Tearing Paper

Strangers

I hope everybody's fine with a little flashback for a while. Don't worry, we'll get to the two lovebirds in the island in the next chapter! I just feel like a little back story on Lucio and Dianne would be fun ;) Enjoy!

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“What is this?”

The man in an overneat suit glared at her book of poems as if she just hurled a pile of dirt at him. She stared at the floor, not expecting the reaction.

Everybody back home adored her writings. Everybody supported her dreams.

All she ever wanted to do was write…

But the first time she stepped her feet onto this town, she knew she was in a different place.

She was in a dark, dangerous place. It devoured every speck of light that dared to come its way; it swallowed spurting dreams and crinkled them to dust. It hated newcomers—it hated competition. It was full of selflishness, and cruelty, and heartlessness.

So why did she leave everything just to come there?

“I-I suppose you would read some of my work… and consider me. I’m a very driven writer,” she stuttered.

“Miss…”

“Dianne,” she wet her lips.

The man raised his eyebrows, rubbing his two hands together. “I believe you are a foreigner that does not understand how things work here. In companies. In big publishing presses like mine—tell me, have you ever read our job requirements? Or at least provide us a CV?”

Her cheeks felt so hot she was sure they were burning. Shame fell on her as the man kept talking about things she didn’t understand—things she didn’t even know existed.

“This is real life, Miss,” were the last words the man said before an assistant led her outside.

She left the place with her head down, not minding the countless number of people whom she almost bumped into. They all looked so different from her. They were… polished. They were not foolish island habitants that came just to chase impossible dreams. They had real experience, and education, and identity.

“I’m sorry,” Dianne mumbled as she bumped another person. She quickly walked away, but she noticed something that made her trembling heart warm up a little.

Something so subtle yet worth remembering, although she did not even exchange any other words with the stranger she ran away from.

Those green eyes.

-

The blond-haired girl was busy in the corner of the café, scribbling endlessly on a book so hidden on her lap. Lucio grinned as he decided to approach her.

“Excuse me—“

“Oh!” The girl looked shocked as she stopped writing. She tore a paper from her book and crumpled it, as if she was writing secret codes no one could see.

“I-I’m sorry,” Lucio wondered what she was writing. “You… you remember me?”

The girl stayed silent for a while. “How did you find me?”

“I don’t know,” Lucio honestly said as he laughed. “Crazy, right? I saw you leave my dad’s office and turned left. A few minutes later, I got thirsty and took a left too.”

The girl raised her eyebrows in disbelief. Maybe he was being too obvious that he was dying to look for her. Slowly, she giggled. “Wait—your dad?”

“Sorry—he’s kind of nuts about work. You don’t deserve that kind of… harshness. I’m sure you’re talented.”

The girl only nodded, not showing any sign that she would give in to this stranger. She only mumbled, “I thought it would be… easy—to get a job here.”

“You’re new to this town, aren’t you?” Lucio asked gently. He offered his hand as she accepted it, standing up. “I’m Lucio.”

“Dianne.”

“That’s a wonderful name,” Lucio saw the girl’s cherry lips curling into a smile, and he knew he had won something.