Rory had expected Yale to be hard. There was no doubt in her mind all those
years that she had been wishing and hoping to go to an Ivy League school
that it would be difficult. But she realized, once she had gotten into the
groove of things, that Chilton had prepared her well.
She had developed a routine: she had 2 classes in a row in the morning, and then an hours worth of free time where she started her homework. Then she had three more classes and then lunch, which she usually ate with the people in her English class which was right before lunch. Sometimes, if they finished early, the seven of them would go to the library and do the assignment that they had just received, thus lessening the amount of homework to do that night. Then Rory had one more class and then she had a completely free afternoon. That hour in the morning got much of her homework done, and she often found herself with nothing to do in the late afternoons, especially since she hadn't yet joined any clubs. One day, after finishing one of the books from her personal library, she decided to get out on the campus and look around. She hadn't really met very many people, and she was beginning to feel like an introvert.
She grabbed a bag and put her wallet and keys in it. She replaced "David Copperfield", the book she had just finished, on her bookshelf and reached out for another to carry in her bag. She scanned the titles, and she felt all of her insides come plummeting down to the bottom of her spine. It was Jess' book. The one that Luke had given her. She hadn't opened it since she'd received it: she was sure that Jess had written in it. She couldn't bare to watch the familiar scrawl on the pages. In fact, she had found herself replacing many of her favorite volumes that Jess had written in. The one she had owned, lined up on the shelf next to the new one. And she would only read the new ones. She couldn't bear to see his thoughts on the page too. It hurt too much.
Rory looked away from the Hemingway novel and grabbed a copy of Time and Again, which she slipped into her bag. She grabbed her dorm keys on the way back and locked her door. She and Lexie had decided to lock their door when no one was there, and Lexie was at field hockey practice.
Rory walked to the main campus and walked to the building that contained the mailroom. She checked her mail: there were some all school notices which she discarded and a letter from Emily. Rory read it and then slipped it into her purse so that she would remember to write back.
Rory began to scan the bulletin boards for interesting announcements. One caught her eye: a book club. There was an informational meeting starting at 7:00 in the library. She checked her watch and saw that there was an hour before it started. She decided to go to the library and read until the meeting started.
She walked to the huge building and into the main lobby. She walked straight through and into the stacks. She already had a favorite part of the library. In the fiction section of the stacks, between the M and P shelves. She liked to sit on the floor with her back up against one shelf and her feet against another, just reading. People seldom bothered here there, and she liked it. She found, however, when she reached her spot that there was already someone there. She was slightly annoyed, but then she watched the person for a moment.
He seemed completely immersed in his book. He was wearing a long, gray trenchcoat and a coal-gray wool hat over a head of shaggy blond hair. He had a long, pale face and gray eyes. She looked at his hands, holding the hardcover volume. They were large and square and strong, but he was holding his book gently. She decided that if she sat down he wouldn't bother her: he seemed too involved in reading. She sat on the other end of the aisle that the two shelved created. She put her bag down next to her and took out her book and began to read. She forced herself to check her watch at the end of every chapter so that she wouldn't miss the meeting. At five to seven, she reluctantly rose and put her book in her bag. She glanced over at the boy, who was still sitting where he had been when she had arrived. She wanted to introduce herself, but she couldn't bring herself to interrupt him. Just as she was about to leave, she glanced at the title of the book he was reading.
"The Fountainhead?" she almost screamed. The boy looked up startled. "Sorry," Rory said, flustered. "I didn't mean to disturb you. I just saw. . ." she gestured at his book. "It's my favorite," she said, quietly.
"Yeah?" he said. He closed the book, holding his place with his finger to look at the title. "She's brilliant, huh?" he said.
"Yeah. I'm Rory, by the way."
"Oh, I'm Sebastian."
"Well. . ." Rory said, getting up, "I guess I should go."
"You're going?"
"Yeah, I'm going to this informational meeting about a book club."
"Book club, you say?" Sebastian said, standing up, "Maybe I'll tag along. Sounds like fun. You don't mind?"
