The sun was high in the sky, casting a warm, golden glow over the small seaside town of Marina Cove. Tourists flocked to the sandy shores, but amidst the crowd, Ethan found solace in the quiet corners of the local library. It was his sanctuary, a place where he could escape the expectations and pressures of his bustling family life.
Ethan was a local, a boy of seventeen with tousled dark hair and eyes the color of the ocean. He spent his summers working at his father's fish market, a task he neither enjoyed nor despised. It was just something he did, a routine as steady as the tide.
One particularly hot afternoon, Ethan sought refuge in the library. He wandered through the aisles, fingers trailing along the spines of books, until he found himself in the poetry section. It was there he noticed someone new— a boy about his age, sitting cross-legged on the floor, engrossed in a book.
The boy had sandy blond hair that fell in soft waves, and his eyes, when he looked up, were a striking shade of green. He wore a simple white t-shirt and jeans, but there was an air of quiet elegance about him.
Ethan hesitated, then cleared his throat. "Hi, um, do you come here often?"
The boy looked up, a small smile playing on his lips. "Not really. I'm just visiting for the summer. My name's Lucas."
"Ethan," he replied, feeling a strange flutter in his chest. "Do you like poetry?"
Lucas nodded. "Yeah, it's like music in words. It helps me think."
They fell into an easy conversation, sharing their favorite poets and passages. Ethan was surprised at how comfortable he felt with Lucas, a stranger who felt like a friend he'd known for years. As the afternoon turned into evening, they reluctantly parted ways, promising to meet again the next day.
