Theory of Attraction
Quote from Deleted user on October 27, 2023, 6:40 pmThe larger boy quickly turned back to see who threw the book, but found no one. His face scrunched up in anger as he rubbed the back of his head where he was struck.
" Is that your sister?" He barked, turning back towards Lee.
" No," Lee quickly replied, his body having got very rigid and tense.
" Well she's a weirdo. Which makes you a weirdo too, and I don't hang out with weirdos." The taller boy concluded, turning to walk away. He kept a keen eye out for any more assaulting books as he left, glancing behind him a few times.
Lee exhaled as the tension released from his small frame, but he looked absolutely deflated watching the tall boy leave.
The larger boy quickly turned back to see who threw the book, but found no one. His face scrunched up in anger as he rubbed the back of his head where he was struck.
" Is that your sister?" He barked, turning back towards Lee.
" No," Lee quickly replied, his body having got very rigid and tense.
" Well she's a weirdo. Which makes you a weirdo too, and I don't hang out with weirdos." The taller boy concluded, turning to walk away. He kept a keen eye out for any more assaulting books as he left, glancing behind him a few times.
Lee exhaled as the tension released from his small frame, but he looked absolutely deflated watching the tall boy leave.
Quote from Deleted user on October 27, 2023, 6:41 pmIndy:
Suddenly a librarian came rushing in the same direction the older boy was leaving towards, seeming very out-of-breath. She glanced wildly from Lee to the older boy, then finally at the abandoned book that had been thrown to the ground.
“Who threw that?” she demanded of the two boys.
Indy:
Suddenly a librarian came rushing in the same direction the older boy was leaving towards, seeming very out-of-breath. She glanced wildly from Lee to the older boy, then finally at the abandoned book that had been thrown to the ground.
“Who threw that?” she demanded of the two boys.
Quote from Deleted user on October 27, 2023, 6:41 pmThe older boy rolled his eyes and kept walking away from the scene.
Lee was internally panicking. He didn't want to take the blame for what Ami did, but wasn't sure what to say- Ami was nowhere to be seen. He knew the truth was what was supposed to be said, whether the librarian believed him or not. So, he tried.
" I don't know, it just came out of nowhere and… hit him.." Lee explained, pointing towards the older boy walking off.
That was true. He was definitely telling the truth. Some part of it anyways.
The older boy rolled his eyes and kept walking away from the scene.
Lee was internally panicking. He didn't want to take the blame for what Ami did, but wasn't sure what to say- Ami was nowhere to be seen. He knew the truth was what was supposed to be said, whether the librarian believed him or not. So, he tried.
" I don't know, it just came out of nowhere and… hit him.." Lee explained, pointing towards the older boy walking off.
That was true. He was definitely telling the truth. Some part of it anyways.
Quote from Deleted user on October 27, 2023, 6:42 pmIndy:
The librarian looked at both boys sternly, attempting to weigh truth from lie. Yet evidently she did not like the weight of either’s truth, for she narrowed her lips tightly.
“There is absolutely no rough-housing of the books and literature, there is no talking in loud tones, and there is no walking away when someone is speaking to you. I really don’t see any other option - you both are banned from the library until —“
“I threw it,” a tiny voice quavered. The librarian froze mid-sentence, looking up to find the owner of the voice. It was the strange girl again, in clothes too large for her tiny body, hovering amongst the bookshelves like a little lost ghost.
The girl bowed her head deeply, meek, “I offer my sincerest apologies for dishonoring your library. I understand the punishment. Thank you”.
And with that, the girl simply turned to walk the other way to the exit.
Indy:
The librarian looked at both boys sternly, attempting to weigh truth from lie. Yet evidently she did not like the weight of either’s truth, for she narrowed her lips tightly.
“There is absolutely no rough-housing of the books and literature, there is no talking in loud tones, and there is no walking away when someone is speaking to you. I really don’t see any other option - you both are banned from the library until —“
“I threw it,” a tiny voice quavered. The librarian froze mid-sentence, looking up to find the owner of the voice. It was the strange girl again, in clothes too large for her tiny body, hovering amongst the bookshelves like a little lost ghost.
The girl bowed her head deeply, meek, “I offer my sincerest apologies for dishonoring your library. I understand the punishment. Thank you”.
And with that, the girl simply turned to walk the other way to the exit.
Quote from Deleted user on October 27, 2023, 6:43 pmThe older boy glanced back only momentarily to see what had cut the librarian off, but otherwise continued to the front door to leave unhindered.
Lee felt bad, and had no idea what to do. He watched as the taller boy was leaving without him. Everything was ruined- his one shot at being in with popular kids, gone. He turned and watched Ami as she headed for the exit, and suddenly he was reminded how it made him feel to hold her hand.
Making his choice, he sped walked to catch up with her, trying not to anger the librarian any further.
