maths homework is done in no time and she goes off to stack shelves and charge people ungodly fines for late returns.
I power through the rest of my homework and decide to make the most of being at the library. There’s bound to be something good to read. Becky looks busy talking to a little old lady so I explore by myself, looking for the fantasy section.
I like books with the sorts of bad guys you can run through with a sword or incinerate with a few words. That’s real karma.
Whilst I’m on the hunt, I’m brought to a standstill between two aisles. Sat at a small table with their backs to me are Ian and Karl. No Matt for a change. If I was smart, I’d have tiptoed away quietly. But I’m not smart. I’m stupid, very stupid.
The sound of Karl’s voice, even though it’s considerably deeper than it once was, gnaws at my insides. With just him and Ian there, he sounds like he’s dropped the façade a bit. I edge closer so I can hear what he’s saying. I know I shouldn’t but I can’t help myself. I’m attracted to the sound of his voice like a negative charge to a positive.
“ Fifty years ago the first pro- protein Amy- amin… protein amino ass- acid. Fifty years ago the first protein amino ass- acid was defined and the… double he lick… he lick all-”
“ Helical,” I hear Ian interject softly.
“ Helical,” Karl growls. “Structure of DNA was exp… explained… for fuck’s sake. I can’t fucking do this, E.”
I furrow my brow in confusion . I don’t understand what’s happening.
“ Not with that attitude you can’t,” Ian responds unsympathetically. “You almost had it, come on.”
“ Ian, we’ve been at this for over an hour and I’m not even a third of the way through the chapter,” Karl growls, knocking the book onto the floor and clenching his fists.
I’m not very close but even from my safe place a good few feet away, I can see how angry he is. It sounded like he was having trouble reading, but that can’t be right, can it?
“Pick it up and sit your ass on. The. Chair,” Ian responds in a low, warning growl.
“ Ian,” Karl responds with a threat in his voice.
“ I said sit ,” Ian barks.
Karl takes a deep breath, scooping the book up off the floor and sitting down hard on the wooden library chair. I watch as he balls his hands into fists and kneads his eyes.
“Can we just take a break,” he croaks after a few seconds. “My head’s fucking killing me, Ian. My eyes are gonna explode if we don’t take a break.”
“ Mouth,” Ian replies, studying his brother intently. “Look, we’ll go over it with Matt when he gets back from work. We’ll make the usual flash cards, but you need to work through it first.”
“ Ian… please,” Karl almost whispers.
“ Alright,” Ian relents. “Take ten minutes. But then we do half an hour more.”
Karl lets out a deep sigh of relief and pushes his chair back as he claps Ian on the shoulder.
I realise that he’s about to come this way and I’m still stood there eavesdropping. I’ve just violated a very personal and private moment and I know it should feel wrong but it doesn’t. Regardless, I should never have stayed and listened.
I back up quickly , desperate to make an escape before they realise I’ve been spying. I’m not quick enough. They both see me at the same time and I hear Karl mutter a curse under his breath as they approach me.
I’m frozen in place like a deer in headlights. My brain’s short-circuiting trying to figure out what to do or say.
“How long you been stood there?” Ian asks as they come to a stop in front of me.
“ I… eh…” I can’t lie but I don’t want Karl to know that I know. I don’t need the drama and it’s obviously a touchy subject.
“ Shit,” Karl mutters, his face red with either anger, humiliation, or both.
“ What. Did. You. Hear?” Ian demands slowly.
“ Look… I was just…” I mumble.
“ She fucking heard, Ian,” Karl panics, looking
I power through the rest of my homework and decide to make the most of being at the library. There’s bound to be something good to read. Becky looks busy talking to a little old lady so I explore by myself, looking for the fantasy section.
I like books with the sorts of bad guys you can run through with a sword or incinerate with a few words. That’s real karma.
Whilst I’m on the hunt, I’m brought to a standstill between two aisles. Sat at a small table with their backs to me are Ian and Karl. No Matt for a change. If I was smart, I’d have tiptoed away quietly. But I’m not smart. I’m stupid, very stupid.
The sound of Karl’s voice, even though it’s considerably deeper than it once was, gnaws at my insides. With just him and Ian there, he sounds like he’s dropped the façade a bit. I edge closer so I can hear what he’s saying. I know I shouldn’t but I can’t help myself. I’m attracted to the sound of his voice like a negative charge to a positive.
“ Fifty years ago the first pro- protein Amy- amin… protein amino ass- acid. Fifty years ago the first protein amino ass- acid was defined and the… double he lick… he lick all-”
“ Helical,” I hear Ian interject softly.
“ Helical,” Karl growls. “Structure of DNA was exp… explained… for fuck’s sake. I can’t fucking do this, E.”
I furrow my brow in confusion . I don’t understand what’s happening.
“ Not with that attitude you can’t,” Ian responds unsympathetically. “You almost had it, come on.”
“ Ian, we’ve been at this for over an hour and I’m not even a third of the way through the chapter,” Karl growls, knocking the book onto the floor and clenching his fists.
I’m not very close but even from my safe place a good few feet away, I can see how angry he is. It sounded like he was having trouble reading, but that can’t be right, can it?
“Pick it up and sit your ass on. The. Chair,” Ian responds in a low, warning growl.
“ Ian,” Karl responds with a threat in his voice.
“ I said sit ,” Ian barks.
Karl takes a deep breath, scooping the book up off the floor and sitting down hard on the wooden library chair. I watch as he balls his hands into fists and kneads his eyes.
“Can we just take a break,” he croaks after a few seconds. “My head’s fucking killing me, Ian. My eyes are gonna explode if we don’t take a break.”
“ Mouth,” Ian replies, studying his brother intently. “Look, we’ll go over it with Matt when he gets back from work. We’ll make the usual flash cards, but you need to work through it first.”
“ Ian… please,” Karl almost whispers.
“ Alright,” Ian relents. “Take ten minutes. But then we do half an hour more.”
Karl lets out a deep sigh of relief and pushes his chair back as he claps Ian on the shoulder.
I realise that he’s about to come this way and I’m still stood there eavesdropping. I’ve just violated a very personal and private moment and I know it should feel wrong but it doesn’t. Regardless, I should never have stayed and listened.
I back up quickly , desperate to make an escape before they realise I’ve been spying. I’m not quick enough. They both see me at the same time and I hear Karl mutter a curse under his breath as they approach me.
I’m frozen in place like a deer in headlights. My brain’s short-circuiting trying to figure out what to do or say.
“How long you been stood there?” Ian asks as they come to a stop in front of me.
“ I… eh…” I can’t lie but I don’t want Karl to know that I know. I don’t need the drama and it’s obviously a touchy subject.
“ Shit,” Karl mutters, his face red with either anger, humiliation, or both.
“ What. Did. You. Hear?” Ian demands slowly.
“ Look… I was just…” I mumble.
“ She fucking heard, Ian,” Karl panics, looking
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