Special Chapter: Viria

I actually didn't want to share this story because this is very personal to me. But then they started showing up in MC and A&D. I guess that solidified their existence for me. Their story, their characters, Erik... They are sooo special to me I can't even. This... I guess in a way, this is a piece of my soul. And I decided to share it with you. So please, handle it with care. :)

This is dedicated to all the fangirls out there. ;) x

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Viria:

May 2011 (Sweden)

My gosh, I was hearing that song again as I entered my cousin's bedroom - which was also my bedroom for the summer.

"Whose version of I Love Rock N' Roll do you keep on playing?" I asked Diane.

She had her back turned to me. Her dark curly hair was up in a pony tail, and she was in her pajamas. She was in front of her desktop, typing away.

I didn't mention the fact that this version of I Love Rock N' Roll was all I had been hearing ever since I got here in Sweden. In fact, I think I've memorized the lyrics already.

Don't get me wrong, it was actually quite good. I absolutely loved Joan Jett's version of it. But when you keep hearing a song over and over again, you would lose interest and grow tired of it - which was what I was beginning to feel.

Shame, I used to love the song.

"High Jinks," she answered me, without leaving her eyes from her monitor.

I slightly frowned, thinking if the name was familiar. Then . . .

"Nope," I said, shaking my head. "Never heard of it. Is it a new rock band?"

"They're the new boy band," she corrected me. "Probably the hottest boy band in Europe as of today."

I was slightly disappointed. Yes, you could pretty much guess that I wasn't very fond of boy bands. Well, other than The Beatles. And Westlife. And Take That. You got the drift.

"They're amazing, aren't they?" Diane breathed out thoughtfully, swinging her chair so she could face me. "They're planning to release an album later this year! Isn't that exciting?"

I slightly winced.

She looked like a total fangirl with her big brown eyes twinkling in delight. To think, we were about the same age. I was just two months older than her. Plus, she was a bit boyish like me. So for her to fangirl like this was a little bizarre. I've only seen her this way when she was talking about the Jonas Brothers.

"Not really."

Ugh. The music industry made another pretty boy group. I could already imagine the kinds of songs they were going to have - the Justin Bieber kind, probably.

I shuddered at the thought of the upcoming roar of nonsense when this Jinky thing released their album.

Oh, the horror! They made another kind of music sensation where twelve-year-old girls would be screaming at the top of their lungs, and trending topics on Twitter that was all about petty things that their idols did. Worse of all, childish death threats just because they were jealous. I've seen it happen. It wasn't nice.

Maybe I'm only biased because I like rock music. But then again, I like tons of music genres. Who knows? Maybe I'll have a change of heart in the future.

"We'll see," Diane told me confidently. "I bet you'll be eating your words when you actually hear them sing." Her eyes suddenly widened in excitement. "Hey, do you wanna watch some of their videos when they were still at The Best Of Europe?"

Oh, yeah. I heard about that. Europe's annual singing competition where European countries competed with each other, having their own representatives and such.

"Which country did they represent?" I asked curiously, despite myself.

"United Kingdom."

Okay, wow. They represented UK in The Best Of Europe. They must be really talented. But that didn't mean I was interested.

"No, thank you."

"Come on, Viria."

"I'm not interested."

"You'll see what I'm talking about after you hear them perform. You won't regret it!"

Actually, I'm starting to regret why I even brought up the stupid subject.

"Okay," I sighed.

"Really?"

"Nah."

She pouted, making me laugh.

"You got the list?" I asked, changing the subject. I was referring to the list of books she wanted that I volunteered to buy tomorrow.

She stopped the music and turned serious.

"Are you sure you can buy them yourself?"

I rolled my eyes. "Of course."

"You can wait 'til I get home."

"And what, stay here all day? What's the use of me having a vacation in a foreign country where I can have an adventure when all I do is stay at home and wait for you to come back so we can go out?" I looked at her with a raised eyebrow, and added, "I don't want to waste precious hours, you know."

She bit her lip, looking unsure.

I smiled. "I'll be just fine, Diane."