"Oh no, of course not," Rory answered, and the two walked off towards the main lobby.
She had developed a routine: she had 2 classes in a row in the morning, and then an hours worth of free time where she started her homework. Then she had three more classes and then lunch, which she usually ate with the people in her English class which was right before lunch. Sometimes, if they finished early, the seven of them would go to the library and do the assignment that they had just received, thus lessening the amount of homework to do that night. Then Rory had one more class and then she had a completely free afternoon. That hour in the morning got much of her homework done, and she often found herself with nothing to do in the late afternoons, especially since she hadn't yet joined any clubs. One day, after finishing one of the books from her personal library, she decided to get out on the campus and look around. She hadn't really met very many people, and she was beginning to feel like an introvert.
She grabbed a bag and put her wallet and keys in it. She replaced "David Copperfield", the book she had just finished, on her bookshelf and reached out for another to carry in her bag. She scanned the titles, and she felt all of her insides come plummeting down to the bottom of her spine. It was Jess' book. The one that Luke had given her. She hadn't opened it since she'd received it: she was sure that Jess had written in it. She couldn't bare to watch the familiar scrawl on the pages. In fact, she had found herself replacing many of her favorite volumes that Jess had written in. The one she had owned, lined up on the shelf next to the new one. And she would only read the new ones. She couldn't bear to see his thoughts on the page too. It hurt too much.
Rory looked away from the Hemingway novel and grabbed a copy of Time and Again, which she slipped into her bag. She grabbed her dorm keys on the way back and locked her door. She and Lexie had decided to lock their door when no one was there, and Lexie was at field hockey practice.
Rory walked to the main campus and walked to the building that contained the mailroom. She checked her mail: there were some all school notices which she discarded and a letter from Emily. Rory read it and then slipped it into her purse so that she would remember to write back.
Rory began to scan the bulletin boards for interesting announcements. One caught her eye: a book club. There was an informational meeting starting at 7:00 in the library. She checked her watch and saw that there was an hour before it started. She decided to go to the library and read until the meeting started.
She walked to the huge building and into the main lobby. She walked straight through and into the stacks. She already had a favorite part of the library. In the fiction section of the stacks, between the M and P shelves. She liked to sit on the floor with her back up against one shelf and her feet against another, just reading. People seldom bothered here there, and she liked it. She found, however, when she reached her spot that there was already someone there. She was slightly annoyed, but then she watched the person for a moment.
He seemed completely immersed in his book. He was wearing a long, gray trenchcoat and a coal-gray wool hat over a head of shaggy blond hair. He had a long, pale face and gray eyes. She looked at his hands, holding the hardcover volume. They were large and square and strong, but he was holding his book gently. She decided that if she sat down he wouldn't bother her: he seemed too involved in reading. She sat on the other end of the aisle that the two shelved created. She put her bag down next to her and took out her book and began to read. She forced herself to check her watch at the end of every chapter so that she wouldn't miss the meeting. At five to seven, she reluctantly rose and put her book in her bag. She glanced over at the boy, who was still sitting where he had been when she had arrived. She wanted to introduce herself, but she couldn't bring herself to interrupt him. Just as she was about to leave, she glanced at the title of the book he was reading.
"The Fountainhead?" she almost screamed. The boy looked up startled. "Sorry," Rory said, flustered. "I didn't mean to disturb you. I just saw. . ." she gestured at his book. "It's my favorite," she said, quietly.
"Yeah?" he said. He closed the book, holding his place with his finger to look at the title. "She's brilliant, huh?" he said.
"Yeah. I'm Rory, by the way."
"Oh, I'm Sebastian."
"Well. . ." Rory said, getting up, "I guess I should go."
"You're going?"
"Yeah, I'm going to this informational meeting about a book club."
"Book club, you say?" Sebastian said, standing up, "Maybe I'll tag along. Sounds like fun. You don't mind?"
"Oh no, of course not," Rory answered, and the two walked off towards the main lobby.