A boy sat alone in the library a few tables away from me. He was reading a Harry Potter book, and I couldn’t help but think he was the cutest guy I had ever seen. He had green eyes and brown hair and wore dark black glasses that made him look similar to Clark Kent in Superman.

As an avid reader of young adult romance novels, I have often fantasized about what meeting a cute boy in a library might be like. But I’m shy, so I’m not very good at talking to cute guys or people. My parents made me sign up for drama club at my high school, hoping that it might help me become more outgoing, but sadly, that wasn’t the case because I ended up quitting the club only two weeks in.

The boy, who looked like Clark Kent, stood up and walked over to the front desk so he could check out his book, but I got up, too, so I could try speaking to him. Despite being nervous, I mustered the courage to squeak out a small “Hi,” and the boy looked up and smiled at me.

After checking out the book, he walked over to me. Then he said, “Hello, I couldn’t help but notice that you’ve been staring at me all afternoon. My name is Steven. What’s your name?” I reply and say, “My name is Julia, and I couldn’t help but notice you because you’re the cutest boy I’ve ever seen in this fine establishment they call a library. Normally, I only see weird old guys here.”

I blush, and he stifles a small laugh and says, “Well, Julia, would you like to grab coffee with me at Bean Bliss sometime?” I reply, “I’d love to, Steven.” Then I scribble my number down on a gum wrapper that I dig out of my purse and hand it over to him. “Oh, thanks. I’ll be sure to call you whenever I get home, and we can set a date,” Steven says. “Sounds good,” I say.

Walking home from the library, I couldn’t help but think how lucky I was, knowing I finally had a date soon. When I get home, my phone rings, and I see a call from an unknown number. “Hello, this is Julia. May I ask who’s calling?” Steven replied, “It’s Steven. I was calling to see if you’d want to meet for coffee this Wednesday afternoon at three?” I reply, “Okay, sounds good. See you then.”

On Wednesday afternoon, I wore a turquoise sweater, black tights, a corduroy skirt, and my beloved Ugg boots for my date with Steven. As I walk into Bean Bliss, the smell of roasted coffee, vanilla, and caramel fill the air around me. I walk to the nearby table where Steven is waiting for me.

“Hey, Julia, you look lovely today. What type of drink are you thinking of ordering today?” I sit across from him and say, “Thank you. I will order a French vanilla latte with a chocolate chip cookie. It’s my go-to order whenever I come here, and it’s always a great combination.” Steven says, “Ooh, that sounds good. I think I will order hot chocolate and a chocolate chip cookie because you suggested they’re delicious.”

After we went up to order, we sat back down at the table. The conversation starts lightly as Steven says, “So, what sort of books do you like to read?”

I smile and say, “I love reading young adult romance novels, like the ones where the shy girl meets a mysterious, nice boy, and they fall in love.” He gently grabs my hand and says, “Sort of like how we met at the library? When I saw you sitting there, I couldn’t help but notice your wavy dark brown hair and how it brings out your eyes.” I blush and say, “Thank you. I think it’s funny how we both met in the most unexpected place. You don’t meet cute guys in libraries very often.”

Suddenly, our coffee and cookies arrive, and we glance into each other’s eyes for a brief moment. Then Steven says, “So that day at the library when we first met, were you there hoping you’d meet a cute nerdy guy?” I roll my eyes and say, “Hardly. I go to the library to escape. I like the quiet. And I love getting lost in stories… sometimes I feel like books understand me better than people do.”

He smiled, “I get what you mean by that. I enjoyed reading a lot, too, while I was growing up. How’s your coffee?” I replied, “My coffee and my cookie are pretty good. It’s nice to have someone to have coffee with. Normally, I have it alone or at home with my cat.”

Steven then says, “You have a cat? What’s your cat’s name?” I replied, “So her name is Maple because I found her in a maple tree in my backyard when I got her. She’s very cute.” I grab my phone and show Steven a picture of Maple. She’s an orange and white tabby cat who has very fluffy fur. Steven then showed me a photo of his black and white cat, Louie.

After we finish our coffee, I tell Steven that it’s cool that we both have cats and love to read. He then kisses me on the cheek, and we go our separate ways. While walking home, I texted Steven to tell him I had a lovely time and hoped to see him again soon.

As I lay in bed that night with Maple, I felt so lucky knowing that I had finally met a guy who was as sweet as Steven, and I drifted off to sleep.

This was written by our editor-in-chief and co-founder, Hanna Perry.