It Started With A Book

Chapter 21

She made angels jealous.

___

"What I'm trying to say Brin is would you be interested in going out with me? Like here and now..."

Intense anxiousness swirled inside of him making its presence heavily known. Sweaty fingers wiped themselves on the sides of his pants and the need to abort was blaring loudly.

If Elliott could rank this experience it would be a negative three. It would line up right behind the time in 7th grade when he completely blanked during his public speaking presentation and puked on his teacher's new leather shoes.

"I know I'm not worthy of your affection because you are the moon and the stars but I'd be overjoyed if you gave me a chance."

He stared at the girl who held his sanity hostage. It was pure agony trying to decipher what she was thinking in that pretty little head of hers.

Now he truly wished for those mind reading powers.

"I kinda thought we were on a date," Brin neared him, relieved Elliott was the one admitting his feelings first.

Elliott's body relaxed instantaneously. All he could do was adorably gawk at her.

His ranking level now?

Over the moon.

Finding out class was cancelled after pulling an all nighter the night before, the first bite of food after starving and discovering a new favourite song were all acceptable answers Elliott would've given had he been asked. If he had to give a number it'd be plus one thousand.

"Took you long enough," Brin answered. No longer did she have to stew with exploding butterflies in her stomach. "But seriously I can't tell you how happy I am to hear you say that."

But she could show him.

Brin took Elliott's hand pulling him through the doorway. She observed how sweaty his palms were.

"Close your eyes," Brin said.

"Why?"

"Just do it," she dismissed his question. Her voice softened following a pause. "Please."

Without saying a word, Elliott glanced upon darkness. It was seconds before any of his senses were awakened. Sounds of a backpack zipper sliding, shuffling feet and the sudden dip of the mattress was all he could make out.

"What's going on?"

"Relax Elliott you're making me even more nervous."

"Listen Brin if you wanted to get me alone, all you had to do was ask."

She didn't even have to look to know he was wearing that all too familiar grin.

"This isn't what this is. Get your brain out of the gutter. Here."

An object was placed in his hand. He ran his fingers over the smooth surface.

"Open your eyes."

Elliott peered down.

"It's your phone. You're giving me your phone?"

When Brin said she had something to show him, he hadn't had this in mind. In fact this was the furthest thing from it.

"Sort of," she took the phone from his grasp, sliding her thumb across the lock screen.

Elliott remained trained solely on her face. First from her lips then to her pupils brimming with apprehension.

"Brin," Elliott brought his hand to her waist, drawing her closer. "You don't have to--"

"I want to."

Silence grew over them until Brin found what she was looking for. "Take it," she offered her phone back.

Slowly he pried it from her grip, glancing to it only once the girl beside him nodded. He trembled realizing the gravity of the situation.

"This is your work. You want to share this with me?"

"Of course. You're the person I trust most El. Plus, I want you to be the first."

This girl was going to ruin him and he would wholeheartedly let her.

"Thank you."

Brin rose from where she sat, twiddling with the bracelets on her arm.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm still kinda nervous and this is really awkward for me so I'm going to go now," Brin answered, much to Elliott's disapproval, who plainly sighed.

"Come on Elliott," Brin continued. "I'm baring everything here, a part of me that hardly anyone else sees to a person who makes me feel like I'm walking on rainbows especially when he smiles--who I'm pretty sure knows this. And I've never been more afraid in my life."

"Brinley," Elliott said.

She ignored him letting the hallway light filter in the room.

"My significant annoyance."

Brin laughed and Elliott did the same.

Peering over her shoulder Brin brushed against Elliott who stood intensely close.

He closed the door and led her back to where he previously sat.

"I've got a story of my own actually.  Once upon a time there was this guy."

Brin arched a brow.

"Go with it," Elliott rolled his eyes. "Anyway this handsome being of a human walked into a bookstore one day."

"I can see where this is going."

Brin laughed, seeing Elliott turn red.

"Do you want to hear the story or not?"

"I didn't do anything!"
She laughed again.

"Anyway." Elliott responded. "This guy he walked into this bookstore," he paused before proceeding when he was sure he wouldn't be distracted (though with Brin that was never a sure thing).

"He was looking for something new to read but what he found was something more. See, there was this girl--"

"What did she look like?"

"Honestly, she made angels jealous."

"That pretty huh?"

"Insanely pretty," Elliott countered. "Annoyingly smart and amazingly funny."

"She sounds wonderful."

"She is," Elliott agreed. "But this guy although very attractive, was very stupid. See they'd been going to the same high school for years but he never got the courage to ask her out."

Brin nodded understandably.

"Then what happened?" Brin played along.

"Well on one particular visit he was distracted by the brown, starry eyed wonder and forgot to put the novel he was reading into his bag. He needed to get it back because it was really important and set off to find it. What he didn't know was that there was a little stow-away in the back of his car who turned out to be one of the best things about his journey."

"Nice. Now onto my story."

"What's it about?"

"It's a surprise."

Elliott frowned.

"A good one," Brin stated. "I'll even read it to you.

"Why?"

"To give you the full experience, duh. When's the last time you got a one on one experience with an author?"

"Author?"

"Yes author," Brin half muttered.

"In that case, I'm all ears."

And he truly meant it. There was nowhere on Earth he'd rather be than right here in this moment. Despite the circumstances that brought them together, he thanked his lucky stars for her.