library lovebirds | l.s.

1. see my dilemma

Harry

I wandered down the sidewalk playing a song over and over in my head. I could only remember one line of the chorus, despite my efforts, no other words came to mind.

As I approached the library, a sigh escaped my lips. It felt good to be back home after a week away at the beginning of summer vacation. I missed my friends, of course, but to be honest I missed the library more.

The library had to be my favourite place. I simply couldn't live without it. The endless amount of stories to be told, all held in one brick-walled building. It didn't matter if people called me a nerd or a bookworm. I didn't let others dictate the way I lived my life.

I pushed my way through the heavy door and stumbled inside excitedly. The carpeted floors and the tall shelves gave the place such a homey feel and I couldn't get enough. I breathed in the all too familiar air and headed to the check-out counter to say hello to Linda.

Linda was an interesting lady. She had to be in her early sixties, and she always had her magenta glasses perched on her nose, her greying hair cut short and left loose. Try as I might, I never could get Linda to be friendly with me. She just wasn't a happy person.

"Good morning Linda! How are you? Miss me while I was gone?" I smiled, resting my elbows on the counter.

She slowly looked up from her computer with one eyebrow raised.

"I wondered where you'd been, kid. Place has been dead without you tripping through the door every morning." She was so monotonous it scared me. Was she some sort of robot?

"Hey, I'm clumsy, okay?" I argued. "Anyway, I was hoping you'd have a copy of-"

"The Hobbit, yes love, I do."

The only reason I knew that I was as close as I would ever get to Linda properly liking me was that she occasionally called me "love," something she never did with any other customers.

"I don't understand why you read this god awful book day after day," she said as she grabbed a copy from a shelf behind her and slid it towards me. "You're either the world's slowest reader, or you've lost your mind." That shelf was meant for reservations, and although I hadn't reserved it, Linda always kept a copy waiting for me.

"It's the best book ever written, ma'am," I explained. "Tolkien was an absolute genius and you can't convince me otherwise."

Linda simply rolled her eyes but I could've sworn I saw her hold back the tiniest smile. You'd need a microscope to prove it.

After thanking the librarian, I made my way over to my favourite spot in the back corner of the library where I wouldn't be distracted by people coming in and out. Mind you, I was often the only person there for the majority of the day. I wasn't sure how the library was still functioning with only Linda and I to keep it going.

I took a seat on the floor and crossed my legs. I flipped through The Hobbit, trying to remember where I had last left off. Sure, I'd read the entire book too many times to count, but I liked to read the whole story all the way through each time.

I huffed, resting my chin in my palm as I aimlessly turned pages, my memory seemingly failing me. Finally, I recognized the part of the story I had most recently read, and I dove back in to Bilbo Baggins' adventure.