This was for my creative writing club on campus. we had a prompt to come up with characters, then we swapped prompts and had to write a story about the other person's characters! it was fun. mine was so long that i didn't read it out loud. but i did type it up.
Shelby and I headed towards the library. My sister had to do some research, and I had five chapters of my novel due by midnight. She had wanted to go to the office, but I had begged her for thelibrary, and told her I needed to be in an inspiring place. And what better place to write a story about a girl, I thought to myself, than a place where you can observe her?
My palms were sweating as we approached the library. I reminded myself that I had wanted this, so stop being nervous. She was always there at 6:15 every Thursday night, and she stayed until closing, reading classic novels and sipping hot chocolate. She would have her long slender legs hidden in a flowing skirt, and her silken black hair released from its tight bun from the long workday. I swallowed as I thought of the gentile arch of her neck, her long fingers raising a large cup to her full pink lips, the steam of the chocolate making her reading glasses fog just a little.
Shelby walked in and I followed her, eager but terrified. I barely knew anything about Cornelia Bedrock, other than the fact that she was a social worker, and had a huge family, and was usually outgoing and talkative. In my story and my fantasies, Cornelia Bedrock was a sweet loving girl, looking for her soul mate. But I had no idea what she was like in real life—I'd never spoken more than a word to her. Not since I'd tripped over my feet staring at her and spilt coffee on her jacket. "Sorry," I'd sputtered, my heart beating about a billion times per second, and she'd laughed her musical laugh and said "don't worry about it." I would have stayed to help clean it up, but I probably would have made it worse.
Today as I walked in, I saw her, and was surprised to see her staring out the window, with no hot chocolate, no book, and no soft pleasant smile on her lips. I wondered what was the matter.
I wondered what would happen if I approached her.
Would she talk to me? Be annoyed? Think I was a blundering idiot? Probably. I sighed and took out my laptop, sitting at a table about a dozen yards away from her, and started reading where I had left off. Then I got an idea.
I went to the café in the corner of the library and bought her usual drink, and asked the barista to give it to the lady in the corner. I sat back down and watched out of the corner of my eye as Cornelia got a surprised and confused look on her face, and replied to the barista. Then she looked my direction.
I turned my head back to my laptop and started furiously typing random letters, so I would look busy. I realized I was holding my breath, so I exhaled and tried to remember how to breathe.
Why had I done that? I should have minded my own business, but no, I had to go and meddle with other people's business… but then she had looked pleased. Maybe that was worth it. I'd gotten a smile out of her.
I treasured it and kept thinking about it, replaying it in my head until I knew every little detail by heart.
I heard the footsteps of the barista come back towards the café, and I relaxed a little, erased the random letters on my screen, and tried to remember where my story had left off.
Just as I settled into my typing, someone sat down beside me. I looked up—it was her.
My heart froze for a half a second, then started beating triple-time. She was looking at me, holding her cup with both hands to her chest. Now what do I do, I thought. her big brown eyes locked with mine, and I got just a little dizzy, and was pretty sure I was going to die.
"Thanks," she said, with a little bit of a smile on her lips.
"Uh." I mumbled. What was I supposed to say to that… "no problem."
"I'm Cornelia," she held her hand out. I looked at it. I was going to shake her hand. I dried my hand off on my pants and took her hand in mine. It was about half the size and mine, and soft as satin. I swallowed and forced myself to let go. I should probably say something, too.
"I know." I closed my mouth. Crap. Why had I said that? Now she'd think I was stalking her or something.
Well, I realized, I sort of was.
"Oh…have I met you before?" she asked.
"No, but I spilled coffee on you about a year ago—" I clenched my jaw. I honestly couldn't think staring into those deep cow eyes, her long eye lashes flitting over them like butterfly wings.
Great, I thought. Now I'm toast. I could kiss any future with Cornelia goodbye, because I'd just made a fool of myself. And girls didn't like fools, did they?
"Oh, I remember you!" She smiled a huge smile, showing off perfectly white teeth and little dimples on the sides of her cheeks. My stomach clenched. Oh thank God I was sitting down because my knees would have given out at that point.
I bet you do, I thought. I couldn’t think of anything to say, so I was silent.
"Thanks for this," she said softly. She looked like she was getting ready to leave. No, not yet, I thought. I finally got a chance to talk to her and now she's leaving.
"You looked a little…" she stopped, and waited. I shrugged. "a little down, I guess." My mouth was dry. Would she dislike my invading on her privacy? And the idea of her staying and talking to me was just as bad as the idea of her leaving.
"I was… or rather…" she looked like she was debating if she should tell me something or not. She smiled a little. "Just lonely, I guess." She tried to look passé, but her face had fallen.
"I know the feeling." I said encouragingly. I wished I could say something to comfort her.
"What are you working on?" she asked, sitting across from me.
Oh dear.
I swallowed, trying to breathe, trying to think of a way to say it without actually saying it… I'm working on a love story between you and me because you're the most beautiful girl in the world. No that would so not work.
So I just shrugged and said, "A book…'bout a girl."
We didn't talk about my book anymore. Maybe she figured it out for herself, or maybe she forgot. But we did talk for another two hours. And I left with her phone number, a smile, and the rest of my plot in my head.
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