Try and Catch Me

Library (1)
‘I’m pretty sure, we turned right at this part… or was it left?’

Lia furrowed her brows as she tried to recall the path they went through when the seniors gave them a tour inside the Health Ministry wing. The layout of the place was similar to a big maze that it was easy to get lost. Lia thought she was pretty good with directions, but looking for the royal library was testing her sense of direction.

She gritted her teeth and pushed through. She took the corridor to her right, all the while wondering if she should have taken the left side instead. As she trudged along the corridors, her mind lost in space, she bumped into someone who was rounding from the corner.

Startled, Lia looked up, then remembered that she should bow down, “I’m sorry.”

“Liana, what are you doing here?” the person she bumped into asked.

Lia looked up again, more startled than when they collided and found a senior staring back at her, the one who was supervising her and Charlotte.

“I’m going to the library but I… I think I’m lost?” She admitted aloud what she had been denying to herself earlier.

Norman looked at her with understanding and nodded. A ghost of a smile spread across his lips. And Lia felt her eyebrow quirked a little seeing that.

“It is quite easy to get lost in the palace,” she heard him say. “Let me guide you there.”

As they walked, Lia sneaked a few glances at Norman. He never seemed to have any reaction in him. Even now, he was serious and grim. Unapproachable.

The first time Norman introduced himself as the senior who would overlook Lia and Charlotte’s studies, the two girls shared a brief worry look at each other. But as they all spend time together, he had been so patient and helpful in answering their questions. Unlike the seniors for the other groups who tend to just let the juniors do their thing and then scold them for not doing right, or worse, not care about them at all, Norman cared a lot. He guided them through it all and encouraged them when the going gets tough. The best thing about him was that he never cared about the gossip surrounding both Lia and Charlotte and was focused on the things that mattered. Lia warmed up to him quite easily.

It did not help that he had such beautiful honey-colored eyes. It was so nice to look at.

Norman led her to a series of corridors with what seemed like never-ending turns of paths. He also told her landmarks that she had to remember the next time she passed through this way. Apparently, he had been lost a lot during his first year in the palace.

“I’m glad to see you eager with your studies,” Norman said, his eyes softening a bit. Lia found it cute.

“I need to catch up fast, and the plants in this area are quite different from where I’m from,” she answered.

Soon enough they arrived at their destination. Two massive oak doors loomed in front of them.

“Do you need me to supervise your studies?” Norman asked.

Lia knew that if she said yes, he would stay with her. But that was not the reason why she wanted to go to the library today.

She shook her head. “I’ll be fine. Thank you.”

Norman turned around, ready to leave when Lia added, “But can I list the things that I don’t understand so we can go over them later?”

The corners of his mouth lifted, just a little, and bid her goodbye.