Young Writers Society

The first time he saw her, she was hunched over a thick book. Her round tortoise-shell glasses slipped to the tip of her nose as she dipped her head into the pages of the novel. What caught his attention was the expression on her face that seemed to change with every word and the way her pupils flitted back and forth, trying to read as fast as the scene was unfolding in her mind. Staring across the library, he noticed how her lips parted slightly while she was reading. He saw how her fingers clutched the sleeves of the oversized sweater she was wearing. He chuckled slightly when he thought of how the large cushioned two-seater swallowed her petite body. Suddenly remembering his history report that was due the next day, he looked down at his own book, another collection of photographs from the Great Depression. He smiled at Mr. Hamilton, the librarian, as he checked out his book, then stole another glance at the girl before leaving the library.

All that day and the next, Robert was thinking about the girl at the library. He had never seen someone so absorbed in a book like that. Most of his friends were photographers, like him, and they didn’t do or talk about much else. However, Robert loved reading, especially historical fiction. The stories he read transported him to places he couldn’t capture with a camera lens. He liked thinking of historical fiction as a picture of the past that looks different in each person’s mind.

That weekend, Robert returned to the library, secretly hoping to see the girl. She was sitting in the same sofa that he had seen her in a few days earlier. This time, however, she was almost near the end of her book. Today, he noticed she was reading slower, turning every page as if they were the fragile leaves of an ancient manuscript. He also saw the melancholic expression on her face as she nearer to the final chapter. Robert picked a book from the shelves, something about Lincoln’s assassination, but it was mostly so he could watch the girl without looking too creepy. After some time, the girl read the last sentence. Carefully, she closed the novel and looked up at the neighboring bookshelf. Robert could see her eyes water as she took a deep breath and ran her fingers over the book jacket for a few minutes. Finally, the girl got up, picked up her army green pack, and walked over to Mr. Hamilton’s desk.

“Finished the last in the series, have you?”

In a soft voice that carried across the room, which was mostly empty except for Robert and a couple of kids mooching off the free wifi, she said, “Yeah. I can’t believe that Sansa died; he and Will were just becoming friends.”

With a knowing nod, Mr. Hamilton said, “Well, come back when you’re ready. I have the perfect rebound book for you.”

“You’re the best, Mr. Hamilton.”

“See ya, Elle,” he replied as she walked past Robert and out of the library.

Robert looked out of the window and at Elle as she walked to her car and drove out of the parking lot.

He walked over to Mr. Hamilton’s desk and saw the book that the girl had checked in. Picking it up, he asked, “May I have the first book in this series, Mr. Hamilton?”

With a slightly mischievous grin, Mr. Hamilton said, “Sure, Robert. Let me go get it for you.” He walked to a short shelf labeled INBOUND and retrieved a thick novel with a purple book jacket from the top of one of his notoriously precarious stacks. Handing it to Robert, he said, “I’ve got to warn you, once you finish this book, there’s no turning back. You’ll absolutely have to finish the series.”

Robert shook his head and smiled. “Sure thing, Mr. Hamilton. See ya Monday.” With that, Robert left the library and biked home.

On Monday, Robert hoped to see Elle at school. He recalled seeing her in his AP Lit class before, and thought he might run into her. Although he passed her in the halls a couple of times that day, she was walking quickly, linking arms with one of her close friends. It was the same the next day, and on Wednesday, Robert had not even seen her. On Thursday, however, Robert had had better luck.

Robert was walking to his favorite place to take photographs. It was a small cemetery near a ballet school. During that time of year, the many trees would take on their shades of yellow, orange, red, purple, and brown. Robert loved hearing the dry leaves and grass crunch under his boots. Sometimes, he would sit at the base of a strong oak and read a book or just listen to the sounds of nature. That day, though, he went to take photos of the tombstones. A few of his friends teased him about it, saying he was being a creep or that he was talking to the ghosts. However, the photographs were tied to his fascination with history. Often, he would look up the family histories of the names on the stones. For most of the names, he could trace their lineage for several generations. Others, however, did not appear in any of his research. Robert had a detailed map of his own family’s history, as well.