After a moment of staring at me, she finally gave in and handed me the list.

Since I would be doing an errand for her, I thought it would be a good idea to buy myself a book, as well - some sort of souvenir.

I had no idea at the time that I'd get more than a souvenir.



I almost got lost on my way to the bookshop, not that I would admit that to Diane.

It was a really good thing that people in Sweden took English as their second language. Otherwise, I'd be in so much trouble right now.

I've only been here for five days, and I was already used to not understanding a word people said. But they were all very polite. So the moment I spoke in English, they'd start speaking it, too.

Anyway, I got to the bookshop around three in the afternoon. It looked somewhat old - just the way I liked it. It was very woody and brown that it had that cozy feel in the room, maybe also because of the fact that they had couches by the window where you could read comfortably.

I honestly felt like I was at some historical bookshop or something.

And I felt right at home.

Not many people were inside when I looked around. Good. That meant I could take my time searching for an awesome book. It usually took an hour at the least. Most of the time, I didn't even know what I was searching for. When I found it, I found it.

But first, I had to buy the things in Diane's list. To save myself some time, I went to the girl at the counter.

"Excuse me."

She looked at me. "Kan jag hjälpa er?"

I blinked.

What did she just say?

"I'm sorry," I said, smiling sheepishly. "I don't speak Swedish."

"Oh," she nodded. "Er - What can I do for you?"

I sighed in relief.

Yes! She can speak English!

Showing her the list, I said, "I need to find these books. Can you help me? You can just point out which bookshelves they're in."

It was a rather small bookshop, so I guessed that she was working alone. I didn't want to bother her by asking to find all of the books with me. That would leave me with nothing to do. Where was the fun in that?

She scanned the list and nodded. There were only four listed in it. Three titles were in Swedish. The Superman comic book for Nathan, Diane's younger brother, was the only one I could understand.

The girl pointed the directions, while I listened carefully. When she was done, I nodded gratefully at her and thanked her. She was pretty nice.

That's it. This bookshop is officially one of my favorite places in Stockholm.

I went to find the books with the Swedish titles first. It took me about almost an hour to find all of them.

Hey, it wasn't easy scanning the titles in a language that was something I was definitely not familiar with. But I found them all the same, so no biggie.

When I went to the back of the shop - where the comics section was, I saw a window. It was between these two big shelves, right by a study table and an armchair.

My feet moved on its own and I walked nearer to the place.

"Whoa," I breathed out, my hand reaching out to touch the wooden table.

It looked so serene. I could stay here all day.

A shadow passed outside, my eyes wandering through the window. From here, I could see the old-looking brick road outside.

I felt like I was in a movie. Seriously. It was all just so beautiful.

Plunk!

I jumped in startle, making me turn around to see who made the noise and disturbed the peaceful environment. I froze when a pair of green eyes stared back at me.

He was . . . around my age.

"Sorry about that," he said in a clear British accent, looking away picking up a book from the floor. He straightened up, and my eyes immediately flew to his somewhat clean-cut but tousled blonde hair.

I had a sudden urge to touch it, just to see if it was as soft as it looked. But I quickly pushed it away. I didn't want to look like a total weirdo.

I watched as he put the book back on one of the shelves before turning to face me.

I couldn't fully see his face because it was covered up with his scarf. But I observed that he had long eyelashes. How couldn't I see that when he was looking directly at me?

Oh, gosh. He was cute. Even I couldn't deny that.

I quickly shook my head and frowned at him. Yup, whenever a stranger stared at me, I'd frown at them. Well, not exactly to all strangers. Only to guys who were cute or handsome - there was a difference.

After frowning at him, I looked away and left.

It was time to buy the latest Superman and leave (I'll buy my souvenir book some other time). I had to go around a couple of times before I finally saw what I was looking for. There was a sudden rush of panic when I saw that it was the last copy left. I quickened my pace and I was about to grab it when someone grabbed it before me.

"Wha -?"

My head turned sideways so fast I thought I heard my neck crack a bit.

