As soon as little Sheldon finished the introduction, Libby smiled and said, "Hey Mike, I'm Libby. Super nice to meet you."
The outgoing Black girl reached out her right hand.
"Nice to meet you too," Mike replied, nodding politely while holding his massive sandwich with both hands.
It wasn't that he didn't want to shake—it was just that he had nowhere to put the sandwich down.
Clearly, Libby noticed too. She pulled her hand back with the same smile and kept going: "Your games on the football field are amazing. My whole family's a fan of yours..."
She went on to talk about her family—three younger brothers, one little sister, and how her mom supported them all with odd jobs.
You could tell from her words that Libby was optimistic and tough as nails.
Mike hadn't expected her to dive into such personal stuff right off the bat, but he didn't interrupt.
From what she shared, he figured she had tons of experience looking after her siblings—which might explain why she clicked with little Sheldon.
No matter how smart the kid was, he was still just a nine-year-old with zero life experience.
While Mike's mind wandered, Libby wrapped up the family talk. She pulled out a photo and said, "Look, Mike—to support you, I even got one of your signed pictures."
With Mike's popularity these days, his photos weren't cheap. Signed ones? They went for even more.
Gotta hand it to Jack—he had a real knack for business. Being a reporter was wasting his talent.
Mike glanced at the photo and raised an eyebrow. If he remembered right, this was the exact one he'd signed for Dan on Monday.
He shot a subtle look at Dan, who was staring at Libby like a lovesick puppy.
Got it. Dan had a quiet crush on her.
Mike didn't call it out. Liking someone could be pretty private.
So he just smiled and said, "Thanks for the support."
Libby looked thrilled at his casual thanks. Riding the wave, she jumped in: "Hey Mike, you free this weekend? We could drive to Houston. There's a tech expo, and afterward we could hang out, check out the sights, grab some local food."
"Uh..." Mike's expression got weirder by the second. He was kinda thrown.
The way she acted all familiar and enthusiastic, he almost wondered if they knew each other well.
But no way—that wasn't possible.
Libby seemed to realize she was coming on a bit strong. She turned and asked, "Sheldon, Dan—what do you guys think? Wanna come along?"
Dan didn't disappoint—he jumped right in: "Road trip to Houston? That's awesome. We could even catch a movie. I know a great theater there."
On the other side, Sheldon—who'd been stone-faced—perked up at the tech expo part. "Seeing a tech exhibit in person does sound good. But I need to ask my mom first."
With her plan working out, Libby beamed: "It's settled then! This weekend, Houston—we'll go together. I'll drive."
Seeing her decide everything on her own, Mike spoke up right away: "Sorry, I've got plans this weekend. You guys have fun, though."
Libby's enthusiastic smile froze on her face when he turned her down.
Mike didn't pay it much mind. He shoved the last bites of his sandwich in his mouth and said, "I'm done eating, so I'll head out. Enjoy your lunch."
After this short chat, he'd figured it out completely: Libby had zero interest in Dan. She was sharp, no doubt.
Dan was just a way for her to get close to him.
Gotta say, compared to girls who "accidentally" bumped into him on the street or threw themselves at him outright...
Using a friend as a bridge? Way smarter move.
Too bad for her—Mike was a one-woman guy when it came to feelings. He only went for pretty girls. And he wasn't into anything exotic.
As Mike left, the vibe in the library got super awkward.
After a long pause, little Sheldon raised his hand and asked, "So... are we still going to Houston this weekend for the tech expo?"
Libby snapped out of it and said, "Oh, right—I just remembered, I've got stuff going on this weekend too. Let's save Houston for another time."
Sheldon looked bummed, but his brain kicked into overdrive.
A few seconds later, he piped up again: "So... we're not going because of Mike?"
Her total attitude shift before and after? It hit him—Mike might've been her target all along.
Getting close to him could've just been a way to talk to Mike.
So... he'd been used?
That mattered a lot to Sheldon.
When he asked again, Libby just looked down and stayed quiet—pretty much admitting it.
"I thought we were friends!" Sheldon said, getting mad now that it all clicked.
"We are friends," Libby replied, looking up to explain. "But friends aren't all the same. I see you like a little brother. Mike's... different..."
She didn't finish, but it was clear—she had a thing for Mike.
Sheldon wasn't hearing the subtext anymore. All he caught was that she saw him as a kid who needed looking after, not an equal friend.
That stung too. He'd always thought their friendship was based on mutual respect for each other's smarts.
"Great, Libby," he said. "You don't need to get those twelfth-grade textbooks ready for me anymore. We're not friends."
He packed up his half-eaten lunch, stood, and headed for the door.
At the doorway, he stopped, turned back, and added: "And enjoy the rest of your meal. But that spot's mine—I got here first."
Message received: he didn't want to see her there next lunchtime.
After Sheldon had been gone a while, Dan broke the silence: "Hey, Libby... how about this weekend I take you to a movie?"
He knew she'd used him, but he liked her anyway. Figured he'd shoot his shot one more time—what if it worked?
"I've gotta watch my brothers and sister this weekend—no time," Libby said, packing her lunch too. Before leaving, she laid it out straight: "And... I just see you as a regular friend. Don't waste your time on me. We're not a match."
With that, she walked out of the library without looking back.