When Robert arrived at the cemetery, he moved to a corner he had not yet photographed and crouched to get a better angle of the tombstone he began working on. At least an hour had passed by, but it felt like only minutes to him. Soft crunching sounds snapped Robert out of his trance-like state, and he looked over his shoulder to see a girl in a blue leotard and sweatpants standing behind him.

Elle had just finished practice. Normally, she would walk with her friends to get fro-yo, but she was not feeling up to it that day. The book hangover had not yet worn off, and she was still mourning Sansa’s untimely death. The tiny graveyard was on the way to her house, and she thought it would be fitting to think about him there. While wandering through the graveyard, Elle admired the beautiful colors of the oak trees. After a while, Elle heard a camera snapping somewhere in the cemetery. Puzzled, she decided to investigate.

The snapping sounds grew louder, and finally she saw the source. A lanky guy, most likely not much older than she, was hunched over a tomb, adjusting his lens to get a better shot. He quickly turned around, and Elle, realizing she had startled him, gave him a wide smile. He stood and hung the camera around his neck. She chuckled inwardly as she noticed the way the spray of freckles across the bridge of his nose shifted when he smiled back at her.

“Sorry, if I surprised you. I was just wandering around when I heard your camera and I decided to investigate.”

Brushing the chocolate brown hair from his forehead, the stranger replied, “Oh, no problem at all. Hey, haven’t I seen you around in school? You go to the high school just up the road, right? I’m Robert, by the way.” Robert extended his hand.

Pleased that Robert had noticed her, Elle smiled a little wider and gave him her hand to shake. “Yeah! My name is Elle. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.”

“Would you mind if I asked why you were taking pictures of the graves?”

Robert chuckled, then explained how he traced the lineage of the people in the cemetery.

“Wow, that’s so interesting. Could I see some of your photos?” Elle moved to Robert’s side as he took his phone out of his pocket. She noticed that he bit the corner of his lower lip.

Elle was amazed by Robert’s photographs. The angles and filters he used gave his collection a professional look. “Do you sell these,” she asked.

Flattered, Robert’s cheeks went pink. “No. Actually, I’ve never thought about selling them. Why? Are they good?”

“Are they good? They’re great! You know, I have a cousin that owns a gallery and she loves seeing new artists. She’s out of town most of the year, but when she visits I could introduce her to you, if you’d like.”

“Wow. That would be amazing, if you could. Thank you so much.”

“Of course. Let me give you my number so we can talk later.” Elle took Robert’s phone and quickly put in her contact information. She gave him her own phone so he could do the same. Checking her watch, Elle said, “Oh, I’ve gotta go, Robert. Text you later?”

A little bit flustered by how his first conversation with Elle went, Robert replied, “Uh, yeah. Sure thing.”

Elle gave him a quick wave as she trotted out of the cemetery and down the road. On her way home, she wasn’t thinking about Sansa. Robert was on her mind.

For the rest of that week and the weeks after, Elle and Robert texted each other and chatted whenever they met eat other in the school halls, the library, and occasionally the cemetery. Robert went to one of Elle’s dance recitals and met her best friend, Judy. She found out that he was on book four of their favorite series, and all three geeked out together. Elle had emailed her cousin some of Robert’s photos, and she agreed that she would love to display them at her next showing.

One day, near the end of autumn, both of their families, including Judy, had a barbecue in the park. It was a mild day, with a slight breeze. Robert was sitting a little farther away from the main group, watching them laugh and talk. He looked at Elle. The breeze rustled her strawberry blonde hair, which was hanging loose around her shoulders. She was laughing and biting down on a cookie at the same time, which made her nose wrinkle in the cutest way. Robert summoned up his courage, determined to ask her out before the day was over.