Then, I saw him. It was the guy earlier. Did I mention he was tall? I had to look up at him, which I wasn't used to doing back home because boys there were only an inch or so taller than me. This one was at least half a foot or so taller than me.

And I had a thing for tall guys, just so you know.

His green eyes were slightly wide with surprise, probably wondering why a girl like me would be interested in a comic book. I noticed his eyes look at my outstretched hand. I quickly put it down, as I looked anywhere but him.

"Sorry, were you about to get this?" he asked.

His voice was filled with amusement and wonder that I had look at him to see his expression. He raised the Superman comic book, pointing to it with his free hand. Even though the scarf was covering his lips, I was pretty sure he was smiling. His eyes had that glint to it.

I wanted to say, "You don't say?" But that would be rude.

"Yup," I answered him indifferently, trying to be cool about the fact that I was talking to a totally handsome British dude.

He looked at me curiously, studying me.

I actually prayed that I didn't have any dirt on my face. I knew I didn't have anything to worry about oiliness because Sweden had a cold climate. But with the stare he was giving me, you'd think I was a dissected frog being analyzed.

"If you're counting my pimples, please don't," I blurted out.

He blinked for a moment, and then he laughed out loud. It was such a hearty and care-free laugh that I couldn't help but smile.

"Don't worry, I couldn't find any," he said, giving a cheeky grin. "You read this?"

"No," I replied automatically. "I was gonna buy it for Nathan."

At this, he looked so surprised. "Nathan?" he asked, his eyes narrowing. "I'm buying this for Nathan, too."

My brows slightly furrowed at his sudden behavior, but my expression was replaced with shock when he added his last statement.

"What? But Nathan's my cousin."

"Nathan's your cousin?"

"You know Nathan?" I asked suspiciously.

"Of course. He's my . . . Hold on, are we talking about the same Nathan?"

I tilted my head. "I have no idea."

"I'm talking about Nathan Wood," he said carefully, as though I'd react after hearing that name. But the Nathan he was referring to was not my cousin.

"Oh." I shook my head. "No, my cousin's Nathan Mayor."

Figured. It was highly doubtful that he knew my ten-year-old cousin. Unless he was a tutor or something. But he couldn't be Swedish, because he would've spoken in Swedish when he apologized for dropping a book earlier.

"Ah," he nodded in understanding.

It might be my imagination but there was a hint of disappointment in his expression. Was he expecting something? If so, what? Then again, it might just be my imagination. I had a very active imagination, see.

"Both our Nathans love Superman, then?" he laughed.

I couldn't help but laugh, too. This was so surreal.

"I guess so," I said, smiling despite myself.

We stood there for a couple of seconds without speaking. I didn't know what to do next. I wanted to leave before the aura around us turned awkward. But at the same time, I didn't want to leave yet. If truth be told, I wanted to get to know him better.

But instances like this were only for one day. After today, I was pretty sure we wouldn't see each other again. This encounter was just one of those unforgettable little moments that got you thinking for a long while and would make you wonder about What Ifs.

"I'm Erik." He pulled out his free hand for a handshake, giving out that cheeky grin again as he ran a hand to remove loose strand of his blonde hair out of his face.

He wasn't exactly very handsome that you would put him in the 'pretty boy' category. I mean, he had sex appeal - that would be an understatement, of course. It might be easier for me to say that he was extremely hot. But that would sound so girly and that was just not me.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, he has the kind of good-looking features that you can never grow tired of. It's as if the more you stare at him, the more he becomes eye-candy.

"Hi, Erik," I replied, accepting his handshake. Wow. His hand was really big compared to mine. And it was soft, as though it was really taken care of.

"Hello, pretty-girl-who-haven't-given-me-her-name-yet," he said brightly.

Oh, right.

"Viria."

I tried very hard to keep myself from laughing. He was very charming that I didn't want him to notice how much he affected me, because I was sure that I wasn't the only one he used that line on. Somehow, I wanted to be different and show him that I could be cool around him - not a girly girl.

"Cool," he nodded, sounding like he really meant it. "Did you know that your name originated from France?"

