HAPPIEST ( SIMON MINTER )

THREE

REAL LIFE

CLEO STOOD IN THE BUSTLE OF PEOPLE WITH HER SUITCASE CLOSE TO HER LEG, HER HAND WRAPPED AROUND THE EXTENDED HANDLE AND HER RUCKSACK SWINGING ON IT'S ONE STRAP ON HER BACK; AS HER DARK EYES SCANNED THE CROWD HOPEFULLY FOR A SIGN OF HER COUSIN, A SMALL SMILE PLAYING ON HER LIPS. However Tobi Lerone was nowhere to be seen. She decided she must have blended into the group so much that she was unable to be seen by her closest relative. Therefore she swiftly made her way through the noisy crowd and to one of the train station coffee shops that was surprisingly empty. Instead of entering and buying anything (she had just finished her cup of coffee and binned the cardboard cup when she reached the platform), even though the smell of fresh cookies tempted her, she just stood patiently waiting outside the large window.

"Cleo?" A voice whispered cautiously from behind her, but it was Tobi's and it wasn't accompanied with the warm, enveloping hug they usually shared when they reunited. But the voice was just as familiar, maybe even more as it plagued her mind from time to time.

"Simon?" She breathed, her face blank as she turned to face the tall man. She knew it was him before she even saw his worried, beautiful face or the thick scruff of blonde hair or the trademark style of his outfit.

Why was he here? He had taken her breath away, but that's wasn't new, sometimes even pictures of him did.

"I'm here" He said with a shaky smile and shoved his hands into the pockets of the black tracksuit bottoms that hung at his hips. He watched the girl with careful eyes, but he couldn't help but be marvelled by her beauty; sometimes he forgot how much of it she possessed.

"You're here" She nodded, still completely speechless as she peered up at the man; had he grown?

"Why?" She asked breathlessly now knocked from her entirely shocked state (now only three quarters shocked as she had processed he was real by the way he bobbed back and forth on his large feet); with furrowed brows which he mirrored when she spoke.

"You texted me?" Even though it was a statement it came out as a question and the rising nerves was now obvious in his tone "You texted me. To pick you up"

Cleo's precise eyebrows knitted together in confusion even more now making her nose scrunch up and Simon stared at it, the urge to lean forward and kiss it pulling at his stomach.

"I texted Tobi"

"You texted me" He argued but his tone was soft as if he was talking to someone sick or sleepy; Cleo was neither.

Cleo fumbled in the pocket of her brown coat and fished out her phone, quickly unlocking it and showing the conversation to the blonde boy triumphantly. His stomach sunk when he saw his contact was 'unknown' meaning she had deleted his number; he could never find it in himself to delete hers. He hadn't deleted any of her pictures either. He still didn't want to lose her, even though he already had.

Simon pulled out his own phone showing the exact same conversation on his screen to the petite girl in front of him who pinched her eyes as she read the texts, another of her habits he loved.

"Oh" She breathed with an awkward smile, tucking some hair that had fell from her bun behind her ear, her fingers catching on her earrings "Sorry"

"I was shocked when you messaged me, if I'm honest" He laughed uncomfortably, running a hand through his hair as he pocketed his phone again; Cleo chuckled quietly too. They hadn't spoken in ages, the both agreeing it was better to completely go their separate ways. Even though they both found themselves pestering Tobi about the other from time to time.

"I'll still drive you home, only if you want" He offered, his hand was still caught in his hair when he looked deep into her large eyes, his wavering slightly.

"If that's not a burden" She smiled, her fingers tightening on the handle of her suitcase resulting in her white acrylics stabbing into her palm.

"You're never a burden, Cleo" He murmured, his eyelids fluttering "Plus if I drove all this way to just go home, that would be the burden"

She nodded sheepishly like a child before she mumbled her thanks, her eyes still entranced by her lanky ex.

When the next train halted to a stop behind her she was finally knocked out of her trance, and cleared her throat purposely which also summoned Simon to reality which was consumed with Cleopatra Orin.

"We best get going then" Simon said, moving aside so the estranged pair could walk side by side out of the train station. But before they could begin, Simon nodded to her black suitcase, offering to pull it for her; Cleo's eyes followed his, landing on her clenched hand.

"Oh" She sighed, usually she'd politely refuse and drag it's full shell behind her but she was so taken aback by the whole situation she gingerly nodded. She slowly handed the handle to him and he gently laced his fingers over it, their hands brushing for a slight second but neither of them hurriedly jerked away when the warmth flooded their fingertips.

"Thanks" She smiled, her eyes casted down as they strolled out of the train station and into the car park. Even though she was much shorter than Simon, she had very long legs that kept up with his big strides and the low backpack hit her butt until they reached Simon's shiny car.

Silently he opened the boot, carefully placing the case inside and Cleo shrugged her bag off, resting it beside it in the car. After Simon had closed it he hurried to the passenger side door to open the door for Cleo (it flooded back memories of when he'd always do it on their dates) who smiled and said her 'thanks' as she elegantly slid in. As Simon made his way to the driver's side, she quickly buckled in her seatbelt and shook her full fringe, playing with dark ends.

Once Simon had belted up and turned the key in the ignition he reached into his pocket (the one that didn't hold his phone) and pulled out his thin glasses. Cleo loved whenever he wore his driving glasses, she remembered all the times when they drove around London together where she couldn't help but stare at him with a loving smile transfixed on her face. But this time she made sure she focused all of her attention on her slender hands that she clasped tightly together on her lap; as Simon placed the glasses on his nose and reversed out of the car park.

The entire car ride was awkwardly quiet but it was over sooner than they both had expected, especially as she lived quite far from the station. Once the car had pulled into the apartment's car park, the pair climbed out and made their way to the boot.

Cleo tumbled slightly as she pulled the heavy bags out of the car and Simon offered to help carry them to her apartment, but she kindly declined because if he came up it would have been more awkward and she couldn't exactly politely tell him to leave. So she said her final thanks and goodbye, before shooting him a toothy smile which made his head spin and stomach front flip, and a wave.

Simon watched the girl walk away long after she had disappeared into the complex. It wasn't the first time he had watched her walk away, and it wasn't going to be the last.