After returning home from the dorm, for a few days my own home felt unfamiliar. Since I had spent most of the past year away from my family, I had adapted to the rhythm of school and my roommates.
It was good to be home, but it took days to readjust to my own family. By the end of the vacation, I'll feel the same way about dorm life again.
That's what happens when someone has two homes.
Magda and Peter started chatting. Since then, with my best friend, we could only talk about Peter. To spend my time meaningfully, on the fifth day of the break I created an online reading group.
The third person to apply was Tom. I don't know how he found the group, but when I saw his request, I almost thought he had joined just because of me.
That's not the case.
He's a great guy. He recommended a few books from among his favorites. The selection was mixed—mixed in genre. There wasn't a single romance novel on the list.
He asked me to share my opinion about his favorite book. I'm afraid my summary will be too shallow.
But does it matter? He's not into me, so he can't be disappointed in me either if I don't see the book's message deeply enough.
I'm glad he joined my group. Today I'm going to borrow Tom's favorite book from the library.
I'm going by bike. I haven't biked in a long time.
I should write to Diana and Roy. It would be nice to bike to the other side of the forest and back, the way we used to. They ended up at a different school this year, and we drifted apart.
But what is summer for, if not for old friends getting together to go biking again?
That way I already have plans for two days of the week. At least I won't be thinking about Tom then.
Yes, I've rested, but I've also started to get bored.
With or without Tom, this book club came at just the right time.
So, to avoid boredom, I set off for the library.
When I took my bike out of the garage, I ran into my brother.
He wasn't happy to see me. It was as if he had come there specifically to be alone. Not with us. I felt that something wasn't right with him. He won't tell me what's bothering him anyway. I won't ask. I'll observe. More precisely, I'll check his social media. We've never been close friends, but if something is wrong with him, I should know about it too.
This time he didn't snap at me, didn't even make a remark.
What's more, he surprised me.
"Wait for me, I'll get my bike too."
I waited. The seat was quite dusty; he must not have used it in a long time. Of course, he had lost the seat cover somewhere and still hadn't bought a new one. His birthday is coming up. I'll get him a seat cover as a present.
"So, where are we going?" he asked about my route.
Well, he wasn't expecting the library, but he came along anyway.
The sun was shining cheerfully. It got quite warm under my helmet.
Knee pads, elbow pads, helmet. I was only allowed to ride my bike like that. It actually came in handy once, when I braked too hard and fell into a pile of sand by the roadside. That happened at Grandma's place, a long time ago.
I got hot. Karl wasn't in much better shape.
"All right, sis! After the library, we're going for ice cream," he grinned at me.
Ice cream?
The challenge list came to mind. One of the tasks was to go out for ice cream with three boys and give them a kiss on the cheek. There was no restriction. It could be a best friend, a childhood friend, or a family member. If I invite Roy, my best friend from my old school, for ice cream, that task would almost be completed.
"Great!" I shouted loudly.
Cars were rushing past along the bike path. I had to shout for him to hear me.
There were surprisingly many bikes in the racks in front of the library. Yes, the cool library is an attractive place for many people in this heatwave.
"I can't believe it! I left my library card at home!" I groaned when I checked my wallet.
Of course, my library card from my new school was there. I couldn't make much use of it today.
Karl saved the situation.
"You can borrow a book with my card."
He's surprisingly decent since I transferred to a school in another city.
Maybe he doesn't see me as such a little kid anymore. Not as much as I actually am.
Didn't I really leave my library card at home again today?
I think Karl was planning to go somewhere. Not to the library—somewhere else. He just changed his mind along the way.
Why else would he have had his wallet on him?
It felt good to take off my helmet.
My hair was a mess. I didn't look into my bike's rearview mirror, but I'm sure I looked terrible.
"Borrowing or reading room? Which one today?" Karl asked.
I wanted to sit for a bit in the cool room.
"Why not both?" I suggested.
"Fine. I'll check out a comic. I guess you'll go for manga."
Bullseye. I became a big Takahashi Rumiko fan after reading all of Ranma ½. Unfortunately, there was no manga in the school library. Now I'm devouring Urusei Yatsura.
So yes—I took manga into the reading room with me.
We walked in cheerfully. Then my brother's face darkened.
"Let's get out of here right now!"
I didn't know what was wrong with him. I looked around carefully. The bike racks hadn't lied. There were quite a lot of people in the reading room.
Tom was there… with his sister and another guy.
They weren't sitting far from the door. I could clearly see the cover of the book in front of him.
It was my favorite book.
He waved at me. I smiled awkwardly. I must have looked awful with my flat, messy hair.
His sister pretended not to notice us. I saw that she was watching my brother out of the corner of her eye, only pretending to read.
Well, well… An awkward flirtation might be the reason.
Maybe it's better that we have to leave. My hair is flat and messy.
Tom is reading my favorite book!