Page 36 of Bookish Boys Don't Date Social Girls
When Latisha grins, it transforms her face. Her teeth gleam bright and pink spots blossom on her dark cheeks. I’m enamored by her round, glittering brown eyes. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen eyes so dark before. Her happiness is infectious, so I beam back at her.
“Thank you for scaring them away. I would have cried had’n I lost this.”
I look down at her hands but don’t know what she’s clutching. “It’s special to you?”
“’Twas my little brother’s. He died in a fire. I carry this to remember him.”
She spreads a knitted cap across a palm. Bands of yellow, mint green, and baby blue yarn make up the impossibly small cap. I bite my lip. “Oh, Latisha, I’m sorry. How old was he?”
She closes her fist around the cap. “Not a year yet. Almost.”
We step onto a large patio in front of the library and come to a stop. “Is that why you live here now? Because of the fire?”
Latisha stares at the hat in her hands and nods. “My momma died too. I live with my auntie now.”
How tragic. I can’t even fathom the grief and sorrow she must be living in. I gulp down a knot of emotion. Suddenly, I feel very inept. I have no life experiences whatsoever to help this little girl. I look up at the stately brick library looming over us and say a silent prayer that they will be able to help her. “Let’s go inside.”
She nods and we cross the patio to the large doors. I yank one open and hold it for her, and she walks in with an open, curious gaze. The lobby of the library is two stories tall. A ringof windows near the top allow sunlight to stream down to the slate floor. Straight ahead, a wide staircase winds up to the second floor. A massive wooden circulation desk sits to the right of the doors and the lobby is lined with shelves for all the requested materials being held for library patrons. There are several self-check stations around the lobby, and bulletin boards with posters for local events. It has a welcoming vibe, and I see Latisha immediately feels at home.
It's thanks to Ava I know my way around this place. I was always so bored when we would stop by to pick up a book or DVD for her, but years of being her friend taught me something, at least. I point to the left. “This way.”
We enter the children’s library and Latisha smiles at the comic book themed carpet, the mural of woodland creatures on one wall, which is new since my last visit, and the circle of oversized beanbag chairs in the reading corner.
There are a couple of desks just as we enter, and I step up to one. The lady sitting behind it smiles at us. “Hi kids, how can I help you today?”
“Hello. My name is Sam, and this is Latisha,” I say.
“My name is Paige.” The lady points at her name tag sitting on her desk.
I eye her, wondering if that’s her real name or a library thing. “Latisha is new in town. I’m hoping you guys might have a summer program or something that she could participate in where she can meet some kids her age.”
“It can’t be in the morning though,” Latisha says. “I have summer school in the morning.”
Paige tilts her head. “I would think you could meet kids there too.”
“Unfortunately, they aren’t the sort of kids she wants to hang out with,” I explain.
“No problem.” Paige spins her chair and reaches for something behind her desk. When she spins our wayagain, she slaps a brochure down and points. “Middle school, right, Latisha?”
Latisha knits her brow. “I’m going into seventh grade.”
Paige nods. “We have a reading group for kids in sixth through eighth grades that meets at 2:00 every Tuesday and Thursday. They meet outside in the park unless it’s raining. If that’s the case, they meet in the multipurpose room.” She points to the back corner of the children’s library where we can see a door labeled “Multipurpose Room.” “The first hour is for reading and the second hour is for literary-themed games.”
Latisha raises an eyebrow. “What are they reading?”
“You can read anything you’d like.”
I clap my hands. “That sounds like fun. You should totally do that, Latisha.”
Paige looks at me and smiles. “I’m glad you think so. They could use another volunteer. The gal that was helping had an accident and is out for the rest of the summer.”
I look at her and shake my head. “I don’t know anything about books. I couldn’t do it.”
“You don’t need to know about books,” Paige says.
“Please, Sam. I’ll do it if you do it.” Latisha presses her hands together as if in prayer, her brother’s tiny knit cap clasped between them. My heart squeezes.
Seeing the hopeful look on Latisha’s face, there is no way I can say no. I’m still skeptical though. “I read for an hour and then ask trivia questions for an hour?”