The older boy glanced back only momentarily to see what had cut the librarian off, but otherwise continued to the front door to leave unhindered.
Lee felt bad, and had no idea what to do. He watched as the taller boy was leaving without him. Everything was ruined- his one shot at being in with popular kids, gone. He turned and watched Ami as she headed for the exit, and suddenly he was reminded how it made him feel to hold her hand.
Making his choice, he sped walked to catch up with her, trying not to anger the librarian any further.
Quote from Deleted user on October 27, 2023, 6:44 pmIndy:
Ami continued to walk outside, head bent low in apparent humility - until the librarian was out of sight. Then her posture transformed - head straight, shoulders back. She kept walking out the door and stopped just at the corner of the building, along a shady patch cast by the over-hanging branches of a tree.
She stopped and turned around, looking at Lee’s approach as though she had expected him.
Indy:
Ami continued to walk outside, head bent low in apparent humility - until the librarian was out of sight. Then her posture transformed - head straight, shoulders back. She kept walking out the door and stopped just at the corner of the building, along a shady patch cast by the over-hanging branches of a tree.
She stopped and turned around, looking at Lee’s approach as though she had expected him.
Quote from Deleted user on October 27, 2023, 6:47 pmLee followed Ami out the door but stopped short of reaching her at the corner, having tried to feel for his backpack straps but found nothing. " Oh no," he said to himself as he looked back at the library, realizing he had left it behind when she had grabbed his hand and led him away. He turned back to Ami feeling embarrassed and conflicted.
" I forgot my backpack, I need to go get it," he tried to explain before turning back and moving toward the door, only to frantically turn back to Ami a second later. " Please don't leave," he added and then went off through the door to retrieve his backpack.
He retraced their steps with relative ease and grabbed his papers and pencil on the table before stuffing them into his backpack. Now with backpack in tow, he proceeded back to the exit Ami had taken, hoping she was still there at the corner of the library.
Lee followed Ami out the door but stopped short of reaching her at the corner, having tried to feel for his backpack straps but found nothing. " Oh no," he said to himself as he looked back at the library, realizing he had left it behind when she had grabbed his hand and led him away. He turned back to Ami feeling embarrassed and conflicted.
" I forgot my backpack, I need to go get it," he tried to explain before turning back and moving toward the door, only to frantically turn back to Ami a second later. " Please don't leave," he added and then went off through the door to retrieve his backpack.
He retraced their steps with relative ease and grabbed his papers and pencil on the table before stuffing them into his backpack. Now with backpack in tow, he proceeded back to the exit Ami had taken, hoping she was still there at the corner of the library.
Quote from Deleted user on October 27, 2023, 6:49 pmIndy:
Ami was not by the tree when Lee returned. The grass and leaves blew absently in a lazy breeze. The silence lingered almost unnaturally. Even the street sounds were distant, and no passerby’s walked the path. For all intents and purposes, Lee was alone.
VROOOM.
Dogs barked in the distance. A nearby car-alarm had gone off. Several birds took off in apparent panic. An intrusive shade of scarlet intruded upon the scene, at first only from Lee’s peripheral vision. Yet the garish shade could not go unnoticed as a bright-red mustang reversed at full-throttle, with an apparent bee-line to precisely where Lee was standing. The windows were dark-tinted, so the occupants inside were difficult to see. Yet just as the car came up right besides Lee by the curb, the window rolled down.
A man in his apparent 20s glanced back at Lee. His eyes were obscured by a pair of blue-tinted sunglasses, and by the look of luxury, were no doubt designer and expensive. His hair was shorter along the slides, yet longer along the front and styled such that only a few longer pieces fell artfully along his brow-line. He wore a leather jacket that both accentuated the size of the man’s biceps and showed off the quality of the butter-smooth leather. But most unsettling of all was the bright-white smile. There was no doubt - this man was looking straight at Lee.
“So you’re the one my kid-sister has been going on about,” he grinned, glancing just so over his shoulder.
The little shape was so hard to see when everything else was so bright and intrusive - yet to a studied eye, there was that tell-tale hoari and what appeared to be a girl curled up in the corner of the passenger seat. She was not making direct eye contact. Her entire body seemed somehow smaller in the space, as though trying to disappear.
“Name’s Hiro,” the man beamed somehow wider, and his too-white teeth dazzled all the more in the sunlight. He shifted his clutch and changed the car’s gear to park. He extended a hand out to Lee, “And what’ll I be calling you, kid?”
Indy:
Ami was not by the tree when Lee returned. The grass and leaves blew absently in a lazy breeze. The silence lingered almost unnaturally. Even the street sounds were distant, and no passerby’s walked the path. For all intents and purposes, Lee was alone.
VROOOM.
