Them - College

"So this is where you went to college?"

He had pulled down the scarf but left the sunglasses and hood on. He was surveying the sprawling grounds and the old heritage buildings.

"Yes. It's also where you'll find the best coffee in the city in my opinion."

He turned around and started walking backwards, facing her.

"And why is it empty?"

"It's vacation time."

"Oh yeah..." He then outstretched his arms and asked, "So what was it like? College life..."

"Probably very different from a regular college life..."

He looked at her and said, "Still...Tell me."

She sighed and said, "I spent a lot of time in the library, to be honest. It was quiet and peaceful and I could get a lot of reading done. It's where I first read..."

"Read what?"

She widened her eyes when she realized where she was and who she was with. She couldn't believe she didn't realize it sooner.

He looked at her expression and asked quickly, "What happened? Are you alright?"

She nodded slowly and then turned around to look at him. He was still there. This day was real. She could take back more than just the memory of it.

She asked him, "Um, would you come with me somewhere?"

He chuckled and asked, "What do you think I've been doing so far?"

Her smile widened this time as she said, "Come on."

It had been some time since she had come here. But not too long. It was still one of her favourite places in the world. The library. She inhaled the scent of old books and closed her eyes. She only opened her eyes when she sensed someone move behind her.

She turned around and saw him waiting next to her. They were at the doorstep. He was waiting for her to take him in. When she didn't move for a moment, he extended his arm for her to place hers in it. She looked up into his eyes and smiled wide again. How was this not a dream?

She tucked her arm in his and crossed the threshold. From the outside, no one would know how significant this moment was to her. How her inner world had finally collided with the outer world. How just for a little bit, this version of the universe made sense.

She took him to her spot. The spot where she spent hours after college got over. She gestured for him to sit. He pushed the hood back and sat on the bench but not on her side. He somehow knew that that was her spot. He pushed the sunglasses over onto his head and gestured at the spot next to him.

She shook her head and asked him to wait. She turned around and walked over to the bookshelves. She ran her fingers over the spines and closed her eyes. It was like revisiting those days again. A smile crept upon her face. She opened her eyes and pulled a section of books off the shelf.

There it was. The book that had started this journey that led to the man sitting behind her, next to her spot. She reached over and pulled the book out. But she didn't go back to him just yet. For this plan to work, she needed something else first.

After a little while, she made her way back to him. She sat back in her spot and looked at him. He pointed at the book in her hand.

"Is this what we came in here for?"

She nodded and showed him the book. It was the source material for his first film. It was how she got introduced to him in the first place. She had read the book in this very spot. A few months later, when the movie came out, she set her eyes on the man currently sitting next to her, through a screen. Things were never the same again.

He took the book from her hands and turned it around. Slowly, he paged through it. After all, it was the story that had changed his life too. It was interesting to see how one story connected them in the most extraordinary of ways.

After a long time, she cleared her throat nervously and asked, "I was wondering if you could sign it for me."

He looked up in surprise.

"But it's a library book!"

She smiled and said, "Don't worry. I asked for permission from the librarian. It turns out, I still have some clout here. Also, I will replace the book with a new one."

He took a deep breath and asked, "Why this one?"

She smiled slowly and said, "Because it introduced me to you."

He shook his head slowly and said, "Ah...But I can't sign this."

She asked quietly, "Why not?"

"I didn't write the book. The author should sign it, right?"

She looked away from him and smiled. Trust him to break her heart and somehow mend it at the same time.

She nodded and said softly, "I understand."

She then extended her hand to take the book back.

"I'll go put it back on the shelf. We can go get coffee."

He didn't move. Nor did he give her back the book. He looked at her for a moment. He then asked, "What if...What if I were to sign the last page?"

Her hand was on the book when he said it. She was all ready to put it back even though she was sad to do it. But he had found a way to appease them both.

She brightened and handed him a pen. He grinned, took the pen and started writing...

"Dear you...

He then looked up to say, "You can't read it now. Read it when you get home. Okay?"

She smiled and said, "Okay. Oh! I know a great place where we can take the coffee!"

He smiled in response as he continued to pen his message to her. In between writing, he asked, "Wait, we're not having it here?"

She laughed and said, "I didn't become queen of the library by bringing food in here."

He let out a chuckle and closed the book. He handed it to her. She took it in her hands. She flipped open the first page and pulled out the library card. It had her name the most. She smiled looking down at it, thinking of all the times she had checked out the book. She then kept it on her spot on the bench. She got up and said, "Come on then."