Lola's Legends: An Uphill Fight for Identity

The first thing Lola noticed when she entered the store was the smell. It smelled like a library, but also like a garden. She had been in both places and they smelled a lot alike.

The store was gigantic; it took her eyes a while to adjust to the light and to figure out where all the shelves were. There were shelves everywhere, even on the ceiling! Some of them were high up and were so narrow that Lola had to turn sideways for them to fit.

She saw some people in the distance who were wearing white shirts and black pants with little red ties, sitting at desks. They looked really busy scribbling things down and putting books on shelves. So that would be where she would find what she was looking for – or at least somebody who could help her find what she needed.

When she reached the front desk, she saw that there were two women sitting behind it. One was talking on the phone, saying things like "Yes ma'am" and "No ma'am," while the other one was reading a newspaper. They both looked very serious.

"Excuse me… um…" Lola said, kind of quietly because she didn't want to startle anyone, but not too quiet because they wouldn't hear her if she was quiet. "Um… I'm looking for some information… um… about… um…"

The woman on the phone held up a finger to tell Lola to be patient. The other one leaned forward and put down her newspaper. She smiled at Lola and said, "I can help you."

"Thank goodness!" Lola exclaimed with relief. "I've been trying to find this information for my school project for days now."

"Well then we're going to get into this research right away," The woman said cheerfully as she stood up from her chair and grabbed a computer tablet off the desk behind her. She offered it to Lola, who took it gratefully with both hands. "Let's see what we can find for you." The woman led Lola over to an empty table nearby where they could sit together and look at the tablet screen together. "What exactly are you looking for?" asked the woman again as they sat down.

Lola couldn't believe how understanding this woman was being with her! She felt so relieved that this librarian would be able to help her more than most adults have helped her recently! "Oh thank you so much!" Lola exclaimed as tears started welling up in her eyes. She sniffled and cleared her throat before answering: "I'm trying to find information about... *sniff* *sniff*... about smishing." Her eyes began watering up again as she started explaining: "I've been getting these attacks almost every day now... *sniff* *sniff*... and I think I know who did it..." She couldn't help but sob at the thought of the ordeal she had been through.

The kind librarian gently placed a hand on Lola's shoulder, offering comfort. "We'll get through this together," she assured Lola. "Now, let's find you everything we can on smishing and try to put an end to these attacks."

With a renewed sense of determination, Lola wiped away her tears and nodded, grateful for the help and support she had found in this compassionate librarian lady. Together, they dove into research, seeking answers to Lola's questions while also finding solace in the comforting environment of the diverse stories found within the walls of the library.