"Actually, I did."

He looked slightly surprised, like he didn't expect me to know that. Well, it was really a no-brainer. Or so I thought.

I let out a cough - but it was really a laugh. I thought he noticed because he grinned. I shook my head as I realized I was starting to like that smile.

The phone Diane lent me buzzed. I had my own phone, of course. But the sim card I was using on my phone was only available in the Philippines. So she had to lend me one of her phones.

I urgently retrieved my hand from Erik's and took out the phone.

Hey, cuz! Where you at? :D -Diane

I quickly replied. Not long after a second I received another text.

OK. Let's meet at Konditori Valand in an hour. It's the cafe we went to the other day. You know the way? -Diane

I rolled my eyes and shook my head with a smile on my face.

See you there, cuz. :P -V

Without waiting for a reply, I put the phone back in my pocket. I looked up at Erik and saw him innocently looking back at me. I gave him a weird look.

Why is he making that face?

All of a sudden, I understood. He was trying to make a cute face. Well, let me tell you, he didn't have to. He already had one without him trying.

"I have to go," I told him.

"Oh," he mumbled. "Let's go to the counter together, then."

I nodded. "Okay."

I had to admit, I didn't want to say goodbye to him yet. Our conversation was just starting. I knew that I still had an hour. But I was still going to ask directions to the cafe.

Yeah, I know. I should've told Diane about not knowing the way there. What can I do? I'm stubborn like that.

Erik and I went to the counter with me in front of him. Out of the blue, an old lady came the same time we did. I stopped Erik from walking and let the old lady fall in line in front of us. She smiled at me, and I returned it.

"Aren't you in a hurry?" asked Erik in wonder.

"No," I answered simply. "Are you?"

Before he could answer, his phone rang and he had to excuse himself.

While waiting for my turn to pay, I was daydreaming. It was a habit of mine to do when I was bored. It wasn't really a good habit. Why? Because when someone daydreamed, their surroundings fade away and replaced by their fantasy.

In all honestly, I was scared that there would come a day that I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between fantasy and reality (knock on wood).

When it was my turn, the girl smiled at me.

"You like the song I Love Rock N' Roll?" she asked conversationally, taking the books and scanning them.

I blinked. "What?"

"You were singing the lyrics just now," she said, amused.

What?! Was I too loud?

I was too engrossed in my own little world that I didn't even realize I was singing that freaking song. Great. Now I had LSS (last song syndrome).

"I'm sorry, I didn't know." I shook my head. "See, my cousin's a big fan of this boy band and she keeps playing their version of I Love Rock N' Roll in her room. I just can't get it out of my head. I guess I sang it without knowing. Was I too loud?" I added, biting my lip.

She giggled, putting the books in a paper bag. "No, you were only vaguely humming. It's all right. Are you talking about High Jinks, though?"

My eyes slitted in recollection.

"Yeah, I think there was 'Jinks' in their name."

She handed me the paper bag, leaned closer to me, and whispered, "You know, there's a rumor on Twitter that they're here in Sweden."

Erik cleared his throat, causing for me and the girl to look at him. He was suddenly wearing a bonnet over his hair, while his scarf was still covering half of his face. I didn't pay much attention to him because I hadn't answered the girl yet.

"Oh, I'm not a fan," I explained to her. "It's just my cousin."

While she put Erik's comic book in the paper bag, she asked, "You don't like them?"

"It's not that I don't like them. I'm just . . . not a fan," I added, shrugging.

She nodded as she ripped the receipt and gave it to Erik. When her eyes landed on his face, she did a double take. She leaned closer and scrutinized his face.

Well, I couldn't really blame her. He was a looker.

When he waved a hand to her, her mouth dropped open.

My eyebrows lifted up. Okay, that was just too much. I knew he was very appealing, but not to the point I'd drop my jaws. Besides, I would never react like that in front of anyone - most especially to a guy I was attracted to. Then again, maybe that was just me.

"I'll go ahead," I declared.

I debated with myself if I should say goodbye to the girl at the counter, but she was too focused on Erik. Shame. I liked her. But she was acting too bizarre.

