She caught his eye the second he walked into the library. He wasn’t sure if it was her. She sat alone at a table highlighting something from a book with her left hand. She had on a pair of worn jeans, a black ribbed turtleneck, and black boots. Her dark hair was piled messily on top of her head and she wore a pair of black-framed glasses.
Taylor squinted his eyes and shook his head as he walked over to the Shakespeare section. He found a copy of Richard III he needed for class and tried to read it. He couldn’t help it. He looked over at her again. She sat with one foot in the chair and rested her chin on her knee. She had the other leg bent underneath it. She unconsciously shook her left foot as she concentrated on whatever it was she was reading. He put the book back and walked closer to her. He was about to decide that he was crazy until she started playing with a small silver charm that dangled from her necklace.
He shifted the black backpack on his shoulder and moved some of the hair out of his face. He walked slowly over to her table as his heartrate sped up.
"Mira?" He asked quietly after clearing his throat.
"Yeah?" She asked looking up. "Oh my God," she whispered with wide eyes. "Taylor Hanson," she said standing up. She thought he looked completely different from the last time she saw him three years ago. He cut his hair to just below his ears and it hung around his face in messy blonde layers. He wasn’t nearly as skinny and had obviously been working out a little. He had on a pair of worn khaki corduroys, a white untucked dress shirt and a dark brown leather jacket.
"Hey," he smiled still stunned that he found her in the middle of the NYU library.
"What are you doing here?" she said in amazement.
"I go to school here," he laughed.
"What?" She asked raising her eyebrows.
"Shhh," someone hissed from a nearby table.
"Oh my God," Taylor whispered. "This is crazy," he said running his hand through his hair.
"Yeah," she smiled reaching up to hug him. "So how are you?" she said excited as he squeezed her.
"Shhh," she same person warned.
"Good," Taylor laughed. "Hey, do you wanna go somewhere? I mean, if you’re not too busy. I have class in like an hour but,"
"Yeah, totally," she said closing her book and packing up her bag. She put on her coat and threw her bag over her body.
"So you really go to school here?" Mira asked as they left the library into the cold New York streets.
"Yeah. I just started my second semester. Oh my God I can’t believe this," Taylor said holding his hand to his forehead.
"I know," she laughed. "Let’s go in this Starbuck’s on the corner," she pointed.
"Okay. So wait, I thought you went to Columbia."
"I do. I teach a class here once a week and I needed to use the library."
"Oh cool," he said opening the door for her. "What do you teach?"
"Um, Film Analysis, it’s like a first level course. I’m like a teacher’s assistant."
"Awesome. Okay sorry, I like can’t get over this," he laughed shaking his head.
"Hello? How strange is this? I mean, can we take a moment to ponder the odds of this."
"No joke," he said laying his backpack down next to a chair. "Okay, let’s sit here. What do you want?"
"Um, just regular coffee. Milk, 2 sugars," she told him sitting in the other chair.
"Yep," he said walking away. He came back with the coffees and sat in the chair next to Mira.
"Here," she said handing him two dollars.
"No, it’s on me," he said.
"No, no, Taylor take it," she insisted laying the money in his lap.
"Mira, it’s two bucks," he laughed.
"So take it," she laughed.
"Fine," he sighed taking the money and sticking it in his backpack. "So anyway," he smiled. "Well first of all, I must say, you look great," he said surveying her body.
"Thanks," she smiled. "As do you. How long has it been? Like three years?"
"Yeah. The last time I saw you was my 16th birthday."
"God," she said resting her chin in her hand. "I can’t believe you’re 18."
"I can’t believe you’re 20. And I’ll be 19 in like, 2 months."
"Oh I see. So you’ve been living here since the fall?"
"Yep."
"You living in the dorms?"
"No, actually I have an apartment."
"Oh cool. Where do you live?"
"Over on Charles street and 8th ave," he said.
"No way, I live at 10th and 8th."
"Well look at that."
"That’s freaky. Well man, where do we start? What’s been going on? Are you married? Are you still singing? What’s up?"
"No I’m not married," Taylor laughed. "But Ike’s getting married," he said lightly slapping her leg.
"No way," she said with wide eyes. "When?"
"This summer."
"What? I can’t believe that. He’s like, my age."
"I know," he laughed. "But he says he’s ready so," he said shrugging his shoulders and taking another sip of coffee.
"Wow. Well what made you come out here for college?"
"Um, we kind of slowed down with Isaac getting engaged and all. And I decided I wanted to go away to school and study music some more. I knew I had to get out of Oklahoma so, here I am."
"Good for you."
"Yeah," he nodded. "God," he sighed in disbelief. "It’s so good to see you again."
"You too. I can’t get over it."
"And I know I could talk to you forever but I have to run to class," he said reaching over to his backpack.
"Oh no problem. I’ll walk with you."
"Here, let me give you my number," he said writing his name and number on a scrap of paper.
"Yeah, let me give you mine, too," she said taking out a post it and jotting down her number.
They exchanged phone numbers and stood up to put their coats on. They walked outside and around the block to the science building.
"I’ll definitely give you a call tonight cause we have to hang out," Taylor told her.
"Of course," she said jumping up and down because of the cold.
"Okay," he laughed. "I’ll talk to you soon," he said giving her a quick hug.
"Yep," she hugged him back. "See ya," she waved walking away.
"Later," he said giving a small wave and jogging into his building.
