Little touch of heaven

004

"OMG ITS ARI"

"Two icons?!"

"THEY FINALLY MET"

I scrolled through the comments on Angel's post, specifically the photo of the two of us. There were many more photos in the post, but half of the comments were about me. A lot was going on in the café and today I just wanted to help out. People flowed in and out of the cafe like rivers, never stopping at obstacles but swirling around them. I was very surprised that so many Angels supporters were also fans of mine. It's like we were always meant to meet one day. I smiled to myself, put my phone back in my back pocket and went back to the checkout. I really had to stop talking on the phone while working.

"Ariella!" I recognised this voice immediately. The bell on the door rang and a very happy-looking Alex walked in. She hopped over to the counter and waved her hands frantically to get my attention. "Hello, Alex! You're back soon." I waved at her and returned the same energy. She quickly grabbed a menu from the counter and glanced at it for a few seconds. "I'll have a vanilla milkshake and a giant cookie, please be sure to bring it to me!" At that moment she disappeared into the crowd just as soon as she came.

I smelled the air as the cookies were baking in the kitchen and the smell gave me a hunger that I hadn't felt before. Alex takes the muffin in her hand and spreads her fingers around it like someone larger is holding a bowl of cereal. She doesn't let go of her gaze as she tears off a piece with her other hand, causing a small amount of steam to rise to the top and deepen the scent of the café. Instead of chewing, Alex lets the crumbs melt on her tongue as only freshly baked cake can, closing her eyes for a moment to deepen the pleasure of the moment. Before she can break off another piece, a gurgling noise comes from under the table and she jumps. A big smile is painted on her face so quickly that it could have been photoshopped there. "That was amazing! Thank you, Ariella." She wiped her mouth with the back of her sleeve and continued, "Actually, are you doing anything tomorrow?" She asked me.

I hesitated before answering, wondering whether I should say no or just lie and say I had to work. I felt her eyes still looking at me, waiting for my answer. But then another part of me wondered: How am I supposed to make friends if I don't talk to people? I met her eyes again and replied, "No, you want to hang out? I know a nice shop nearby and an ice cream parlour," I replied. Alex nodded happily and then handed me her phone and asked me to enter my number.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

I lay down on my bed, finally, it was time, I could spend the whole day with Alex: chatting, window shopping, laughing. My room was a mess and it didn't matter, I could deal with it after lunch. While I was getting ready, my phone rang. Alex is almost there. I didn't want to keep her waiting. I answered her quickly and said I was on my way to the door and put my phone in my bag since I almost tripped down the stairs on the way out. To my surprise, Alex was already there, waiting.

Before I could react, I was embraced in the biggest hug I've ever had.

It was a city of wide avenues and small squares to sit and eat and relax as people went about their day. The rest were parks and wild areas, an opportunity to walk in nature or enjoy the trails by bike or horseback. What I liked most was the river that flowed through the centre, crossing the bridges and stopping to take in the views that I saw every day and loved all the more. We had already been to a few stores and I bought a new necklace after Alex convinced me to treat myself. It was the sort of thing you might find in a thrift store, but it dwarfed the glitz of the high street.

"Where are we going next?" Alex sang as we walked down the busy street, "How about that antique shop? It's just down the street from here, I've been there a few times," I replied. I led her down the street to the store and we walked in comfortable silence. Once we got to the entrance of the store, Alex wouldn't come inside because she was "too hot". The sigh that escaped my dry lips was slow. My eyes remained fixed on the door. Hesitating, I tried to convince her to come in but she wouldn't budge at all. Not thinking that much of it, I opened the door on my own. Into the old doorway, I wandered in anticipation of finding something that caught my eye.

The book had a simple, earth-coloured cover that warmed and soothed the eyes. The book contained several hundred white pages, each of which was gentle on the fingertips. Inside, the pages seemed as if they had bathed in golden rays and absorbed them, so softly golden were they. And the letters took their place as if by the hand of a composer. I never really liked reading as a child. I felt like I was drawn to this book for some reason, almost like I had to get it. A few doubts came to mind: What if I don't like it? What if I don't end up reading it? I looked at the rest of the bookshelf and just like I thought, there wasn't another book that looked like this. It was finally time to get a new hobby, better than working all day or staying on the phone 24/7.

Crap, Alex is outside!

There was a young man at the counter, not the type you would see here, but the type who looked like he could model at any opportunity. He was quite tall and slim, his medium-length brown hair was messy and probably not styled since he woke up this morning. His face is plastered with a small smile, except his eyes wouldn't meet mine. As he holds out his hand to give me my receipt, I see the dust under his fingernails. He's probably always in this store. Then I noticed his bracelet patterned with small roses. I bet he has a good fashion sense. After I paid, I walked out and saw Alex peering into the street. She fiddled with the hem of her jacket as she stood in silence. When she sensed my presence, she turned to me and cracked a smile as she realised who it was.

"Ariella! Did you buy anything nice?" And it was only for a split second, but I could've sworn I saw her smile falter a bit. I just assumed I was overreacting though. Brushing my overthinking aside, I showed her my book as we walked back to the train station.

A/N: HI GUYSS. Why is Alex not going into the store? Is she hiding something? I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter it took me so long to write... Ty for 200 reads?? Let's get 500 by the end of this week I know we can do it guys. ALSO, LMK IN THE COMMENTS WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS ARE ON THE CHARACTERS ITS INTERESTING TO SEE HOW MY READERS VIEW MY CHARACTERS. Don't forget to vote too I'm tryna get number 1 on the cosplayer tag