I don’t think you could ever be stealthy-like.

APHRA:

Um, excuse you—I’m totally good at stealth—

SANA STARROS:

Oh, I see. Yeah, that time you tried to sneak into a lecture through a window and almost made Sava Toob-Nix’s head explode—that was definitely stealthy.

APHRA:

He had it coming.

SANA STARROS:

No argument there.

APHRA (narration):

We sorta…I guess you could say…smiled at each other, then.

Ughhhhh. Recording, mark this spot for editing, too!

Sana took the book from me, our fingertips brushing. And a little bit of indescribable electricity ran up my arm.

SANA STARROS:

Wow. Look at these hand-drawn depictions of the ancient artifacts in the cave dwellings—I’ve been dying to study these in more detail. But the time limit, it’s so…so…

APHRA:

Limiting. I know.

APHRA (narration):

I watched her for a moment as she ran her fingertips over the book’s beautiful watercolor illustrations, her eyes lighting up with the soft glow of curiosity and inspiration. Like she was discovering the key to the history of the world.

I know, I’m being flowery again. I’m just trying to… explain why I did what I did next.

APHRA:

[sotto]

Hey. Let’s get out of here.

SANA STARROS:

But…you have to put the book back! Isn’t that what you were about to do—

APHRA:

I changed my mind. Let’s take it with us.

SANA STARROS:

But…but…we made such a ruckus, and the front-desk librarian is heading this way…

OFFICIOUS LIBRARIAN:

Ladies! May I help you with something?

APHRA:

Exactly. So let’s go. Now.

OFFICIOUS LIBRARIAN:

Is that Chelli Lona Aphra? Young lady, I’ve been meaning to talk to you—

APHRA:

Come on. She doesn’t know we have the book!

OFFICIOUS LIBRARIAN:

I know it was you who took that rare book!

APHRA:

…oh. Come on!

APHRA (narration):

I grabbed her hand and we booked it outta there, the precious tome shoved unceremoniously under my shirt. Right as we reached the exit —and right as that cranky old librarian nearly reached us—I pulled the book out and tossed it to Sana.

APHRA:

Here, catch! And split up!

APHRA (narration):

I went one way, she went the other. I still remember her face—her cheeks flushed, her eyes sparkling with the thrill of getting away with something so illicit. I don’t think I’d ever seen Sana Starros looking like she was having so much fun.

It would have been better if we’d left it that way—that simple, pure moment of joy, frozen in time.

Or…actually, it would have been best if I’d taken off before she’d even come up to me. Refused to slow down. Never spoken to her. Just left things with me attracting her notice after interrupting Sava Toob-Nix’s lecture.

Instead we had to go and mess everything up.