Epals

Chapter 15

Marco POV

It's been 2 hours since I first stood in front of the closet and yet none of the clothes seem good enough. This is my first date with Ace; I am finally meeting him in person. I'm nervous as hell. Roughly rubbing my hands over my face, I sit on the floor trying to figure out what to do.

"Aren't you ready yet? You have to leave soon." Perona came into the room, twirling an umbrella between her hands. I looked up at her, shrugging.

"I'm at a loss on what to wear, I'm going to be late because of this and then he will probably hate me and never talk to me again."

"Don't be so dramatic. Here." She tugs me from my seat and shoves me towards the bathroom before turning back to the closet. I sigh and strip my shirt off, twisting the shower on. Perona walks back in, shoving an outfit at me.

"Wear this, and get going before you really are late."

"Thank you." I smile at her, putting the clothes on a nearby shelf. She simply smiles back and leaves.

I reach the Café 10 minutes early, to my relief. Looking around, a lot of the tables are taken but there's one easily seen from the door that is open. Going up to the counter, I order a medium coffee.

"Could you do me a favor as well?" I ask the woman who takes my order, she blinks in slight confusion before nodding, "I am meeting someone for the first time here and I'm not sure what he looks like. But his name is Ace. So, if someone with that name comes looking for Marco could you send them to my table, please?"

She smiles, "sure thing, when should they be here?"

"In about 10 minutes." I grin, taking a steaming cup from here, "thank you."

"You're welcome. I will be sure to send him your way." I nod, walking back to the table and sit down.

The wait is painful, and nerve wrecking. I spend the ten minutes sipping the coffee, and nervously looking up every time the door opens. Eventually I just stare down at the cup thinking of everything that could possibly go wrong. He could be an old man, or a criminal, or maybe he will stand me up, maybe this was all a horrible joke to him.

My ears twitch at the sound of a male talking, and the mentioning of my name. I don't let myself look up until a shadow falls over me a few moments later. Then the sound of the chair opposite me is being sat in and I find myself looking up at the other person. When I do, it's like time slowed down just to let me look a little longer without being hindered by the passing of time. His dark brown eyes that nearly look black, freckles covering his cheeks and nose, his black hair, and that nervous little smile. If this is a dream, it is a very good one.

"H-hello. Um, I'm Ace." His small smile widened into a shy grin, and it's then that my insides finish melting. I give a smile back, chuckling. My finger is rubbing my cup, and I can't seem to stop the nervous movement, as his grin becomes a little more confident.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person, I'm Marco."