Chapter 38 – Another Name – Holly Hayfield

The next day, Lilith and I went to visit the Western Heights Public Library. The library was centered near the center of a fairly active part of the town. The Western Heights Shopping Disctrict was affluent and upbeat compared to the rest of our town. The library didn’t open until noon on Saturdays. We arrived about twenty minutes early. My mother dropped us off at the open air plaza that was just across the street from the library.

“Here’s some money for lunch.” My mother said as she handed me cash through the car window. “I’m going to go to the gym for some exercise. Call me whenever you’re ready to be picked up.”

“Thanks for the ride, mom. We will!” I said.

“Thanks,” Lilith added.

“You’re welcome! Be careful you two, okay?” She said.

She rolled up the driver seat window and backed out of the parking spot. I pocketed the money she gave me and looked at Lilith. Lilith was dressed up in another outfit that looked like it was straight out of a magazine. She had a white dress that had frilled edges and black ribbons as decorations. Her white hat and shoes matched the design to a T. I felt almost guilty for coming dressed in a random graphic T-shirt and shorts.

“Your casual clothing isn’t what I expected. For some reason I thought you’d dress more tomboyish outside of school.” I said.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Lilith asked.

“Nothing, you just dress differently from what I imagined.”

Lilith shrugged and pulled at the sides of her dress.

“Eh, I don’t really care for these things one way or another. My aunt buys all this stuff. She nags me about what she wants me to wear and when. She picked out this outfit for me, including this little purse that goes with it.” Lilith said and tapped her purse.

“Your aunt has good taste. That dress doesn’t look cheap either. She must really care about you.”

“Heh,” Lilith said and smiled a little. “My aunt always wanted a daughter of her own but instead she ended up with two rowdy boys. Back when my parents passed away I was slated to go live with my grandmother on my mother’s side. My aunt intervened on that with all her power.”

“Maybe I should’ve dressed nicer? You look like you’re ready to go out on a date.”

“I’m not interested in things like dating and romance. I’m just here to investigate the truth.” Lilith said.

I had to smile a little at her resolution. She sounded like a comic book hero.

“If I were a boy I’d be more interested in getting a date with you than an investigation.” I said.

Lilith put her hands on her hips and swung towards me with a grin.

“Then if you could find out the truth about Malorie for me I’d definitely give you a date!” She said.

“That’s a pretty steep relationship requirement.” I said.

“A girl like me has needs.” She said coyly.

Those needs were for someone to do her dirty work, apparently. I was already helping her with that, wasn’t I? That was why we were here, right? Maybe in a way this was a date anyways. We still had about thirty minutes before the library opened. This was plenty of time for us to have a pretend date.

“Why don’t we get a snack?” I asked, “Do you like coffee?”

“I love coffee!” She said.

“Come on.” I said and took her hand.

Part of me was suspecting that she’d swat my hand away like usual. This time she tolerated my pathetic human need for interpersonal contact. I preferred the word tolerated because I wasn’t sure how she felt about me taking her hand like that. I always assumed that everyone had those types of desires but maybe it was different for Lilith? For the time being I was happy that she wasn’t rejecting me once more.

We talked over coffee and pastries in a small little coffee shop in the Western Heights Shopping District. So many successful businesses lined the plaza area that the place was densely populated on the weekends. The vibe of my time here with Lilith was warm. As we talked about favorite movies I realized just how glad I was to have met her. I awkwardly went out of my way to talk to her the first time we met. Even though she rejected me at first, it ultimately paid off.

There was always this lingering discouragement in the back of my mind though. Somehow these dark thoughts would never leave me alone even when things felt good. Does she really need me the way I need her? I’d ask myself. Could it just as easily be Sam, Jay, or Valentina here in my spot? I’d wonder. These weren’t healthy thoughts. They probably weren’t even reasonable thoughts. Still, the thoughts persisted.

My ideal goal was to find a place in her heart so that she wouldn’t ditch me the moment this Malorie conspiracy blew over. I wanted to mean something to her, like how she meant to me. We shared a few similar interests, but she was also different enough from me that I was still worried. In those dark thoughts in the back of my head I could recall talking to Erica’s friend Zoe. Zoe was adamant that Lilith wasn’t capable of having real friends. Was I a bad friend for worrying about the validity of those accusations?

“Holly…! Holly…!” Lilith said and snapped twice to get my attention.

“Oh…! Sorry, I was zoning out just now.”

“I was saying that the library should be open now. Are you ready to go?”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

My concerns were getting to me. I had to rein in some self-control so that Lilith wouldn’t be suspicious of my behavior. We were going to the largest local library together and so I wanted to focus on that fact. Yet I always had this feeling that time could be running out with her and that wasn’t what I wanted. What if the trail with Malorie went cold and we hit a wall? What if we found out the Malorie conspiracy was really just a conspiracy? Would that be the end of our friendship?

The Western Heights Public Library was incredibly modern. It was hard to believe this place was located only a few miles away from our antique school. The inside of the building was so beautiful and quiet that I wouldn’t mind coming back there to read more often. This wasn’t my first time here. Shortly after moving I started borrowing books from this library due to the proximity. However, after getting involved with Angelica’s recovery I stopped visiting as often.