Later, as the sun fell and the stars twinkled in the sky, the party decided to pack up and head home. The adults formed a group and walked ahead while they talked about the upcoming election. Judy, Elle, and Robert hung back and walked side by side down the sidewalk. Together, they talked for a while until Robert cleared his throat. “Judy? Would you mind giving Elle and me a minute?”

Judy winked at Robert, then gave Elle a knowing look before trotting off to contribute her two cents to the adults’ conversation, making them both chuckle. Elle tilted her head back to stare at the stars. Robert kept his eyes on her. When she turned to face him, she saw him smile with a look she could not quite describe. “Elle, can I ask you something?”

She looked into his eyes. “Yeah, go ahead.”

“I’m not exactly sure how I should say this so, here goes. I really like you, Elle. As more than just a friend. I think you’re smart and funny and caring. Will you go out with me?”

“Of course, I’d love to go out with you.”

Looking visibly relieved, Robert sighed and said, “OK, great. Um, how about I pick you up on Sunday at 3:00?”

“That sounds wonderful.” Elle smiled at him, then took his hand. They walked together until it was time to split up. Elle blew him a kiss, then turned to go home.

That Sunday, Judy came over to have lunch and help Elle get ready for her date. “Oh, you look so cute! You’re going to have a great time with Robert.”

“You think so? The sweater doesn’t look weird?”

“Yes! Robert has my seal of approval, and if he doesn’t like your sweaters then too bad for him.” She winked just as the doorbell rang. “That’s him!”

The girls went down the stairs and Elle’s father opened the door. The two shook hands, and Robert stepped inside. Elle thought he looked especially handsome in the new leather jacket he was wearing. He was also holding two motorcycle helmets, one fullface for himself and a half helmet for her. He smiled when he saw Elle. She smiled back and, pointing to the helmets, gave him a quizzical look.

“Oh, I borrowed my dad’s motorcycle. I remember you saying that you’d like to take a ride, so why not now?”

“Sounds fun, Robert.” She turned to her father, kissed him on the cheek, and said, “We’ll be back before 10:00, Dad.” He smiled at the both of them and said, “Have fun.”

Taking her hand, Robert walked down the steps and to the motorcycle. He helped her snap on the helmet and they rode off.

First, Robert took Elle to the movie theater, and they watched a comedy and ate popcorn. Afterwards, they went for dinner and talked long after they had finished eating. At around 8 o’clock, they left the restaurant and Robert said, “Elle, do want to get some fro-yo?”

“Naturally. No one in their right mind turns down fro-yo!” Laughing, they walked hand in hand down the street.

On their way back, Elle and Robert passed by a bookstore, which was surprisingly still open. Elle turned to look into the window and saw one of her favorite books in the window display. “Robert! Look, they have a hardcover version of my book! Can we go in just for a few minutes, please?”

Robert opened the door for her. Elle was already browsing the shelves, and both of them began talking about different books they liked and ones they wanted to read. They ended up wandering the store until closing time. Robert bought Elle the hardcover version, then they walked back to his motorcycle. Before Robert put on his helmet, Elle took his face in her hands and pressed her lips to his. He was startled at first, but Robert rested his hands on her waist and drew her in closer. They kissed for a moment in the moonlight. Elle pulled away and said, “I had so much fun tonight.”

Robert smiled and nodded his agreement.

Later, they arrived at Elle’s house and he walked her to the door. They kissed again.

“Goodnight, Robert.”

“Goodnight, Elle.”

Elle and Robert dated throughout their junior and senior years of high school. Before moving away to college, they decided to visit the library where Robert had first seen Elle reading their favorite book series. He had since told her the story of how he first saw her. After browsing the shelves and reminiscing together, they walked over to Mr. Hamilton’s desk to return the last book, the one Elle had been reading that day. Then they left the library, Robert’s pinkie finger curled around Elle’s.

With a satisfied smile on his face, Mr. Hamilton watched them go. Then he texted his wife, their former AP Lit teacher. “Mission Ellebert is complete.”