They had just moved again. Jess was only days away from starting middle school, a prospect that filled him with dread more than excitement. To clear his head, he wandered the unfamiliar streets of his new neighborhood. Liz, busy as always, had sent him out to pick up a few groceries for the first time by himself, and the errand gave him an excuse to escape the clutter of unpacked boxes and the suffocating newness of their apartment.
That's when he saw it—a library, the smallest he'd ever encountered. It was tucked between a laundromat and a drugstore, almost as if it didn't want to be noticed. Curious, he stepped closer. Through the glass door, he spotted a woman sitting at the counter, her nose buried in a book. The shelves behind her looked impossibly full, brimming with possibilities. Jess couldn't resist.
He pushed the door open, the soft jingle of a bell announcing his arrival. The librarian barely glanced up, offering the briefest acknowledgment before returning to her reading. Jess carefully set the grocery bags on the floor, his heart racing with quiet excitement. He moved among the shelves, his fingers grazing the spines of books, some worn and familiar, others pristine and mysterious.
Jess loved books. They had always been his refuge, though his access to them was limited. Liz could never be bothered to take him to the library, and buying books was out of the question. His school's library had been his only sanctuary, but he'd already devoured everything it had to offer—mostly watered-down, adapted versions of real stories. Once, his uncle Luke had given him a box of old books that had belonged to his grandfather, a thoughtful gesture Jess treasured. But this—this felt different. For the first time, he stood before a vast, untouched world of stories, and he got to decide where to start.
A bright red spine caught his eye, and without thinking, Jess pulled the book from the shelf. He settled into an armchair by the window, the late afternoon light casting a warm glow over the pages as he opened it. To his surprise, the margins were filled with notes written in neat, looping handwriting. His first instinct was to feel outraged—who would deface a library book like this? But then he started reading the annotations.
The words seemed alive, almost like a voice guiding him through the story. Some notes were observations, others offered historical context or shared the reader's personal reactions. Jess was mesmerized. He found himself smiling, even laughing quietly at the cleverness of some comments. It felt like he was sharing the book with a kindred spirit, someone who loved stories as much as he did. For the first time, Jess didn't feel so alone.
He was so absorbed that he didn't notice the woman approach until he felt a light tap on his shoulder. Startled, he looked up. The librarian stood in front of him, her expression soft and amused.
"I hate to interrupt," she said gently, "but we're about to close. Would you like to check that book out?"
Jess hesitated. "I don't have a library card," he admitted.
"That's easy to fix," she said with a smile, holding out her hand. "May I see the book? I'll get you set up in no time. What's your name?"
"Jess Mariano," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Mariano. And your address?"
Jess froze. He didn't know it. They'd just moved in, and all he could remember were the twists and turns he'd taken to get here. Embarrassed, he stared at the floor. "I... don't know," he mumbled.
The librarian paused, then chuckled softly. "That's okay," she said, her tone patient and kind. "Do you know how to get there? I've got a map. Let's figure it out together."
Relieved, Jess nodded, and together they pieced it out until she was able to fill in the details. She handed him a brand-new library card and the book he had been reading.
"There you go, Mr. Mariano," she said with a warm grin. "Enjoy your book. I hope to see you again soon."
Jess clutched the card and book tightly. "Thank you... Miss?"
"Call me Charlotte," she replied, her smile widening. "And don't forget your groceries." She gestured to the bags on the floor, which Jess had completely forgotten about. Embarrassed, he scooped them up, hoping nothing had spoiled.
As he turned to leave, Jess glanced back at the little library. The shelves, the light, and Charlotte all seemed to radiate a quiet magic. For the first time in a long while, he felt like he belonged somewhere. Smiling to himself, he pushed the door open and stepped back into the world, his new book cradled in his arms like a treasure.
x
After that, he made it a habit to visit the library every single day after school. He'd drop his backpack on the floor and choose a chair to sit in, usually close to the counter where Charlotte spent most of her time. One day, after a few weeks of this routine, he noticed a girl sitting there. She looked about his age and strikingly similar to Charlotte. When the girl caught him staring, Jess quickly looked away and moved to another table. But then, she stood up and walked over to him.
"Hi, I'm Emma," she said with a confident smile. Jess frowned, unsure why she was introducing herself to him.
"You're Jess, right?" she continued, sensing his hesitation. He nodded.
"Wow, you really are a talkative one," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "My sister told me some nice things about you. She's the librarian here," she added, a bit impatient now. "She said you like the margin notes we make."
Jess froze. He'd never once considered that the notes were written by Charlotte, let alone by someone his age. The realization made him look at Emma more closely. She had the same energetic vibe as her sister, but there was something less patient, a little more guarded.
"It's fine if you don't want to talk," Emma said, lifting her book as if offering a truce. Bridge to Terabithia. "But would you mind if I sat quietly and read next to you?"
"How are you liking it so far?" Jess asked, a small smirk tugging at his lips.
Jess had never had a real friend before. He and his mother moved constantly, which often meant he was enrolled in a new under-funded school every few months. Once, he'd even been expelled after the principal's son made a nasty comment about him having a different dad every week. But this felt like an opportunity. They weren't in school, and she didn't seem to go to the same one as him. She didn't know the rumors, the labels, or the trouble he'd caused. It was a chance to leave all that behind.
They had spent the whole afternoon together, with Charlotte joining in occasionally until she, per usual, announced it was time to close. As Jess walked home he noticed he was feeling strangely happy. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this way. The weight in his chest felt lighter, but as he neared their apartment, a sudden urge to cry hit him. He managed to hold it back, swallowing the emotion before it could surface. By the time he reached their door, he sighed deeply and stepped inside.
The first thing he noticed was that Liz was in the couch and, to no surprise, there was a man sitting next to her, one of his hands on her thighs, they stopped talking when they heard the door and looked at him. Liz smiled as she stood up. Jess held his breath as he knew what was coming.
"Baby, you're home!" she said, placing her hands on his cheeks, he took a step back to get away from her touch. "This school of yours really keeps you busy, huh?" she said, pretending not to notice how he had rejected her approach. Jess never told her where she went after school and she never asked, even though she wanted to.
"Are you hungry? I made some pasta. Come here. Sit," she pointed to the chair as she picked a plate and cutlery for him. He obeyed, avoiding any eye contact from his mother or the unknown man.
"Jess, I want you to meet Robert" she said while pouring the pasta on the plate. "Robert, this is my handsome boy, Jess." Her smile didn't meet her eyes;
"Hi. Nice to meet you," the man said, standing and extending his hand for Jess to shake.
"Can I eat in my room?" Jess looked at Liz, completely ignoring the man. "Please," he added quietly.
"Sure, honey." Liz answered with a faint sadness in her voice. "Let me know if you need anything, okay?" she said, but he was already heading toward his room, the door clicking shut behind him.
"I'm sorry, it'll take him a while to warm up to you," Jess heard Liz say to Robert as he walked away from the closed door.
Jess set his plate on the nightstand, picked up the book he had been reading, and opened to the page where he'd left off. His eyes fell on the margin, where a note in cursive had appeared since the last time he'd opened the book. "I can't wait to do this again tomorrow. E." he bit his lower lip as his thumb lightly brushed over the signature.
A.N.: I'm so happy to be able to do this again so quickly and I'm completely in love with the idea of this story. I hope it is as pleasant for you to read it as it is for me to think about it and write it. Again, I don't have a beta so please forgive me for any mistakes you might find, and please, let me read your thoughts through reviews, it really helps.