Between The Lines

Part One: The Boy I Was Never Supposed to Notice

To be completely honest, being the youngest sibling should qualify as a full-time occupation.

Especially when your older brother's favorite hobby is making your life unnecessarily difficult.

My name is Halo. I'm eighteen years old, a freshman majoring in Literature, a certified bookworm, and-according to my brother Mike-a walking disaster with zero survival instincts.

"You're bringing three books to campus?" Mike stared at the stack in my arms like I'd just committed a crime.

I looked down.

One novel.

One poetry collection.

One annotated copy of Pride and Prejudice.

"I might finish one while waiting between classes."

"You won't."

"I might."

"You'll complain your bag weighs like a sack of cement."

I narrowed my eyes.

"I hate how well you know me."

He smirked, stealing one of my books before I could stop him.

"Hey!"

He held it above my head.

"Reach."

"I swear, when you're old and wrinkly, I'm unplugging your life support."

"You'll still need a stool."

"I hate being five feet tall."

"I know."

I lunged for my book.

He dodged.

I nearly tripped over the coffee table.

Our mother sighed from the kitchen.

"You two haven't changed since elementary school."

"We're bonding," Mike answered.

"This isn't bonding," I protested.

"This is attempted murder."

"It builds character."

"It builds resentment!"

Mom only laughed.

Somehow, this was considered a normal morning in our house.

...

College wasn't what I expected.

Everyone made it sound terrifying.

Freedom.

Pressure.

Deadlines.

Finding yourself.

Personally?

I was more concerned about whether the campus library lived up to the rumors.

It did.

The first time I stepped inside, I almost cried.

Towering shelves stretched from one end of the room to the other, sunlight poured through enormous windows, and the smell of old paper settled comfortably in the air.

It felt...

...like home.

"I knew I'd find you here."

I looked up.

My best friend, Iris, stood between the shelves with two iced coffees balanced in her hands.