Romance Writing Competition

Love At First Sight

Every day at around five to seven in the afternoon, you'd find me at the local bookstore. I'd be at the back of the shop against the romance books with the buff man and the petite woman on the cover. I was, you guessed it, a hopeless romantic.

It was my place of sanctuary that no one knew about (except for my parents who wouldn't let me go unless I told them where I was headed and my best friend). It was quiet, peaceful, and warm. Compared to the loud, clamorous, and cold outside, I enjoyed my time inside this unknown store.

There I was again on January afternoon, against that bookshelf, with a book in hand. This one book was called, Hardly Called Love, which was about a young girl named Cameron. She was a hopeless romantic just like me. She wished all her life to find the love of her life and she eventually did when she first met eyes with college boy, Zachary. It was the typical cliche book.

You'd probably think, "You're one of those cheesy, cliche girls, who think they'll meet the love of their life just by one sight." Except I was far beyond that.

But a girl can dream, right?

I set down the book face down by my side and took a long intake of air. My head rested on the bookshelf and I took in the small, dusty store. First thing I noticed was, Gracie. She was the old woman who owned the place. You'd probably notice her from a mile away with her newly dyed red hair and she was soaring high at five foot ten inches. Her glasses were perched on the tip of her nose as she read her favorite book, Sherlock Holmes to be exact.

I steered away from her and turned my head to my right, no one. I must have been the only one besides Gracie. "No surprise there," I thought to myself.

"Madeline," I heard Gracie call.

My head whipped to her, but our eyes made no contact as her eyes were still glued to the intense story of Sherlock Holmes. I stood up from my spot and pulled at the end of my worn out red plaid shirt, to straighten it out from hours of sitting.

"Yes?" I said in a low voice, knowing very well than to talk loud in the presence of a person reading.

"You know it's almost closing hours," She mentioned.

My mouth turned into a thin line and I nodded even though she didn't see it. I folded the edge of my page and put it right back where I got it. Gracie hates it when her books are misplaced. Even if it is one book over where she had it.

I grabbed my book bag and slung it over my shoulder. I slipped on some red gloves and my beanie of the same color. I muttered a small goodbye to Gracie and left the shop.

My house wasn't so far from the shop. Then again nothing was since I lived in a small town. How more cliche can I get? Hopeless romantic, reads romance books, and I live in a small town. What's next I get a shot at love at first sight like Cameron? That was just an insane idea, but a part of me knew that that's exactly what I wanted.

I stepped into my house where I was greeted by my ever so lovely father who was fuming. "Madeline where have you been?" He heaved. "You are an hour late from your usual time!"

Was I? I saw from the corner of my eye as my mom came in from the kitchen and chuckled, "Oh Henry, she was probably with a boy."

"No way!" He yelled. "She's too young to have a boyfriend."

"She's almost eighteen, what are you talking about?" She indicated at my dad.

They both sat down while I stayed up not wanting more of this 'boyfriend' talk.

"That doesn't change the fact that she's too young," He said facing my mom.

She rolled her hazel eyes, "You shouldn't be talking, we met at sixteen and you weren't worried about being too young."