Timeless

1|| 1935

"'Scuse me, but do you happen to know where the best ice cream in town is?"

Daniel turned to see the prettiest girl he'd ever laid his eyes on, addressing him with a smile on her face. He must've died and gone to heaven if this was happening.

"Yeah," he managed. "Down the street that way and to the left." Daniel shook his head quickly. "I'm sorry, but I've never seen you around here before. Where're you from?"

The girl's smile widened sweetly. "Oh, I'm from here and there. I guess you could call me a nomad." She stuck out her hand. "I'm Daisy."

Daniel shook it and was alarmed by how firm her handshake was. "Daniel," he introduced himself. "But my ma wants me to call myself Sousa to sound more grown up."

Daisy tilted her head amusedly. "Are you?" she asked. "Grown up, I mean."

Daniel was careful to shrug politely. "I'm seventeen, so I guess I'm almost there. And you?"

"I'm sixteen," Daisy replied. "Almost seventeen. Got a few hours to go."

"Is today your birthday?"

She nodded. "And we're- I'm here with my Dad, but he's busy- we're in a new town, so I wanted to take a look around." Daisy leaned on the bench next to her. "All I could find was this park without getting lost."

Daniel's mind was racing along with his heart. "I could show you around." The words tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop them, and he flushed. "If you'd like."

Daisy beamed softly at him. "I'd love that," she said. "Do you want me to call you Daniel or Sousa, though? I understand not being called the name you want to be called, so I wanna know."

"You care?"

No one really cared. They just did what their mothers wanted them to do. Already, Daniel was getting used to calling his friends by their last name and being called by his last name. He wasn't sure what to think about that.

"Of course I do," Daisy said warmly. "I want you to be happy."

Daniel's heart fluttered. Was this what butterflies felt like?

He quickly realized he was staring and looked away, clearing his throat. A blush crept up his cheeks and his neck as he attempted to compose himself.

Daniel extended his arm to Daisy. "Well, call me Daniel, then," he said. He felt his heart skip a beat when she took his elbow and followed his lead down to the ice cream shop.

"So, the best ice cream shop in town is called Mason's," Daniel explained to her. "It's also the only one, but it's really good."

Daisy leaned away from him with a disbelieving smile. "You only have one?"

"It's a small town."

They walked into the shop with a jingle of the door's bell.

"Sousa!" The shopkeeper greeted him warmly. "You've got a girl on your arm! What's your name, little lady?"

Daniel quickly looked at Daisy to reassure her that she didn't have to answer politely. The shopkeeper was a loud and boisterous man, who while kind at heart, can be taken as a rude old man.

But she was grinning. "I'm Daisy," she told the man. "I'm just visiting in town and Daniel here so graciously offered to give me a tour, and this was the first place he brought me to. He said it was the best ice cream place in town!"

Daniel stared at her. Daisy really knew how to butter a guy up. He nodded with a sheepish smile at the shopkeeper, who was beaming.

"Well, you've picked the right spot, Sousa," he said cheerfully. "And from the lady's review, I think you two deserve a little something for free." Daniel and Daisy tried to refuse but the man wouldn't hear it. "Flavours, kids, flavours. And this is great marketing." The shopkeeper looked at them expectantly. "Well?"