Blackout

The narrator, Lana, and her best friend Tristán sneak around the New York Public Library, which has just closed due to the blackout. Lana gets annoyed when he calls her by her nickname, elephantita, a name she has been given for her legendary memory. The two will be heading to a block party in Brooklyn later, and Lana’s nervous energy makes Tristán think she is worried about getting there on time. In reality, Lana is worried to confess to him that she is in love with him, which she promised her friend Grace she would do before the party.

Tonight is supposed to mark a turning point in Lana’s relationship with Tristán, though she is too nervous and scared to initiate the conversation. Keeping quiet about her nerves, she and Tristán agree to each find the best book in the library and present it to the other before hopping in a car to the Brooklyn party. In the middle of their search, they are stopped by security. Lana tells the guard that she lost her backpack and needs Tristán to help her find it. They are saved when a man darts by the group in his underwear, distracting the guard.

Back among the shelves, Lana remembers being a little girl and promising herself that she would publish books that would live on the shelves there one day. She gets a text from Grace, asking her if she has confessed her love to Tristán yet.

With only a few minutes until their car comes to pick them up, Tristán and Lana share their favorite books. Lana chooses James Baldwin’s If Beale Street Could Talk, while Tristán opts for Green Eggs and Ham. Unamused by his antics, Lana becomes frustrated; when Tristán presses her to express her feelings, she struggles to tell him how she feels about him. Eventually, Lana asks if he could ever love her as more than a friend. In the middle of the intimate conversation, they are busted by a security guard, who kicks them out. On the street, Tristán tells Lana that he has always loved her, but had assumed she did not love him back. Satisfied, she kisses him.