Still Smiling

One of the busiest seasons of the year had finally arrived, the end of the first semester. The start of our big project happened yesterday, with the large group interview, and I now found myself in the library, doing the necessary research to compile my entire report.

I usually enjoyed doing this kind of research, however for this project in particular I was bored out of my mind. There were far too many athletes to cover and each one had only answered a few questions, none of which were particularly meaningful.

I was about halfway through my work, about to start my segment on the women’s soccer team, when I heard the door open at the front of the room.

It was a bit late for anyone to just be showing up now, but I guessed one of the other journalists was just getting a late start on their work, and chose to ignore it.

Minutes passed, and just as I was starting to turn my research into writing for this section, a voice right next to me made me jump halfway across the room.

“This seems a lot less in-depth than usual.”

After my heart started beating once again, I turned to see Ria sitting in the chair next to mine. She was laughing as she reached out a hand to help me up. Her laugh was a quiet, sweet sound that was pleasant to hear, and I had a feeling I could only perceive it because of the silent room.

“I can only use material related to the interview.” I explained as I sat back in my chair.

“How long were you sat there?”

“A couple minutes. I like watching you work.” She said, her eyes skimming through my report.

I settled back in and continued with my work, painfully aware that I was writing about someone who was sitting right next to me, watching over my shoulder.

“Do you always do your work here?” Her head swiveled constantly as she took in the room, showing a level of interest that caught me off guard.

“Not always, sometimes I work at home if I end up working late.”

“I see.” She responded, looking as if she was thinking hard about something while fidgeting with her phone case, which was a bright green that matched her eyes.

“So what’s up?” I asked, partly wondering why she came here, and partly wondering what was troubling her.

“I just realized I didn’t have a way to contact you, and I ran into Marcus who said you were here.” Her voice was a little rushed, something I was able to pick up on only due to my years of interview experience.

I had no idea why she’d want to contact me, but part of me was happy to hear that she’d gone out of her way to come here.

After all, more often than not people tended to want to stay away from me, rather than seeking me out.

I opened the contacts app on my phone and set it in front of her while trying to keep some attention on my work.

I’d just gotten towards the end of the current section when my phone slid back towards me, stopping just under my notebook.

The contact name she’d entered was ‘Ria <3’, and she had a smug smile on her face as I looked over, seemingly pleased with my reaction.

I assumed she must be trying to mess with me, hoping I’d get embarrassed and change it before saving, but I was too smart to fall for simple bait like that.

I hit the button to save the contact as it was, and quickly called her so she could save my number as well.

“I-Is there anywhere you like to go near your place in your free time?” She asked, her face red all of a sudden. The warmth of the library must have finally caught up to her after the freezing temperatures outside.

“Not really, why?”

“I was just wondering what you did outside of school and work. Like anything you were interested in.”

I considered it for a few seconds before answering.

“I guess I like hiking, or going to sports events.” I decided. After all, even when I don’t plan on reporting about a game, I like to either go to them or watch them online, trying to understand the tactics or make note of key players.

“Hiking?” She asked, sounding genuinely surprised.

I didn’t know why she was surprised, after all I was in decent shape despite my job not being particularly active, and hiking was a great way of taking a break from everything.

“It’s been a bit too cold out lately, but I was planning on going on a hike this weekend when it gets warmer.”

I put the finishing touches on my part about Ria’s team. As I finished, I couldn’t help but notice how boring it was compared to the still unpublished article I’d written before, which reminded me of my plan I was working on.

Their next game wasn’t until the start of the new semester, but I was hoping to do some sort of piece about the team’s ability to bounce back, which was why I’d been at their training session.

It was a bit out of my comfort range when it came to writing, which was part of the reason I was looking to do it.

The sign of a good journalist is their ability to cover a wide range of sports, styles, and stories. I couldn’t always rely on a straightforward story about a shocking upset, or a stand-out performance.

“Mind if I join you?”

“Huh?”

I’d lost track of what was happening, my thoughts distracting me from what we were talking about.

“The hike. Can I come?” She said, fidgeting with her phone once more.

I considered her request for a moment. The time when I go hiking is usually to help me clear my mind while staying away from everything and everyone. Normally, I would be wholeheartedly opposed to someone joining me, however for some reason, if it was Ria I felt it would be alright.

“Sure.” I said, packing up my things as I prepared to head home for the evening.

“Text me the details later, then.” She said, holding up her phone next to her bright smile.

I nodded and left the library by her side, walking her back to her dorm before heading back to my place.

As we walked, the cold felt surprisingly gentle, and as I closed my apartment door behind me, I noticed that for some reason, I was still smiling.