"You slow puny paper yacht will never ever catch my paper boat!" Aria said. She and her friend, Tyrion is playing in a nearby river. They we're eleven year olds. Young, reckless yes, they were. But they were also free.
"That is NOT A YACHT! That is my paper boat your insulting." Tyrion replied.
"Oh, really? All this time I thought it's a slow yacht. Oh well." Tyrion knew, of course, she was messing with him. But, as hard for him to admit it, although he and Aria was there nearby the river almost everyday for 2 years since now, he never, quite literally NEVER, won against Aria in a race between their paper boats.
"Stop being smug. Not just because my paper boat beat you in everytime we play this game, doesn't mean you're any better than me. My boat always finishes just right behind you." this, in fact, was also true. Their races with paper boats always ends with a photo finish. There was never, quite literally again, a race of their paper boats with him losing by a big margin.
"But it doesn't change the fact that you always lose. HA! Look," Aria exclaimed, turning his attention from Tyrion to their paper boats "I win again. AGAIN. AGAAAAAIN!"
Tyrion sobbed.
"Don't you worry there, pal. There comes a time where my boat will be the one that tries to beat yours." she said with a smile. Those smiles, Tyrion said to his own mind, is the weakness of him. "But right now, I'm always an inch better than you."
"An inch better than me in paper boats? Or an inch almost better than me in anything?" then her smile turned into something else, not the smile that weakens me, but those kind of smiles that you give to the people you pity. She, of course, understood what I meant. Except for paper boats, she was always top one at school when he was top 2. She was always travelling around the globe, while he was only travelling across the country. In his mind, he was thinking, I'm never gonna
"Well, at least we're best friends."
FAST FORWARD TO 6 YEARS LATER
"Hey, uhm. It's Tyrion." Tyrion said as he introduced himself in the phone.
"Oh hey, Tyrion. So, what's up?" Aria replied
"Are you going to visit our hometown in the summer?"
"Wait, can you repeat that pl--. Oh, yeah. Hometown, summer. I almost forgot. Yes, of course. Yes, yes, yes. I'm sorry. It's just so busy here in Jakarta."
"Okay, see you next saturday then. I'll meet you at the river at 3pm. I'll be telling you something."
"Okay. By--"
"WAIT." he said loud, cutting her in midsentence. "Bring a paper boat. Bye."
Tyrion waited for Saturday to come. He was longing to see Aria's beautiful face which he hasn't seen in almost 8 months. He waited. He waited for the girl he loved and still loves since they were 9 years old.
Wednesday. Thursday. Friday. Saturday
Fine day, saturday. He got out of his room, ate breakfast, went back to his room to check his tumblr and facebook account, got out of his room, ate lunch, went back to his room to get clothes and his towel, took a bath, got dressed.
"Hello there. Mr. Lannister, Mrs. Lannister" she's here, Tyrion told himself. Aria's here. Tyrion heard Mr. and Mrs Lannister (his mom and dad) told her that I'm upstairs.
"Hey, Tyri--"
"No need for your greetings, my best pal." he told her then he hugged her. "Let's head down to the river."
"Oh yeah, I was meaning to ask you that. I don't know why you asked me to bring a paper boat because we stopped doing that when we we're twelve. So ..."
"So you didn't bring one?!"
"Of course I brought one, you moron." Aria said, calming Tyrion down. "It's just that why you wanted me to bring one."
"You'll know soon enough."
They head down to the river then sat on the grass. He got to admit, he only visited this river thrice when Aria went to Jakarta to study Medical Technology. She was really smart that she was admitted to college in just 16 years old, without having 5th and 6th year, which was pretty much compulsory now in the Philippines unless you're smart. He only went to this river to join his dad to fish
"So, why've you brought me here? And why the paper boat?" she asked
"Because, I want to play with you and ... " he said "I'm gonna tell you something."
So they put their paper boats in the water, watching it as they talk.
"I got accepted at Stanford in the USA. I'm going to study law there."
She looked shocked. Really shocked.
"Nice joke." she said, she looked at him, then she realized that he was serious. "Wait, you're serious?! SERIOUSLY?! THAT'S REALLY GREAT NEWS!" then she hugged her.
"Yeah, but..." her face frowned when she heard the word 'but' "I need to stay there for 6 years since my parents can't afford sending me back here, the Philippines, every year can't they? So, I'll not be seeing you for at least six years.
"Do you remember," she said, "when I told you that one day, I'll be the one catching up to you? Well, here it is. The day that you're superior. Not me. Isn't this what you wanted?"
"All those days I lost to you in paper boats and I still play it with you." he said, "You, didn't you ever asked yourself why I continued to play with you but not to those other children. Well, it wasn't because I wanted to beat you. It was because I wanted to lose to you. That way, we can still be together, happy."
"What do you mean?"
"I love you, Cersei Aria Stark."
She was in shock. Her mouth was open, literally. Then the most unexpected things happened to Tyrion.
She kissed him.
"I've always loved you too, Robb Tyrion Lannister."
He smirked.
"Looks like your paper boat won." Aria said, eyeing the two paper boats. "Looks like I'll be the one catching up to you now."