I turned around, a little sad about the fact that I wouldn't be able to see Erik anymore. Because seriously, it wasn't like we'd be able to see each other after today. Things just didn't happen that way in reality. At least, in my case.

A cold breeze met me when I got out of the shop. It took all my will power not to stretch my arms and yawn. Cold breezes did that to me; it made me want to snooze.

My eyes wandered up and down the street.

Which way was the cafe again?

"Viria!"

I instantly looked over my shoulder and saw Erik coming out of the shop. I almost forgot how to breathe at the sight of him. My heartbeat accelerated and I didn't know why.

Actually, I had a pretty good idea why.

"You didn't wait for me," he pouted.

"B - But I thought . . ." I stuttered. So I tried again, "You were - I mean . . ."

I honestly didn't know what to say. He was so unpredictable that I was speechless. I mean, what did he want? Was I really supposed to wait for him?

My expression showed utter confusion, much to his amusement.

"You're cute," he laughed.

I was taken aback. If my heartbeat already accelerated about a minute ago, the pace just tripled. I had a feeling that wasn't good for the heart. This guy was the one causing my heart to beat abnormally, therefore he was dangerous.

Not to mention, he's straightforward - which just makes it worse because I'm a sucker for people who have confidence. In fact, everything Erik have shown so far is exactly what I like in a person - what I like in a guy.

It made me nervous and scared.

But thrilled, too.

"If that's true, thank you," I smiled politely, after composing myself.

He cocked his head to the side. "It's true. Don't you believe me?"

I looked at him evenly. "I don't know you well enough to tell, to be honest."

"But it's true," he insisted, his expression was mixed with disbelief and entertainment.

"Okay," I humored him.

He gasped. "Do you find me that distrustful?"

"It's not that," I laughed at his playfulness. "It's just that I'm used to guys saying things that they don't mean. It's really hard to tell which is true and which is not."

He pursed his lips. "But it's true," he repeated in a mutter. Even though he was pursing his lips, the corners formed upward so it was obvious he was smiling - clearly having fun.

I laughed, glancing at my watch. One of my closest friends said that glancing at my watch was a big habit of mine. I guessed I did that whenever I didn't know what to say, when I was nervous, or when I was bored. In this case, it was a little bit of the first two.

"Do you know the way to Konditori Valand?" I asked him, taking the odd chance that he might know it. I still had a little over forty-five minutes before meeting up with Diane.

"Yeah, I just went there this morning," he said a-matter-of-factly. "It's not that far from here, actually. Why?"

"I'm meeting my cousin in an hour," I explained.

"Nathan?"

"No, it's his older sister."

"Oh," he mumbled thoughtfully. "In an hour?"

I nodded. "Would you mind pointing the way?" I asked hopefully.

He smirked, as though an idea suddenly came into his mind.

"I better take you there," he suggested. "Don't want you getting lost now, do I? I won't get to sleep properly tonight without being absolutely sure that you got there safely."

My brows furrowed. I studied him, trying to figure him out. But I couldn't with his toothy grin plastered on his face. He closed his mouth and looked at me innocently - still smiling, though.

I couldn't exactly refuse him. It was a win-win situation for me. I'd get to spend more time with him, while I would also get to the cafe in time. But of course, I couldn't tell him all these things. So I merely agreed.

"I'm guessing you aren't from here," he concluded, after a couple of minutes walking together silently side by side.

"You're guessing right," I confirmed, putting my hands inside my coat pockets.

I wasn't that used to the cold climate yet especially compared to where I came from, which was a tropical country.

"So you're on a Holiday?"

I slightly cocked my head to the side, thinking about his choice of word. Thankfully, I watched enough Harry Potter movies to tell that 'Holiday' for Brits meant 'Vacation.'

"Yep."

I didn't mention the fact that this was the first time I got out of my home country. Also, the fact that my grandmother (dad's mom) really saved up so that I could go here and spend time with her, Aunt Nadine, and Diane - considerably my closest cousin of all.

