The stacks. A place that used to hold such excitement! The first time that Aysel was given the freedom to go places on her own. The colors bright and the shops inviting you in with their explosive displays and rows and rows of colour and smell and life. A busy community. Its own rhythm of daily activities.

People bumped into her tiny shoulders but she didn't mind. In fact she had liked it, having people running to catch up with their lives. Students older than her laughing and screaming. Chatting and eating. She smiled just looking at them. She looked forward to her own private jokes with her friends, the explosion of laughter when someone said something that reminded them of those ''you had to be there'' moments.

As she walked along the streets. She saw a flicker of the magic she had seen before. But the colors were duller, and the shops less inviting. Even the shop owners looked less rosy. The glint of laughter had left their eyes.

The one thing that had changed the least were the students. Sometimes they pulled themselves out of their conversations to look at her or to properly look at what the stacks truly was. Not what used to be there.
Aysel sighed. Suddenly she tripped and luckily something soft cushioned her fall. A person!

Desiana Micheluto squeaked as she was fallen on. Not only was she extremely shy, she was fragile and petite. "s-sorry..." she whispered, her face pale, except for her nose which was pretty much always red. she helped the girl up, while avoiding eye contact. she picked her books up off the ground, and straightened her hair.

Aysel was embarassed. She flushed red and stood up carefully. She looked at the girl. She was surprised that she hadn't met her before. Her face did look familiar, maybe they had passed eachother in the halls? Maybe they had a class together? Aysel couldn't remember. She brushed off her apology and apologized herself. After all it was her own fault for tripping on nothing. She did that a lot! She smiled at the girl again and turned to go.

"w-would you, perhaps, know of a good place to buy hats? im searching, but i cant seem to find any brilliant ones." she said, being a lot more outwards than usual.

"Uhm...well not really. I've never really thought of buying hats. Hats don't really suite the shape of my head. Not that I have a weirdly shaped head or anything they just don't look right on my...head, anyway I suggest just looking around asking a few shop owners. Maybe they'll know a place?"

Aysel normally rushed into conversation when people talked to her. It was a reflex. Or a bad habit. Either way she hated it completely.

Desiana seemed to squeak. "talk to more people? oh, no no no... i couldnt do that.. not at all." she looked around nervously. "its suprising to me im even speaking to someone... i just dont like it." she said, still not making eye contact.

Do you know what you have to do? You have to march up to Umberto's Hat shop. He sells some magnificent hats. When you asked me I didn't remember, its fairly new and just round the corner. I used to be you. I probably still am you in a way. The only one who stays in the library when everyone else goes? The only one who gets surprised when someone smiles at them.
My remedy was reading. My shyness has dulled a bit since then. Somehow books made me braver, if you find your remedy maybe you can get further than I have!"

Aysel turned to go, she did not want to miss alligator on a stick once again. If you hurried you could usually get Ollie to give you his remaining one.