Lilith was looking around like a kid in an amusement park. As we walked in she stayed close to my side, with her hand clutching the hem of my shirt. She had an excited look on her face and yet she seemed so skittish. I assumed she’d be more familiar with this place given what a bookworm she was. She was looking at it like she was seeing it for the first time.

“Have you been here before?” I asked her quietly.

“I have, just not since I was a kid. I used to come here with my mom back when I was in elementary school.”

“Why’d you stop visiting?” I asked.

“After my parents passed away I couldn’t bring myself to. Every time I came here before was with my mom. I didn’t want to come back here alone.” She said.

I wanted to ask if she was able to come back now because I was with her. At the same time I didn’t want to try getting ahead of myself just after she told me something personal. My own personal desire for her validation would need to be postponed so that I could support her in this moment. Seeing as she hadn’t been here in years, I wanted to take some initiative as someone that had. I laid my hand on her back not as a mere gesture of affection, but to point her in the direction of the main desk.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

“I’m familiar with the registration process for a library card. Want me to help you sign up here? We can come back whenever you’re free.”

Lilith smiled gratefully, displaying the softest expression I had ever seen on her face.

“I’d like that.”

The registration sheet wasn’t difficult to fill out but they asked a lot of optional questions about your preferences as a reader. The library wanted to utilize the information it got from registered members to update its collection with regards to their readership. Back when I signed up for myself I skipped most of these optional questions. Lilith, on the other hand, thought long and hard about every single question they asked. It took me a while to realize but she was actually having fun.

She had her library card personalized with the emblem of our school, one of the features this library had for students. The library aid handled the machinery involved with making the card. Lilith was waiting impatiently like she was in line for a roller coaster. It was funny to see her like this. This was one area that she could enjoy herself without bringing up a murder mystery. I wanted to try to make this last.

This was a good chance for me to show off this library’s newly redesigned reading lounge. We were both readers of a popular novel about the daily struggles of a witch living amongst regular humans. Lilith and I both took a copy of the first volume from the library shelves and sat beside each other in the lounge. We were the only two in this part of the library so we weren’t bothering anyone by reading out loud. We took turns reading this book that we both adored.

This was the closest I had felt with anyone in such a long time. I didn’t want it to end. Finally I had someone to share my interests and experiences with. I couldn’t be too sure, but I was getting the feeling the Lilith felt the same way for at least this moment. As she read aloud to me I could feel my mind wandering away. It was easy to immerse myself within the story when it was Lilith’s voice doing the narrating.

Our reading was interrupted when a much older woman came to the chairs we were resting in. She stopped just in front of us and stared at us like she was searching for something. Lilith and I gave each other a look of curiosity. This random stranger was scanning us like she had business with us.

“Can we help you with something?” I asked politely.

“Is that you Lily? That can’t be you, can it?” The woman asked nervously.

“Have we met?” Lilith asked.

“You’re Lilith Meredith, right?” The woman asked.

Lilith’s eyes widened.

“That’s right. Sorry, I don’t know who you are.”

The woman gave Lilith a friendly smile. She pulled up a chair from a nearby desk and sat down in it.

“That’s understandable. I haven’t seen you since you were a kid! Look at how big you’ve grown! You’re a fully grown young woman now.” She said.

“I’m sorry but how do you know me, exactly?” Lilith asked.

“Sorry, where are my manners? My name’s Rosa Stover. I was a friend of your mothers. In fact, she was a student of mine back when she was in university. I remember she used to bring you here when she came to visit. You’re almost the same height she was. It looks like you got your fathers black hair and lighter skin complexion though.” Rosa said.

Lilith looked at me with concern. This interaction was so far out of her experience that she couldn’t respond. I could see her asking for help with her eyes. She didn’t know how to handle this type of unexpected social confrontation. This was partly due to the fact that Lilith’s social development seemed to be stunted somewhere along the line. Either way, she was depending on me.

“It’s nice to meet you Ms. Stover,” I said, “I’m Lilith’s friend from school, Holly Hayfield.”

“From school…? Are you two in high school? Do you go to school around here somewhere?”

“We go to my great grandmother’s school, Meredith’s School for Troubled Girls.” Lilith said.

Ms. Stover recoiled at the name before Lilith could even finish speaking.

“How’d you end up going there? Your performance back in elementary was above average.” She asked.

“Well I skipped school for a while after my parents passed away. Things got a little complicated during middle school.” Lilith said.

“Oh…? I’m sorry to hear that.” Ms. Stover said and looked at me. “What about you, young lady?”

“Well I guess you could say I’m just your average delinquent, haha.” I said jokingly.

My hope was that she wouldn’t look into my joke too deeply. I didn’t want to follow up with an actual investigation into my past, especially not in front of Lilith. Luckily she didn’t push me for details. She turned her attention back to Lilith. She reached out and touched Lilith’s hand.

“I’m so sorry about what happened to your parents. They were such good people.”

Lilith looked away and shrugged.

“Why haven’t I seen you back here since then?” Ms. Stover asked.

“I never really had the time or reason I guess.”

