Like You Didn't See the End Coming

Library night <3 Did not manage to find a copy of The Red Pony. Wat.

Thus far I've gotten away with doing a lot of disscussion in my Adolescent Literature class without actually don't any reading, but that won't last much longer; we're only on the second book in the syllabus, and the first one was The Outsiders, a book I'm extremely familiar with. But that's neither here nor there. I'm rather happy with how my library character prompt turned out.

Eliza slapped her library card on to the faux-wood counter. "I want this one!"

Patrons usually rang the little silver bell when no one was attending to the checkout, but Eliza couldn't see it; the bell was kept out of the reach of five year olds for a reason. She was about to yell again when the librarian bustled around the corner; the autographed Hemingway would have to wait.

"Well hello dearie. Don't you look cute in your karate uniform."

Eliza squeezed her doll in one arm and put the other one on her hip. "I want that one," she said pointing to the book while tossing her blonde ringlets.

"Quantum Immortality," the librarian read. "An Observational Study of Universal Mechanations. Are you sure you want this one love?"

"I want that one!"

"Well alright then," she scanned the idle card. Then scanned it again just to be sure.

"I'm afraid you can't have this one dearie."

"Why?"

"Is your mother nearby?"

"Why?"

"Well it says here," she indicated the screen. "That your card has a thirty dollar fine."

"Why?"

"I don't know - five year olds aren't allowed to check out the DVD's, and certainly not R-rated ones."

"Why?"

"Are you sure your mother isn't nearby?" she began to turn to the back. Eliza slapped the counter again. "I want that one!" Her blue eyes glared.

"I know sweetie, I know," the librarian was quick to placate her. "But we've got to get this fine taken care of first."

The girl relaxed suddenly, loosening her hunched shoulders. "That's okay," she hugged her doll. "I didn't want it anyway," and skipped off to the door before another word could be said.

The librarian shook her head. "What an odd child," she murmured to herself, rounding the corner before coming to a dead halt.

The Hemingway was gone.


Hee.