Where I Belong

The next day, Ellie woke up extra early to beat the rush to the library. It was a Wednesday morning and classes were usually held off until after noon which meant students usually spent the whole morning at the library, studying their butts off. She got dressed in her favorite spring romper and floppy hat and hung her book bag across her shoulder.

She kissed her nain and taid on the cheek and left to the place that made her feel content. The library had always been important to Ellie. Books were vital to her and without them, she wouldn’t function properly. It all started with her mother’s bad habit…

Something her mother would do with books was leave them out whilst it rained. She had a liking for pages that had the messed-up, vintage look. She dried them off and tore the pages out, putting them together and making something. Her mother made anything with those pages. When Ellie would watch, she would take the book covers and place them in empty bookshelves. She soon fell in love with them as soon as her whole case was filled with the page less books.

“Good morning Ellie,” greeted the librarian. Ellie waved and walked over to the same spot she was always found at. She saw a few classmates and headed over to them, making conversation for a few good minutes. After, she went back to her little spot and saw that there was another body sitting down across from her seat. She found that unusual since everyone knew that that table was just for her, since it was only a two seated table.

Ellie shook it off and took her seat. She started emptying out her book bag and though she was very curious to know who was sitting across from her, she didn’t say a word.

“Hello,” she said quietly.

The person put down the book, uncovering the face of the ginger prince, smiling sweetly. He replied, “Hello there.”

Ellie’s eyes widened as he put down the book. She leaned over the table and whispered to him, “What are you doing?”

“I wanted to see you again,” he said, leaning forward.

“How did you know I would be here?”

He looked at her, “You said you come here every day.”

She smiled and sat back down in her seat. The Prince did the same and chuckled softly. “And plus, I didn’t get your name,” he paused, “I could leave right now but can I at least have your name?”

“My name is Ellie,” she laughed, “and you can stay.”

Harry nodded his head and fixed the hat on his head. He was incognito, wearing dark jeans, a plain white t-shirt and a Manchester United hat. Ellie smirked to herself as she turned the pages in her book. Harry began laughing as he sat back, sticking his hand up to his lips.

“Why are you smirking at me, Ellie?” He asked, in a low voice.

She looked up and shook her head, grinning widely. “I’m smirking at this funny picture in my book. See?” She shoved her book towards him and when he grasped it, he saw there were no pictures on the pages. He set it down and looked at her. “You’re a terrible liar.”

“By the way, I love your outfit.” Ellie said, taking her book back into her own hands. The ginger leaned forward on the table and extended his arms out and said, “So what do you usually do on days like this?”

“I come here. I study a lot and I just read a few random books here and there,” she replied. Harry looked at Ellie, “But it’s such a beautiful day. You should be outside, playing football or something girls do…”

“Exactly. Something girls do on beautiful sunny days like today is sit around in a library and get lost in a book. You should try it sometime,” she retorted.

Harry paused. “Well what I’m trying to say is that if you continue to stay in a library your whole life, you’re wasting your life.”

“What is that supposed to mean? Books are important to me and I would rather be locked in a library full of interesting books than be outside on sunny days and getting sun burned.”

“I understand…” he said.

Ellie looked up at him. “No, you don’t understand. You don’t understand why books are important to me. You don’t understand why they mean so much.”

He leaned forward once again. “Enlighten me please.”

She took a deep breath and looked him in the eye, gazing for a few seconds before replying with and explanation. She averted her eyes and looked back at the ginger. “My mother loved books. She loved telling me stories. And throughout my childhood, I fell in love with them too. Then, my mother died... along with her collection of books”

Harry reached for Ellie’s hand. “We have one thing in common.” Ellie smiled, and then pulled her hand away from Harry’s grasp. “I’m going to make you love books one day, just wait.”

“Well that’s something I’m looking forward to.” His smile was contagious and Ellie loved the sight of it. She couldn’t believe nobody else has caught him. He was doing well incognito. Harry stood up and pushed back his chair. “Can I see you again? Tomorrow?”

“Don’t you have some royal duties to pursue?” she whispered.

He chuckled softly again and leaned down to Ellie’s eye level. “They can wait, trust me, I’m a prince.”

She sat there smiling as she gazed into his eyes. Her arms were crossed on the table as he leaned forward, his hands pressed down next to her book. They were merely inches away and Ellie had this urge to pull back but she couldn’t.

“So is that a yes or a no, Ellie?” He asked, quietly.

Ellie nodded her head slowly. “Of course. I would love to see you again, Harry.”

After she said that, Harry stood up straight and smirked. Before turning away incognito, he said to her, “See you then beautiful.”