Dogs barked in the distance. A nearby car-alarm had gone off. Several birds took off in apparent panic. An intrusive shade of scarlet intruded upon the scene, at first only from Lee’s peripheral vision. Yet the garish shade could not go unnoticed as a bright-red mustang reversed at full-throttle, with an apparent bee-line to precisely where Lee was standing. The windows were dark-tinted, so the occupants inside were difficult to see. Yet just as the car came up right besides Lee by the curb, the window rolled down.
A man in his apparent 20s glanced back at Lee. His eyes were obscured by a pair of blue-tinted sunglasses, and by the look of luxury, were no doubt designer and expensive. His hair was shorter along the slides, yet longer along the front and styled such that only a few longer pieces fell artfully along his brow-line. He wore a leather jacket that both accentuated the size of the man’s biceps and showed off the quality of the butter-smooth leather. But most unsettling of all was the bright-white smile. There was no doubt - this man was looking straight at Lee.
“So you’re the one my kid-sister has been going on about,” he grinned, glancing just so over his shoulder.
The little shape was so hard to see when everything else was so bright and intrusive - yet to a studied eye, there was that tell-tale hoari and what appeared to be a girl curled up in the corner of the passenger seat. She was not making direct eye contact. Her entire body seemed somehow smaller in the space, as though trying to disappear.
“Name’s Hiro,” the man beamed somehow wider, and his too-white teeth dazzled all the more in the sunlight. He shifted his clutch and changed the car’s gear to park. He extended a hand out to Lee, “And what’ll I be calling you, kid?”
Quote from Deleted user on October 27, 2023, 6:49 pmLee had left the library only to be greeted by disappointment. Ami was gone. But it wasn't long til the sound of the car in reverse moving towards him caught his attention, as he stared at the mustang in awe. There was no way it was backing up towards him, and yet it was.
He had no idea who it could be inside, but as the window rolled down and the stranger spoke it felt obvious. An asian guy was in the driver's seat- while he didn't look anything like Ami in style, it seemed right for them to be related.
Upon Hiro's acknowledgment of Ami in the passenger's seat, Lee looked down at her, barely able to see her through the tinted glass. When Hiro spoke again, Lee's attention was drawn back to him. Unfortunately Lee was so starstruck he didn't think before replying.
" Wǒ jiào Xioláng," he said in perfect Chinese before realizing his mistake. He turned beet red. " I mean Lee! My name is Lee."
Lee had left the library only to be greeted by disappointment. Ami was gone. But it wasn't long til the sound of the car in reverse moving towards him caught his attention, as he stared at the mustang in awe. There was no way it was backing up towards him, and yet it was.
He had no idea who it could be inside, but as the window rolled down and the stranger spoke it felt obvious. An asian guy was in the driver's seat- while he didn't look anything like Ami in style, it seemed right for them to be related.
Upon Hiro's acknowledgment of Ami in the passenger's seat, Lee looked down at her, barely able to see her through the tinted glass. When Hiro spoke again, Lee's attention was drawn back to him. Unfortunately Lee was so starstruck he didn't think before replying.
" Wǒ jiào Xioláng," he said in perfect Chinese before realizing his mistake. He turned beet red. " I mean Lee! My name is Lee."
Quote from Deleted user on October 27, 2023, 6:50 pmIndy:
“Kazuntite, little man,” Hiro winked, his too white teeth still beaming widely - having apparently taken Lee’s Chinese as some sort of biological mishap.
Ami, meanwhile, had only sunk further into the crevices of her seat, no more than a bunch of loose flowing, brightly colored fabric. It was hard to see if there was a girl at all in there, if not for the top of her exposed head. The girl’s head was turned away and she made very intentional breaths, sucking in and out.
“No need to get shy, lil sis,” he ruffled up her hair with the other hand and there was a muffled sound of protest, “I don’t know why you’d need to hide your new friend from your big bro. He seems perfectly respectable to me”.
Hiro turned to look at Lee with a grin; perhaps, it might be speculated, without his sunglasses, the effect might be altogether predatory.
“Aren’t you, Lee?”
Indy:
“Kazuntite, little man,” Hiro winked, his too white teeth still beaming widely - having apparently taken Lee’s Chinese as some sort of biological mishap.
Ami, meanwhile, had only sunk further into the crevices of her seat, no more than a bunch of loose flowing, brightly colored fabric. It was hard to see if there was a girl at all in there, if not for the top of her exposed head. The girl’s head was turned away and she made very intentional breaths, sucking in and out.
“No need to get shy, lil sis,” he ruffled up her hair with the other hand and there was a muffled sound of protest, “I don’t know why you’d need to hide your new friend from your big bro. He seems perfectly respectable to me”.
Hiro turned to look at Lee with a grin; perhaps, it might be speculated, without his sunglasses, the effect might be altogether predatory.
“Aren’t you, Lee?”