That was an obvious lie based on what she told me earlier. Even Ms. Stover didn’t look ready to believe that lie. She was wise enough not to try to pursue another answer.

“Either way, I’m glad to see that you’re healthy. Your mother, Lena, would be happy to see that you grew up to become so beautiful.”

Lilith hummed a non-verbal response.

“Do you work here Ms. Stover?” I asked.

“It’s actually Mrs. Stover, and yes I do.”

“Ah, my apologies,” I said.

“You’re fine.” She said.

“Are you a librarian?” I asked.

“I started out as a librarian, yes, but now I do so much more. When one of my fellow founders retired I took over as co-director of this facility.” She said.

“Oh, so you’re one of the chief operators here then, correct?” I asked.

“That’s correct.” She said.

Lilith sat up in her seat with excitement.

“Then you might be able to help us!” Lilith said.

“Help you with what?” Mrs. Stover asked.

Since Lilith was liable to spill some exclusive information I took over the conversation from here. I explained to Mrs. Stover that we were looking into a bit of school history and wanted to check out artwork from the last year that the school art club was in session. I also explained the picture in the yearbook of the artwork with the award, leaving out the part about Malorie and the two other girls. Mrs. Stover followed my story with interest.

“Well I don’t recall any white rose artwork specifically, but it’s been years. This library stopped running that art contest years ago, after donors for local art competition dried up. These days, people are more interested in the virtual competitions we hold for things like digital art, video game design, and programming. The city officially started backing those contests because they felt it had the potential to reach more people and felt more ‘modern’.” She said.

“It doesn’t sound like you agree with that decision.” I noted.

“I don’t think traditional physical arts can be replaced in such a way. I’d like to be able to hold more contests to encompass more interests but our auxiliary budget that fund those programs are determined by the people who fund the budget. That is, they put their money towards specific requests. If donors request these more virtual competitions then I can’t use their funding for other projects.”

“That all sounds very constraining.” Lilith said, “Why don’t you just reallocate where the funding goes yourself?”

“We can’t. Using their donations against their wishes would dry up donations all together. The system was made this way so that people felt that the library’s functions could be managed democratically. Sometimes less popular programs get the axe, rather if I like it or not.”

“I’m not surprised by that.” I admitted. “Our school abandoned its own art club program when it wasn’t popular enough. The only remaining art club is unofficial and doesn’t get anything from the school.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Mrs. Stover said. “For what it’s worth we should still have the painting here in storage.”

“Really…?” Lilith asked hopefully.

“If it won an award like you say it did then yes. Part of the condition of the art contest back then was that the library got to keep it.”

“Can we see it?!” Lilith asked.

Mrs. Stover smiled.

“Sure! I’d be happy to take you two to the storage room. Follow me.”

Lilith smiled at me as we all stood up. Today was her lucky day.

Mrs. Stover led us to a long hallway in the back of the building. She said that the storage area was on the far end of this hallway. This hallway had closed doors to rooms that I suspected went to private offices. The hallway was decorated nicely with lamps, ornaments, living plants, and artwork framed against the wall. As we were about halfway down the hall I grabbed Lilith when I noticed something.

“Lilith, look!” I said and pointed at a picture on the wall.

Lilith stopped and turned to see what I was pointing at. Mrs. Stover stopped and looked over also.

“This is it!” Lilith shouted. “This is Malorie’s painting!”

“Malorie…?” Mrs. Stover asked. “Who is that?”

I pinched Lilith’s cheek and smiled casually.

“It’s someone that went to our school. We were interested in her artwork and wanted to look at the painting she helped make.” I said.

“Oh. I didn’t expect to find it hanging up on the wall.” Mrs. Stover said. “You’ve got good eyes, Ms. Hayfield.”

“Thanks,” I said.

Lilith pulled the painting down off the wall without asking.

“Lilith!” I hissed.

“Haha, it’s okay.” Mrs. Stover said. “If this painting has personal significance to the two of you then I don’t mind letting you get a closer look. Besides, when was the last time little Lily was here? I’m willing to accommodate.”

“Can I take it out of the frame?” Lilith asked excitedly.

She was acting like a spoiled little kid now. It was fortunate for her that Mrs. Stover was an old friend of her mother.

“You can, just be careful with it. Your friend Malorie certainly wouldn’t want you to accidentally tear it.” Mrs. Stover said.

Lilith was already opening up the frame before Mrs. Stover could finish warning her. Once the painting was free of the frame she lifted it up in front of her to get a closer look. It was just like the painting of the white rose in the art club room. Silver would love to see this. Lilith turned the painting around. There were two signatures on the back. Malorie wasn’t one of them.

Lilith was taken aback by the missing signature.

“Abigail Emily Logan…” Lilith read out loud, “And… Vivian Ava Hale.”

“Is that not what you were expecting?” Mrs. Stover asked.

“Malorie Noelle’s name should be there.” I said, “I know for a fact this is her artwork. It’s just like her white rose from the former art club room.”

“Ms. Logan’s name is here, as expected.” Lilith said, “But Malorie has been replaced by this Vivian Hale person.”

“That must be the other girl from the photograph we saw!” I said.