The library had 275 books, the girl sitting in the corner hogs 20 of them. Everyday she comes in and takes a seat with the same 20 books. The girl sometimes walks in with some friends but she always is the last to leave. 

“Stella, What is your favorite book?” Her friend says when sifting through the cart

“All of them, I read all and all are go–” 

“Well since you’ve read all of them can you give me a summary of them so I can figure out what one to read?”

“No. Does Jonathan want any books? I know he is starting to read?”

“Probably, after his first day he keeps insisting on me buying him books.”

“Jonathan would most likely want to start with those books” Stella pointed to a rack in the corner then walks over, and pulls out 7 books about birds and other flying things.

“Yep, these seem like him–”

“I know! They have everything hence why I come here all the time. I wish Jonathan could come.”

“Well you know he can’t, not after what happened last time.”

Stella bent over rummaging through her purse then pulled out one of her old bookmarks she was given by her mom on her most recent birthday.

“Ron! Do you think he would like these?”

“Maybe, I don’t know his preferences. After school he came over to my house and actually ate tomatoes”

“Woah, doesn't he hate tomatoes? Is he drinking water yet?”

“Nope, still hooked on soda.” Ron, without looking out of his book, flips the page. 

“Well that's no good, he plays baseball.”

“Yeah, I know, I come to all of his games and I have to buy him sodas every game.” Ron exclaimed, really annoyed.

“If I can I would love to go to one of his games,” Stella whispered “Well I got to go.”

Resting his head on the train's window, Ron watches the rain trickle down the sides. The rain flows in streams resembling the roots of trees and vines. Stella’s bookmarks in hand just in case Jonathan would like them, they had bold letters on them one said “Read” the other two had the same words “Every page leads to something good.” All three were Jonathan's favorite color, Green. Jonathan even has a favorite pair of jeans that wear bright green, from the couple years he had them they started fading. 

“Hey, Can I sit here?”

“Yeah, of course, sorry– its just that– nevermind”

“Dude, are you okay?”

“Okay– Yeah, It’s just I was saving that but whatever, America is a free country.”

“Oh…” The man stood staring at Ron's red face and it was clear he was crying earlier. 

“I’ll move then, you seem to need to be alone.”

Ron rubbing his dry hands with hand sanitizer, it was a knock off brand but seemed to do the job well. Ron was thinking. What he was thinking about not even he knew, his phone disrupted his thinking as it rang. 

“Oh, hello, yes– yes– I’m heading over right now.” Ron added “Sorry, I am about to be dropped off, I am going to hang up. Hang in there bud.” 

Ron pushed his phone hard against the chair in front of him, as the glass screen broke the person in the chair turned around and grabbed him by the collar. 

“You have no idea what you just started!” Yelled a really giant man.

“Oh yeah, well my best friend Jonathan could beat you up in an instant!”

“I’d like to see him try, I bet he’s scrawny.”

“No, he ain’t, he is really fit and even has a treadmill in his house.”

“Does he lift?” Asked the tall guy.

“Maybe, he could lift me off the ground with one arm and even throw me in the air.” The giant guy starting to believe him lets go of his white collared shirt and sits back down. The giant man gave Ron a big enough scare to make his heart skip a beat, at least his mind is clear. 

“Hey buddy!”

“Hey dude!” Spoke Jonathan loudly, almost too loud.

“Thank you for the book marks–”

“Oh, Yeah– No problem– No problemo!”

“Problemo? Okay Ronster, Are you okay?” Jonathan said while limping over to pat Ron on the back. 

“Yeah, Just got a little tripped up there man.” 

Jonathan and Ron walk over to the library to meet with Stella and teach Jonathan how to read. Jonathan rubbing his hands down his sides following the seams of his jeans reaches over and tugs on Rons shirt.

“I am not sure about this.”

“It’s okay Stella’s really nice, you’ll like her.”

