The Fate in your Eyes

Chapter 1 - That Day

Tick Tack. The ticking of the clock felt like a gentle melody filling the room. "I got a new order!" a voice called out delightedly. A girl with long dark hair in a summer dress entered the store and smiled. Cheng, who had his eyes fixed on the latest newspaper, looked up. His heart was pumping faster every moment, but he didn't let on, instead turning to the coffee machine and starting an espresso. 

"Let me see, Luana!" someone else wanted to know. A tall boy, with dark hair that was already spilling out the back. Until just now he had been typing on his cell phone, now he was all excited. "Yes in a minute, why don't you sit down first, Lu!", Luana urged him, placing the envelope on the table. Sweat was running down her forehead and neck as well, it was terribly hot outside. Lu grabbed the photos and looked at them. He recognized a post from Instagram. "What about the prize?" he bent over curiously. "Enough," Luana said curtly, trying to pull the photos away.

"Hey, chill out, we're doing all the work after all," Lu protested. "And I'm getting the job, it's not that easy either," Luana snapped back, annoyed. Cheng sighed and looked at his reflection in the coffee. 

How on earth had he met those two? They were a mess. 

"We'll look at this together. Yes? Without starting a war here?" grumbled Cheng quietly. He never imagined that on this day, he would make two best friends. He put down the coffee cup and joined Luana. "You should go to the barber," Lu remarked, ruffling Luana's hair, "Don't do that! I'll cut it shorter when we have the money, okay? Now don't be a pain!" she grumbled. 

Lu and Luana had known each other since childhood, you'd think they were inseparable, but from the outside, it looked very different. 

As if they were about to tear each other apart. Cheng's thoughts drifted, and the day came up again. The day when Lu had wanted to surprise him, and...he had broken his own rules. Why had he done it? Until now, he still didn't know. 

Maybe it was better that way. Maybe...

People. Very many people. He walked through the busy alleys while cars drove on the cobblestone and they screeched seagulls above their heads. Their hungry eyes searched for a piece of bread to snatch from the person's hand. Cheng dragged himself along behind his buddy and grumbled. Why did he have to come along, of all people? 

It was early in the morning, and hundreds of people streamed past him, making it unbearably hot. "Couldn't you have picked a different time, Lus?" he wanted to know, though it sounded more like a grumble. Lus turned backward and grinned. "Come on, we're almost there!" he replied. Cheng grumbled but said nothing. He ran his fingers through his blond hair, which was lying on his forehead. Sweat made them stick to his face. The two were finally able to push their way through the crowd when they stopped at a main road. The traffic light had just turned red. 

"Can you at least give me back my headphones?" asked Cheng, trying to reach for Lu's hand, but he quickly pulled it away. "Ah, ah, you'll listen to music and not understand a word," Lu replied with a grin. "Yeah yeah," Cheng said softly, running his fingers through his hair one more time. Lu's dark eyes looked at him, partly amused, partly curious.

"What?", Cheng wanted to know why his buddy was staring at him like that. "Oh nothing, I'm just curious about your reaction," he said so innocently, even God would be suspicious.

 Suddenly, Cheng spotted a girl. She had almost waist-length dark hair, she usually wore it down. She brushed strands behind her ear with her hand, her dark green-gray eyes glistening in the sunlight, an iced coffee in her other hand, she didn't seem to mind the heat. 

Luana. 

The girl's name popped into Cheng's head. He had met the girl before, accidentally bumping into her. He remembered it well; he had been embarrassed. He had been busy with his books on his arm, he had overlooked Luana. "Oh, I'm sorry," he had mumbled. His blood raced through his veins at the sight of the girl, he felt himself getting warm. His face was probably flushed too.