Stories For The Hopeless Romantic

Five ~ Books and Music

I Really Want It ~ A Great Big World

"Alright, ready...set...go!" Oliver said, pulling away from Hugo and dashing into the shelves. He heard the other boy's laugh, full bodied and joyous as he ran in the other direction, and smiled, wandering through the tall bookcases.

Quickly enough, Oliver figured out that he was in the cookbook section, not completely compatible with Hugo's personality, and so he looked up, searching for a sign. There, above an aisle across from him, was a chalkboard that said "Mystery" and Oliver walked over, glancing around to make sure Hugo was nowhere near him.

He scanned the shelves, waiting for a title or an author's name to pop out at him. And then he found it, the perfect book. Oliver only really noticed it because the title was from a Leonard Cohen song, but the author's name was familiar and the cover was pretty.

Oliver grabbed the book and inched out of the aisle, looking around for Hugo. When he was sure the coast was clear, he hurried to the cash register.

When he got to the meeting place outside of the store, Hugo was already waiting, leaning against the wall with a paper bag that matched Oliver's in his hand. "You ready?" He asked, a smile spreading across his face.

"Yes." Oliver responded, smiling and holding out his hand. Hugo took it, and the gesture made Oliver's heart beat just a little bit faster. They made their way across the street to a park, finding a tree with enough width for both of them to lean against the trunk.

"Alright. Phone, please, Oli." Hugo said, already handing over his own phone. Oliver traded with him, pulling out his earbuds and starting Hugo's music. He handed over the book, watching Hugo's face light up as he also gave Oliver a book.

"Are you a psychic, Oli? I love this series! I just finished the one before this! How did you know?!" Hugo said, his face full of a smile.

"Maybe it's Maybelline." Oliver responded, grinning as he looked down at his book. The cover was beautiful, showcasing a photo of a woman.

"I figured it was time you read about some more unknown female scientists." Hugo said, shrugging and smiling.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you." Oliver said, running his hands over Lise Meitner's face on the front of the biography.

"Shall we start?" Hugo asked, finger hovering over the screen of Oliver's phone.

"Let's." Oliver responded, pressing play on Hugo's music library.