Nick Apple's Big Mistake
Nick Apple had always been a lover of books, and felt it only appropriate that he stock up on as many as possible before being shipped halfway around the world. He ambled through the spacious aisles of the Barnes and Noble, wandering from "Christian Fiction" to "Gay and Lesbian" to "Self-Help" to "World Travel" in only two minutes. He paused for a bit at "World Travel," eyeing the books on the shelf, wondering if he wanted to find something that might help him become a sort of expert on the far corners of the earth, and ultimately decided that he was a fan of spontaniety and kept walking.
Around the corner, into a section marked "Cultural Studies" full of books about how royally fucked up people are, Nick laid eyes not on a book but a girl. She was sitting on the carpet, her knees pulled up and a book lying open in her lap. The earphones of an iPod were dangling around her neck, and Nick could hear the music from where he was standing. The girl (she was a young woman, really, perhaps eighteen or nineteen) had very blonde hair, and dark-rimmed glasses that reminded Nick of Buddy Holly. Curled up like she was, she caused a rush of affection to rush through Nick. He was overcome with an urge to sit next to her and ask what she was reading.
Maybe she felt Nick's eyes burning into her, maybe she was just the sort of person who was quite observant, but she looked up at him just as he was about to move to walk away. She gave him a smile, and Nick couldn't help but notice her perfect teeth. He smiled back. "Hi," he said, before he could stop himself.
"Hi yourself," she said, not unkindly. Still sitting, she stuck out her hand. "Robin."
"Nick Apple," said Nick, taking her hand. She had a great handshake. Most of the women Nick knew couldn't shake hands for the life of them.
"Nick Apple, huh?" Robin smiled again. "So what brings you here to cultural studies?"
"My thirst for knowledge," Nick said. "What about you?"
Robin held up the book she was reading: Other People's Love Letters. "My romantic idealism," she said. "It's sort of my only weakness."
"Mine is kryptonite," said Nick, and then felt his face flush. Had he really just made a comic book joke?
"Good thing I've got nothing on me then, huh, Superman?" Robin arched one eyebrow, and Nick's stomach quivered. She patted the carpet beside her. "Have a seat."
He did, and they started going through the love letters together, even going so far as to read them aloud to one another as though they were the actual authors. Nick had no idea how long they sat there together, going through the deepest secrets of strangers' hearts, but by the time they finished the book Nick had fallen in love with the bespectacled blonde. He didn't know if it was just his romantic idealism or if the book had really had some profound effect, but he knew that he loved her and wanted to be with her. They wandered the store together, showing each other their favorite books, bashing their most hated authors, and even pausing to deface a cardboard cut-out advertising the newest piece of crap novel being dished out by that D&D nerd, Christopher Paolini.
"I swear," said Robin vindictively, "if I ever meet him in person, I will just roundhouse-kick him in the jaw."
"That's a pretty extreme hatred, don't you think?" Nick chortled.
"No, it's very much justified. Have you read his book?"
"I tried. Then my doctor reccomended I never try again, because it was starting to cause internal hemmorhaging."
"Then you understand."
"I'm just saying: extreme."
"Well, maybe a little."
They wandered the store until it closed, and by that time they'd each had an overpriced coffee, bought four books apiece, and were now standing outside holding hands while Robin had a cigarette. She had offered one to Nick, but he'd politely declined. Soon, Robin was digging through her purse to locate her keys. As she did, Nick noticed the thin scars along her wrist, and felt an even greater rush of emotion for her. He wanted to take care of her, to hold her in his arms and protect her from whatever was causing her pain. Without thinking, he reached across and touched her arm.
"This may seem forward," he said softly, quickly, "but would you like to go back to my place?"
She stared up at him, her brilliant blue eyes glittering, but hiding something from him. Nick Apple held his breath.
Robin smiled. "Yes."