm, how would you like to work in the library?"

Uriel's face brightened up, his eyes glistening in hope. It was a well known fact that working for the college didn't pay much, but in turn it looked great in the curriculum vitae.

"Really!?"

"Well, you wouldn't be working for the college exactly. I would be hiring you myself and paying you a part of my own salary. It won't be much, but it should be enough to get you through this conundrum." Noticing the young student's excitement mister Scofield felt the need to clarify.

Uriel pondered for a few seconds, not knowing mister Scofield's true intentions. Who would be so kind to give someone they barely know a part of their salary? He couldn't wrap his head around it. But of course that was a lot more believable than being offered a job in the college, such a feat was considered almost impossible for a freshman.

Fearing that mister Scofield could withdraw his offer if he pondered for too long, Uriel quickly extended his hand sealing the deal. He didn't know what would he need to do, but he could see himself sitting for long hours behind the counter reading anything he wanted, just like the librarian did.

All of his hopes where short lived when the librarian showed him to a small room filled with cleaning supplies and janitor's clothing.

His face twitched for a few seconds, hesitating for a brief moment before wearing the janitor's overall and picking up the broom.

Mister Scofield nodded in approval as he watched the young student start cleaning the place without the need for him to even say anything.

The library wasn't crowded by all means, but there were some students reading with their heads down, some were using the computer terminals to search for the books they needed.

The first time Uriel set foot inside the library it didn't seem so big at all, he felt that no matter how big it was it would never be enough for him. Thousands over thousands of books filled the air with the leathery smell he loved and it gave the place a cozy feeling.

Now, instead, it felt like an endless maze covered in dust and trash.

He danced through the floor with the broom as he cleaned the place thoroughly. He knew how important it was for the place to be well kept, after all no one likes to read in a messy place.

And everything would have been fine, if not for the fact that he was so engrossed in his task that he didn't notice how Kenny, one of his classmates who was acquainted with Mark, took a video of Uriel in an overall and shared it on his social media tagging everyone he knew.

└ Check this out! Urinal is a janitor now!

└Lmao, Fits him right!

└Hang on, I have to see it with my own eyes.

Mark, the one responsible for the last message grinned widely.