I then decided to ask the thing that had been boggling my mind ever since I heard him speak, "Are you British?" Obviously, he was. I just wanted to make sure.

He widened his eyes and opened his mouth in mock shock.

"What gave me away?"

I rolled my eyes, making him laugh.

"Yeah," he started. "You could say that I'm on a Holiday, too. Not for long, though."

"Just a couple of weeks?"

"No - Er - It's more like, a week."

"Wow," I replied, surprised. "When did you get here?"

I tried my best to hide the fact that I was disappointed. Maybe I was starting to hope that I would get to see more of him for the next weeks - which wasn't good, mind you. And now, that tiny ray of hope was shattered because he was only here for a week.

"Just last night," he answered a little hesitantly. "I'm with my friends."

"Oh, where are they?" I unintentionally stopped walking and looked around.

He stopped and looked around too, before eyeing me.

I just noticed that Erik always had that glint in his eyes. You know that glint that was so full of amusement and mischief? Whatever he said or did, he always had that in his eyes. Always. It would seem that everything around him entertained him. Or rather, he could see something funny in the most serious of situations.

"Why did you just look around?" he asked me, pulling me out of my thinking.

I shook my head. "I honestly don't know." And I really didn't.

"You're . . . weird."

I burst out laughing. If I had a nickel every time I heard that.

"I know," I said through my laughs. "I get that a lot."

The moment my laugh lessened, I started walking again. Erik followed me still. He probably thought I was - what was that word they used? Oh, yes - bonkers by now.

"Here we are," he announced, spreading out his arms as though he just yelled 'Tadah!' in a singsong voice.

I was thinking about what to say next when Erik walked straight into the cafe. I didn't know what else to do, so I followed him inside. He was already in line. When I neared him, he glanced at me sideways.

"What's yours?" he asked.

Too confused to ask him what he was doing, I answered, "Choco Frappe."

He gave me that look again. The one that said, 'You're weird.' But it was only for a moment because it was his turn to order.

Well, I guessed it was weird to order a cold drink when it was already cold outside. Normal people would order a coffee or a hot chocolate drink. But not me, because I liked ice cream and chocolate shakes.

"How much?" I asked Erik.

He gave out that cheeky smile again.

"It's my treat," he shrugged. "Anything else you want to add?"

I know I should've insisted on paying my own. But who am I kidding? When someone wants to be a gentleman, let him.

"Careful now," I warned him seriously. "I have a very healthy appetite for a girl."

"Really?" His eyes roamed my body, making me very much self-conscious.

"It just doesn't show," I informed him quickly.

"Clearly," he chuckled. "Order away."

I cleared my throat. "Glazed doughnut, cheese cake, and," I paused to look at the other sweets on display, "chocolate moose." I looked at him triumphantly.

"Okay, then, " he nodded, looking unfazed and turning to the cashier to repeat what I just said.

In a few minutes, we got our orders. Erik took the tray of sweets, while I carried our drinks. We looked around for a table and found a spot at the end of the shop. It was only half full so it wasn't hard finding somewhere to seat. I noticed most of the customers were middle-aged that we were the only ones you could really consider young.

I smiled, taking a seat in front of Erik. That was one of the things I liked about this place. It had that neighborhood-y feel to it. Diane loved this place, too.

"Where are you from?" asked Erik, after taking a sip of his warm drink. He already removed his scarf and bonnet.

"Philippines," I answered, even though I was pretty sure he wouldn't know where that was. Not many people knew. "It's in Asia," I added.

"Oh," he began excitedly, "Bruno Mars is half-Filipino, right?"

I gave him a questioning look.

"My best friends and I are massive fans of his," he explained.

"Ah," I nodded, taking a big bite on my cheese cake. I considered taking small bites because I didn't want Erik to think that I didn't have any poise.

But it was just so delicious-looking!

"How old are you?"

"Just turned eighteen a few days ago," I answered, after swallowing.

"Belated happy birthday!" he exclaimed cheerfully, grinning that cheeky grin of his that I was beginning to think of as adorable. "When was it?"

