Chapter 17: Cracking the Ice
The library was alive with the faint hum of computers and the occasional rustle of papers. Riley had arrived early, as usual, setting up her laptop and carefully organizing her notes. The room was quiet enough to focus, but not so silent that she felt overly self-conscious. She glanced at her phone briefly before returning to her screen, her fingers lightly drumming on the table.
Elena walked in a few minutes later, scanning the room until her eyes landed on Riley. A small smile tugged at her lips as she made her way over.
"Hey," she greeted, setting her bag down across from Riley.
"Hey," Riley replied, looking up from her screen.
Elena slid into her seat and began unpacking her materials. She took her time, arranging her notebook and pens with a precision that Riley found oddly calming.
"So," Elena started, flipping open her notebook, "where did we leave off last time?"
Riley tilted her head, thinking. "I think we were working on the outline. You had suggested dividing it into three sectionsâbackground, analysis, and conclusion."
"Right," Elena said, scribbling something down. "Did you get a chance to start on your part?"
"Yeah," Riley said, pulling up a document on her laptop. "Iâve got a rough draft of the background section. Itâs not polished, but itâs a start."
"Perfect," Elena said, leaning forward slightly. "Can I take a look?"
Riley turned her laptop around so Elena could see. As Elena scanned the text, Riley watched her out of the corner of her eye, trying to gauge her reaction.
"This is great," Elena said after a moment, looking up with a smile. "Youâre really good at summarizing the main points without losing any of the important details."
"Thanks," Riley said, her ears turning pink.
For the next hour, their conversation revolved around the project. They debated word choices, discussed potential visuals for their presentation, and outlined the key points they wanted to emphasize. It was productive, but there was a subtle shift in the air.
As they worked, the edges of their conversation began to soften. The formal, almost distant tone theyâd used in their previous meetings gave way to something more relaxed.
"By the way," Elena said suddenly, closing her notebook, "how are you finding Professor Reynoldsâ lectures? I swear, half the time, I have no idea what heâs talking about."
Riley chuckled. "Youâre not alone. Iâve been rewatching the recorded lectures just to keep up."
"Smart move," Elena said, nodding. "I should probably start doing that too."
"You should," Riley said with a small smirk. "But fair warningâit doesnât make him any less boring."
Elena laughed, the sound light and genuine. "Noted."
They continued talking, the conversation drifting away from the project entirely. Elena shared a story about a disastrous group project sheâd been part of in high school, and Riley countered with a tale about a partner who had once tried to plagiarize their entire assignment.
"Youâre kidding," Elena said, her eyes wide.
"Wish I was," Riley said, shaking her head. "The worst part? They didnât even copy-paste it properly. Half the sentences were cut off."
Elena laughed so hard she had to cover her mouth to keep from disturbing the other students. "Thatâs... wow. I donât even know what to say to that."
"Me neither," Riley said, grinning.
For a moment, they sat in comfortable silence, the kind that didnât feel heavy or awkward. Riley took a sip of her coffee, glancing at Elena over the rim of her cup.
"What about you?" Riley asked suddenly. "If you werenât stuck here doing this, what would you be doing instead?"
Elena leaned back in her chair, tapping her pen against her chin. "Honestly? Probably dancing."
"Dancing?" Riley repeated, genuinely curious.
"Yeah," Elena said with a grin. "Iâve been dancing since I was a kid. Itâs just... freeing, you know? A good way to blow off steam."
"Thatâs cool," Riley said, nodding. "I donât think Iâve ever danced in my life."
Elena raised an eyebrow. "Never?"
"Not unless you count awkward swaying at middle school dances," Riley said, smirking.
Elena laughed. "Well, youâre missing out. Dancing isnât about being good at itâitâs about letting go and having fun."
"Iâll take your word for it," Riley said, her smirk softening into a smile.
Their conversation flowed easily after that, covering everything from favorite books to the best pizza places in town. Riley found herself relaxing in a way she hadnât expected, and Elena seemed just as at ease.
As the afternoon stretched on, Riley realized how much time had passed. She glanced at the clock on her laptop and raised an eyebrow.
"Wow," she said. "Weâve been here for almost two hours."
"Seriously?" Elena said, checking her phone. "Time flies, huh?"
"Yeah," Riley said, closing her laptop. "Should we call it for today?"
"Probably," Elena agreed, starting to pack up her things.
As they stood up, Elena hesitated, glancing at Riley. "Hey, would you want to grab coffee or something next time? I mean, the libraryâs fine, but it might be nice to work somewhere... less stuffy."
Riley blinked, caught off guard by the suggestion. But then she nodded. "Sure. Coffee sounds good."
"Cool," Elena said, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "Iâll text you the details."
They walked out of the library together, their steps falling into an easy rhythm. The conversation was light, sprinkled with small jokes and comments about the people they passed.
Riley felt like they were starting to move beyond the boundaries of their project. It wasnât a dramatic shift, but it was enough to make her hopeful. Maybe, just maybe, they were on their way to becoming real friends.