The comment was pleasing enough but only for a while. Jonathan finding his ring in his pocket starts flipping it in his hands. The ring was a gift from his grandmother, it was made of titanium and contained a small amount of lead that was almost non-traceable. The lead got into his bloodstream one day and led him to having to go to the hospital. The recovery was slow but he is now fully recovered. Leaving him with no physical or mental issues other than the ones he already had from birth.

“It’s really cold, is the library cold? I hate the cold– No it’s too cold, let's go home.”

“Nope, we are going, she’s nice I promise.” Ron extended his right hand pinky then intertwined his with Jonathans. 

“Okay, Hey! Look at that bird, did you know those yellow cardinals are really rare. No one wants to mate with him since the yellow makes him an outcast.”

“Oh wow, Jonathan, That's really cool! You would think it would attract them since he is different.” 

“Nu uh, so is Stella short or tall?”

“Short, Blonde ish hair with a nice nose, she is very kind looking.”

“Sooooooo…. Is that her?”

A girl who is short with blonde hair but not a very nice nose waves at the people behind Jonathan. Jonathan assumes it was Stella runs over to her and gives her a big hug and says that he is very happy she is teaching him.

“No, Jonny, that isn’t her.”

“Oh, Sorry ma’am.” He said whilst brushing off her dress since he could have gotten lead on her from his ring.

“Hey, Stop him– You– No– Please stop”

“Hey bud, come here.” Ron with his hand outstretched pulling in Jonathan and holding his hand. Jonathan's hand was smaller compared to Ron’s but he is only 5 years younger than Ron. 

“So, how much further is the library?”

“It is the Rosewater Library, Around 1 more mile away.”

“A mile!” Jonathan’s legs were already tired and weak from walking the past 5 miles to the library. Jonathan was carrying his older brother's dictionary he no longer needed since he was in college. The dictionary was around 10% of Jonathan's weight and close to his size. 

“Hey Ronster, You're taller so you're older right? Well since you are, can you hold this?”

“I would love to man, but my hands are already full– Sorry!”

“I am going to literally die!”

“No, You will never die, not now.”

“I want to die if I have to keep walking! Also, can I have a soda?”

“I will give you water but no–”

“No, I need soda!” Ron pulls out a can of soda he was saving in case this would happen but Jonathan refuses to take it in spite of Ron’s nefarious activities. Ron, not forcing Jonathan to drink anything , keeps walking. 

“Hey! Look, it's Stella!”

“Greetings. This must be Jonathan?! I’ve heard lots about you!” Jonathan walks over to Stella and stares at her waiting for his next words to flood out of his mouth.

“Will you help me read?”

“Yes, I will,” Stella said. “I’ve picked these books out specially for you!”

“I love birds! Thank you so much, I don’t know the words though.” 

“Hey look at that, on the front, it’s a yellow cardinal just like the one I pointed out earlier.”

“Oh, sweet! It looks exactly like the one from earlier, no differences!” Ron stated.

“Nope, You see that one has no black around its eyes, the one we saw did.” 

“Huh, I didn’t notice that,” Ron said “thank you, Jonathan.”

Through the door to the library Ron and Jonathan both hold their heads up high, feeling so important Jonathan runs over to the children’s books and grabs hold of a train book. He never really liked trains but tolerated them, this is how his obsession with trains grew.  

“So, by any chance would you teach me how to read this?” He said as he held up a book about trains, the book in it talked a lot about how trains were built. Not even Stella knew how to pronounce some of the words. Ron, who at the time was 15, knows a lot about trains since his grandfather drives trains, decided to help Jonathan read the book.

“Ron, Do you think I could build a train with you one day?”

“Yes sir,” Ron uttered “I would love that so would my grandfather.” Ron was turning the pages vigorously in the book that he ripped out a page. Ron and Jonathan stared at the page then Stella and all three of them laughed. Ron turns as he feels a tap on his back.

“Hey, you three are too loud,” the librarian said “could you please leave?”

“Wow, so we are the yellow cardinals that no one wants, that's cool.” Ron spoke into Jonathan's ear. Both boys laughed together as they walked out the door, Stella followed close behind.