The library

Something finally happened that broke up the mundaneness of those first few weeks.

I’d started spending more time in the library again, mostly because it was quieter than the dorm and easier to get work done.

That’s where I noticed her.

She was cute, a little nerdy, and seemed to practically live in the library. I’d seen her there several times before, usually sitting at the same table with her boyfriend. They seemed comfortable together. He’d usually have his laptop open while she worked through a stack of notes, occasionally leaning over to show him something.

I’d never really thought much about approaching her before.

But this semester, I’d decided I was going to be bolder.

I didn’t want to sit around wondering what might happen. If I wanted to talk to someone, I was going to talk to them.

So one afternoon, when I saw her sitting at the table with her boyfriend, I grabbed my books and walked over.

“Hey,” I said.

She looked up.

“Hi.”

I gestured toward the empty chair. “Mind if I sit here?”

She glanced at the chair, then at her boyfriend, who barely looked up from his laptop.

“Sure.”

I sat down and pulled out my notebook.

“I’m Ethan, by the way.”

She smiled. “I’m Riley.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“You too.”

I opened my notebook and looked at the material in front of me.

“I’ve seen you guys here a bunch. You always seem like you know what you’re doing.”

Riley laughed. “Definitely not.”

Her boyfriend smiled. “She’s lying.”

She nudged him with her elbow.

I laughed. “Well, I’m struggling with this class, so maybe I can study with you guys.”

Riley looked at my notes.

“Sure. What are you working on?”

She leaned over to take a look, and I started explaining where I was getting stuck.

It was a simple conversation.

But it felt different from the way I’d handled things before.

I hadn’t waited for an invitation.

I’d walked over, introduced myself, and started talking.

And as Riley began helping me with the material, I realized I was already curious about where the conversation might go.