A/N
Thank you for taking a chance on this short story! Just a quick note:
Michelle Warner will be portrayed by Sabrina Carpenter.
Caden Harris will be portrayed by Chad Michael Murray.
That's all!! ❤️❤️❤️

~###~

She didn't know why she was at the library so much.

Well, yes she did. She worked there.

But even so, when she wasn't working, she'd find herself there, curled in the corner with her latest read, earbuds blaring music, staying for hours.

When she was working there, she'd stock shelves, but if it was Friday, she'd read to the kids during story time. Being an actress, reciting words was her thing, and seeing the enthralled look on the kids' faces made her heart swell.

Today was a different day. She worked on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, sometimes on the occasional Sunday, while both her parents were watching sports and her friends had church or other commitments. They could always use the help, and she knew this library like her own name. It was another home.

She was finishing cramming some final books onto the cart, about to make her way around the library and let them return home. After a few stops, a soft voice rang out just loud enough for her to hear.

"Michelle, could you help this young man for me? I need to run and put something in the archives," the head librarian, Mrs. Whickerson asked. She abandoned her post at the cart and appeared at the front desk, seeing Mrs. Whickerson standing across from a familiar face that took her breath away, like what always happened when she saw him.

Caden Harris. Panter Woods High's golden boy, at the top of the social chain.

Her mind quickly was confused, wondering why Caden was at the city library, when he didn't even like to read that much and could've easily gone to the library at school.

"Yeah, yeah I can." She was hesitant at first, but eventually gained enough of half-hearted confidence. Whickerson thanked her, and went into the back, leaving the two staring at each other. Michelle finally got the courage to speak up, his dark and unwavering gaze making her feel like she was the only thing in the world worth staring at. "So, um... What book do ya need?" He just shrugged.

"Don't know."

"Well did you have anything in mind?" He shrugged again, and shook his head.

He asked for a recommendation. She said The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. He asked what is was about. She said two people who tried to deny their love in the past, and finally gave in.

He nodded. She smiled.

And Caden made the decision that'd he'd be coming to the city library more often.