"Thanks. It was last May seventh. How about you?"

"First of February. I just turned eighteen, as well."

I stared at him.

"You're only eighteen?" I demanded, my eyes roaming his body from head to toe.

Whoa. Well, I really shouldn't be surprised. European people's physical appearance mature earlier if compared to Asians'. I expected him to be at least nineteen, though.

"Aren't your friends searching for you?" I wondered.

"Why, you're already bored with my company? I'm hurt."

I rolled my eyes because he was smiling while he said that.

He chuckled. "No, I just ringed them."

"Oh, okay."

"What kind of music do you like?" he asked suddenly.

"Everything," I answered a bit too quickly.

He smirked. "Eclectic?"

"Guilty. You?"

"Same."

I smiled. "Cool. But my favorite genre would probably be Alternative Rock."

At this, he looked a little surprised.

"Really?"

"Yeah," I laughed.

He studied me for a moment before asking, "What do you feel about boy bands?"

I thought about it. "Well . . ." I paused, reluctant to continue. "I like The Beatles."

"A lot of people do," he chuckled. "What about modern-day boy bands?"

"Like . . . ?"

He cleared his throat, a bit uncomfortably.

"High Jinks?"

Ah. That band again. What was it with that band? Now, I was curious. I made a mental note to Google them when I get home.

"They're okay, I guess," I shrugged. "I mean, I haven't really heard them sing another song aside from I Love Rock N' Roll. But Diane - my cousin - told me they came from The Best Of Europe. That must mean they're talented. Why, are you a fan of theirs?"

"You could say that," he replied, grinning as though there was an inside joke.

Just then, I felt a buzz in my pocket.

I'll be there in ten. -Diane

My heart sank.

"What's the matter?" asked Erik, his voice had a hint of concern. He probably noticed my saddened expression.

"My cousin's almost here," I answered, glancing briefly at him.

I didn't want to say goodbye yet.

"Oh."

As if on cue, his phone rang. He took out an iPhone and answered it.

"Hello? . . . Yeah, sure . . . Right . . . I know, mate . . . See you later. Oh, and tell him not to worry. Thanks, Kyle."

He hung up and looked at me. I quickly looked away, feeling guilty of eavesdropping and staring at him.

"I better go," he said, putting his scarf and bonnet back on.

"Okay," I murmured. I slightly jumped when I remembered something. "Thank you for everything. I mean, you helped me a lot and you even bought me food. Thank you, Erik," I added sincerely.

He stood up and gave me his cheeky grin.

"You're welcome."

"It was nice meeting you."

"You say it like we're not going to see each other anymore," he teased.

That's because we're not going to see each other anymore.Are we?

"Bye," he said, before finally leaving.

My eyes looked down in a bit of sadness. That was when my eyes caught something. There were two paper bags on the table. Erik left the Superman comic book. I rapidly stood up, picked up the thinner paper bag, and ran after him. He couldn't have gotten that far.

But before I could take a few more steps in the cafe, Erik was standing in front of me. He was slightly panting. He pulled down his scarf so he could catch more breath.

"You forgot Superman," I told him, giving out the paper bag.

He looked at me with confusion at first, and then his forehead smoothed in understanding. He shook his head.

"No, that's not what I came back for." He reached his hand inside his pocket and pulled out his iPhone. "What's your number, or e-mail at least?"

I blinked, surprised by the sudden turn of events. Shaking my head, I composed myself and took his iPhone from him when he handed it to me.

"Your Nathan can have Superman," he informed me, as I returned his phone back to him after typing both my number and e-mail.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

He nodded. "I'll e-mail you later," he said, giving me another one of his trademark grins. And for the first time, I noticed that he had dimples.

I absentmindedly smiled.

____________

As you might have figured out, this is the moment Erik and Viria's story began. if you remember from what she shared with Ethan, their love... it's genuine and raw and just plain real.

I'm so glad I finally got to share it with y'all. Thank you. :)

UPDATE: POSTED AS A NEW STORY IN MY WATTPAD WORKS!