Tearing Paper

All in One Place

And my mates are all there trying to calm me down

'Cause I'm shouting your name all over town

“You—you work here?” Nate stared at the girl he had missed so much, his voice burning with glee. He convinced himself he wasn’t dreaming—that it was really Dianne who was standing in front of him, smiling in her black and white uniform.

But again, she was magic.

She was the only one who could make him believe that wishes did come true…

“I have to. I don’t know how else I can make a living,” Dianne answered honestly, lowering her voice so that nobody would notice them talking. She pretended to clean Nate’s table and Nate played along. “I recently moved into a lodge and the landlady was just so kind. She helped me get this job.”

“And you chose to work here because…”

Dianne stopped talking and Nate spotted her cheeks flushing in red. He couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m just glad I can see you again.”

“Yeah… Me too,” Dianne smiled as she left Nate’s table.

-

“I know she’s gotta be here somewhere. I know all of you know something and you’re hiding it from me! Where is she?”

Nate stopped typing on his laptop when he heard that rude tone from a table quite far from him. Three waiters were standing quietly, not giving the angry man an audible reply. Yet he closed his laptop and tried to listen closer.

“I-if she’s here, Lucio, you’ll find her in the corner writing and tearing paper again. Weren’t you the one that told us that’s what she always did?” one of the waiters dared himself to answer.

Writing and tearing paper.

Nate felt his heart pounding to his chest as cold sweat dripped down his forehead. That person, whoever he was, was looking for Dianne.

Why?

He observed him from afar. He was a big guy, with messy black hair and glowing green eyes that reflected impatience and worry. In fact, the more Nate noticed him, the more he realized that this Lucio guy might not be as scary as he seemed—he was just looking for Dianne like crazy.

Who was he to Dianne, and why didn’t Dianne ever tell Nate anything about him?

He remembered the days in Namiri Island.

Was Lucio the one who was constantly dialling Dianne’s number?

The one Dianne refused to talk about?

A guy sat beside Lucio. He was smaller, thinner, and he sank into his seat without saying anything throughout the argument. All he did was running his fingers through his dirty blonde hair nervously while Lucio continued urging the waiters.

Their conversation continued so intensely that it was only Nate who heard a small creak from another side of the café.

Following the voice in his head, he got up and sneaked towards the kitchen. There was nobody there—but the back door was swinging back and forth, blown by the evening wind, as if somebody had just pushed it open fiercely, running for her life.

Dianne was gone.

I'm swearing if I go there now

I can change her mind, turn it all around