Casey sat at circular table right next to a rather large table. Her books were open in front of her and she was attempting to read, though she wasn't focusing very well. Outside people were playing quite happily, and here she was studying. Oh well, she needed to bring her grades up. Her copper hair hung loosely over her shoulders, her loose curls hiding her pale face. Her grey/green eyes skimmed over the text before her. She sighed and fiddled with her hair, beginning to feel like it was no use. She'd hardly accomplished anything within the hour that she'd been sat there.

Jake walked into the library silently. He noticed a girl sitting all alone and decided to go sit with her. He hated to disturb her but she looked a bit distracted anyway. "Hey." he said quietly to get her attention, sitting across from her.

Casey looked up to see who was sitting across from her but quickly looked back down at the table shyly. "H-h-hi" she stammered, trying not to sound as nervous or shy as she felt. Did she always always have to sound so retarded? She got frustrated with herself so often, she wasn't good at meeting new people, especially guys,

"I'm not going to hurt you or anything." he said, a little surprised with the way she had reacted to him. He allowed his suddenly tense expression to soften, "Do you want me to leave? " he asked

Casey's eyes widened at his words, that was pretty much right along with what she'd been thinking. She hesistated and looked up at him momentarily, she shook her head, "No.... It's.. It's alright" She said quietly

"I'm Jacob." he said, trying to keep his tone soft. "What's your name?"

"Casey" She said, and she even managed a small smile. She closed her book, deciding that she could study later.

"I'm not that scary am I, Casey?" He joked, smiling back.

Casey looked up at him and shrugged, he was still unfamiliar to her, and she didn't know how he acted, so for now she'd tread carefully. "I ... I don't know" She said rather lamely

"It's okay." he said witha laugh, there was no need to act proud and detatched. She seemed afraid of him.

"I-i-i'm sorry" casey stuttered apologetically as she looked down at her closed book. She blinked and cursed herself, wishing she didn't have to be so shy and nervous all the time. Not that long ago she had been quite happy and would talk to anyone, even guys, but things change.

"Quit appologizing, there's nothing to be sorry for." he said, still laughing. "I promise I won't hurt you."

"Sorry..." Casey said automatically. She stopped and looked up at him, as if trying to decided whether he was good on his promise or not. "How do I know that?" She said, then instantly regretted her words and quickly looked back down at the table.

"If I was going to hurt you I would have already done it." he said plainly, "There's no one around to stop me." he said lokking all around the empty library, there wasn't a single person.

Casey shrugged but she did take a look around the room, at first she felt even more uncomfortable, but then she figured his logistics were true. But she would still be cautious. "I guess.... But what if you changed your mind" she challenged, not meaning to push him. She didn't trust easily thses days and she was trying find her limits.

"What if I don't? Do you want to walk around alone for the rest of your life?" he asked her simply.

Casey looked down and shrugged, "What if I do?" she said eriously. She hadn't really planned a future with anyone but herself. She'd been hurt too many times to put any trust in a future with a guy. At this rate she prefered a future alone.

"I don't think I've ever met anyone who wanted to be left alone their entire life, spending it afraid of everyone." He himself didn't trust many people, but he wasn't afraid of people altogether. He didn't like them and spent as little time as possible around them, but he didn't want to be completely alone.

Casey shrugged and continued to stare at her closed book. "Yea, well now you have." She told, thinking about how strange it must seem to him that she would want to live alone for the rest of her life. She'd just rather not risk being hurt again.

"Could you at least look at me?" he asked as politely as he could. Iit made him feel uncomfortable to talk to someone and not be able to see their eyes.

Casey hesitated, she wasn't very good at keeping eye contact with people, let alone guys. Slowly, she lifted her head and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Sorry..." She mumbled automatically, and then remembered that he didn't like her apologizing, "I mean... Sorry... for ... apologizing?"

He couldn't help but laugh. "I'm not going to bite your head off for appologizing, but you don't have to appologize for anything. You didn't do anything wrong." he said . He wanted her to relax at least a little, her tenseness was making him feel a little anxious.

Casey shrugged, "Old habits die hard. I'm used to apologizing" She stated rather simply. It was true, she was always apologizing for something, especially at home. And, truth was, most of the time she really did feel like she had done something wrong.

"Why do you appologize so much? Where did you pick up a habit like that?" he asked curiously, figuring it wasn't a touchy subject.

"It was what I was taught to do. I got it from my dad" Casey explained simply, not really going into the details, she wasn't one for answering questions, especially ones about home.

He rose his eyebrows. "Why would you be taught to appologize for something that's not wrong?" he asked curiously

"Courtesy." Casey told him with a small shrug, "It's a nice thing to do, and it stops people from getting offended quite so easily"

"It would just get annoying after a while. 'Hi. Oh, sorry.'" he said in frustraion. "They may not get offended but they will get irritated." He spoke without thinking about others feelings at times, he didn't even consider the fact that could have hurt her feelings.

Casey shrugged, "Well sometimes saying sorry, even if you didn't do something wrong, can save a whole of trouble" she argued, not getting defensive but merely stating what she knew from experiences.

"You do whatever you want, but I'm not appologizing for anything that doesn't deserve one." he said, as if he ever appologized for anything.

"Well I'll apologize whenever I want to if it means not angering someone." She stated firmly. She wouldn't stop apologizing on his account, who knew what trouble she would get into at home for that.

"What if appologizing all the times does anger someone?" He asked. He was glad, in a way, that she was arguing with him. She didn't seem shy or afraid anymore.

"Well I'd rather be in the habit of apologizing on the chance that someone would get angry if I didn't. Few people actually get worked up at me apologizing." Casey said determinedly. She got defensive on subjects like these, it hit close to home.

"Maybe you just don't realize how angry they get because they're polite enough to hide it." he said in response.

"Or maybe I already know someone who does get angry when I don't apologize, so I keep in the habit of apologizing so I won't let it slip when I'm around them" Casey argued.

"Maybe you should stay away from that person." Jake said calmly. He was almost always calm and didn't show much emotion, even if he was in an argument. When what she had said registered though, a look of confusion momentarily crossed his face. He wondered who she was talking about.

Casey crossed her arms, and looked around before turning back to Jacob, she was beginning to worry that the conversation would take a turn to a subject she didn't much feel like talking about. "Well maybe I can't stay away from that person." She said, she was still defensive but her voice was quieter, almost sadder in a way.

"Who is it?" he asked softly. He had a feeling he was about to be told to mind his own business, but he thought the question was worth asking.

Casey shrugged, trying to think of the best way to avoid the whole subject. "Someone I know that you wouldn't know" She said simply, hoping the answer would be enough for him. Though she knew for some that would only lead to further questioning.

"I didn't ask if I knew them, I asked who it was." Unless she told him flat to butt out, he wasn't going to. He didn't like the way she was dancing around the subject. He wanted a straight answer.