All Hail Claire

2. Bookworm

"Uh, Claire?"

"Ouch!" I hissed as I bumped my head. I crawled out from underneath the table and glanced around the school's library. My friend Danielle peered down at me with a confused, and somewhat bemused look.

"What are you doing?" she asked as I rubbed my head, which was now sore. I stood up and tried to salvage what was left of my dignity.

"I dropped my book under the table," I explained. "What's up?"

She sighed. "You forgot." I watched as her shoulders slumped and a pout formed on her face. Oh no. Not the eyes. Those big, sad puppy dog eyes. I've never been one for cutesy stuff, (with the exception of cat videos; because, be honest, who doesn't like cat videos? Monsters, that's who.) but my friend Dani's puppy dog eyes could make anyone's heart melt like butter.

"Of course I didn't forget, Dani. How could I forget," uhh... "your birthday?"

An eyeroll, followed by a 'hmph' answered me. "No, you dork," she continued. "The book signing.

The book signing!

"The book signing! Oh my gosh, that's today?!" I exclaimed, looking at my friend in alarm. "What time is it? Are we late? Please don't tell me we're la--"

"Shh!" I turned abruptly towards the noise to see Ms. Ward glaring at me from the main desk.

"Sorry..." I whispered back. I tirned back to Dani. "We should probably get going, huh?"

"Yeah. We gotta pick up Bethany," she added. "If we go without her, neither of us will ever hear the end of it."

"That's probably true," I said. "Let's get outta here."

We made our way out of the library and through the hallways of Ridgedale High. Once outside, we walked to Danielle's pastel green Volkswagen Beetle. Beth lived at least fifteen miles away from the school, but luckily her place was closer to our local bookstore where the signing was.

Parked outside Beth's, Dani honked her horn incessantly for what seemed like hours before Bethany finally appeared from at the door way.

"Quit that! I'm coming!" she screeched at us. "Jeez. Impatient much?"

"I don't want to be late, Beth," said Dani. "You got your book?"

"Yeah, City of Lost Souls. You?"

"I have City of Ashes in my bag. What about you Claire?"

"Of course. I've got the whole series. City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls, and City of Heavenly Fire."

"Claire," Bethany rolled her eyes, "you can't have Cassandra sign all of your books. Pick one."

"One?"

"One," Dani agreed.

"But I --"

"One!" they both shouted.

I hesitated. "Fine," I finally said. "I guess I'll take..." God, one book? How am I supposed to pick just one? Being asked to pick your favorite book is like being asked to pick your favorite child -- but harder. "I guess... City of Bones," I decided.

"See? That wasn't so hard, now was it?" Beth said.

"Don't patronize me," I grumbled.

When we finally pulled into the book store parking lot, Dani and I rushed out of the car to the entrance as Beth followed slowly behind. Not that she wasn't exited; she just didn't believe in running (or any kind of exercise for that matter).

The sight before us was one I was sure I would never have the chance to see. Looking over the heads of other fans waiting in the long line, I saw the face of one of my idols.

"There she is..." Dani stated.

"Cassandra Clare."