Yellow leaves blow across a damp street, Dan shivers as the cold winds grow stronger. He looks up, a sign erected from the roof of the small building in front of him reads 'Benny's Cafe.' He gets closer, peering through the gloomy windows and spotting out his friends talking to each other. Nickolas' spiky short black hair protrudes from his olive scalp, his bold eyes glare menacingly. He wears a thin white t-shirt, jeans, and striped Gucci shoes. To his right and closer to the door stands Katherine, a faded purple beanie atop her head hiding her greyish blonde hair apart from the bangs. She's dressed in a warm jacket, long pants, and small heels. A group of teenagers, around a similar age to Nickolas and Katherine, sits at a table behind the pair. Dan sighs annoyingly, 'He said there was only going to be a few. A FEW!' he muttered to himself. Dan wanders to the front door, hesitantly reaching for the door handle. He takes a last look through the window to see Kathy turn away, a stressful sigh releases from his cold breath and he pushes the door open. He steps inside, warm air fills his lungs as the bells above the door chime. Dan looks over to his left, two sets of eyes stare back at him. Katherine grins pleasingly waving Dan over, Nickolas crosses his arms and frowns. Dan makes his way to the pair, pulling down his mask that covered his face. He opens his mouth to speak, but before he says anything, Katherine greets him.
"Boo!" Her lips curl into her cheeks, and her eyes gleam happily. "S-sorry." He said apologetically, his eyes darting from Kathy to Nick.
"You-.." Nick starts to respond but is interrupted by Katherine springing towards Dan, grappling onto him.
"It's been ages since we talked, a-and we both know you get very busy!" Katherine says, looking towards Nick deprecatively.
"We talked for ages yesterday, remember," Dan responds. Immediately Katherine's cheeks brighten, and her grip around his arm gets tighter.
"I-I, yeah. I meant since all of us talked," Nick glares disappointingly at Katherine, his face grimaces.
"So, um. We are still getting FYRE after the meeting, yeah?" Dan asks Nick.
"If you arrived a second later I'd be saying no," Nick responds sarcastically, he seems to relax a bit. "I had to get you here somehow, and you are a nerd." He grins.
"Did you guys say FYRE?" A girls head pops out from behind Nick, a face Dan slightly remembers but from a long time ago. Katherine looks over to the girl.
"Boo! Jassy do you remember Danny from school?" Katherine asks curiously. Jasmine's emerald gems glance to Dan, luckily she is slightly shorter than Dan. Her hair seems to clump together to look like sheets of paper. It's long, blonde and falls down her back in a small ponytail, her bangs fall to the left and are just short enough to see her right eye. Two clumps of hair starting from above her ears seem separate from her fringe, One falls to her shoulder while the other curls up her head, combining itself with the ponytail. She wears an unzipped purple hoodie, white undershirt, denim shorts, leggings, and sneakers. Her ice-cold glare freezes his soul.
"Yeah, I do. Who was the one talking bout FYRE?" Jasmine asks and is instantly answered by Nick.
"Me, of course! Big fan of Knightmares games. I'm actually just going to pick it up today, but I got no one coming with me." Nicks words cut Dan deeply, Dan looks down, embarrassed.
"I feel so sorry for you," says Jasmine sarcastically. "I preordered online, so it's downloading right as we speak."
Katherine pulls Dan aside to a booth, sitting down next to each other at a small table. He leans back, closing his useable eye with a frustrated sigh.
"How have you been?" Her kind words fill the silence as he tilts his head towards her.
"Today could be going a lot better." Dan sighs, crossing his arms. "But you're here, so the day could be worse."
"I didn't wanna come to the meeting, but Nick promised you'd be here for once. Sorry." She sniffles, dropping her head into his shoulder.
"You really should listen to me when I tell you to ignore Nickolas's nonsense."
"B-but you are here, and he's my friend so I'd feel bad if I refuse him."
'That's what he is trying to do,' Dan thinks to himself, he zones out as he hears Nickolas's smug voice.
"Solo's are too easy, should join up with me and my mates to get a bunch of wins under your belt early," Nickolas says proudly. Jasmine just laughs at him before responding ferociously.
"Sorry, but I don't need some noobs slowing me down. I'll just stick to myself." Dan gains his focus as he spots something shiny on Katherine's beanie. A metal badge is sewn into the cotton, on it is a love heart surrounding the word "His."
"Nickolas buy you that for you?" Dan asks skeptically. Katherine looks up at Dan, her eyes slightly teared up.
"U-uh no. I bought it myself, to remind me of my goal." Rosy cheeks starting to form on her face as her expression becomes happier.
"Your goal? He hasn't given you more things to do, has he?" Dan's voice starting to sound annoyed.
"O-oh no. This has nothing to do with Nick, it's my goal for going forwards." Katherine says, her face gleaming with joy.
"Right. Uhm, can I ask you something?"
"Anything." She inches closer to him, smiling.
"Um, how do I put this." Cautiously Dan asks, "Why'd you and Nick get together?"
"We aren't actually together, he said it's to make one of his girlfriends jealous, and in return; he helps me with my goal."
Dan sighs with a feeling of relief. He looks over to Katherine, whose eyes stare back at him intently. They widen before a bright light blinds him for a few seconds. Everything goes quiet, the frozen leaves outside now stuck in motion, not a single noise from the kids who were conversing, even the clock refuses to change. Dan opens his eyes noticing the only thing moving is Katherine, her entire body glowing like an angel, her movements fluid like liquid. But most importantly her eyes, which used to shine like a turquoise gem, now glows purely white like moonlight. Her hand reaches out towards Dan's face, and all he can do is watch with awe as she plants her soft and warm fingers against the scar hiding his left eye. She leans in closer, her touch getting hotter and her eyes glow brighter as she stares through the cracks of the injury, finding what's left of his damaged eye. Inside a faint gold, light burns, but as Katherine's gaze finds the light, it seeps into it, forcing it to expand and glow brighter. A slight smile grows on her lips as a yellow light floods out from the gap in his scar. Dan grabs her wrist, pulling him out of Katherines' trance, his heart beating out of his chest and his lungs having a workout. He takes her hand off of his scar, making her smile disappear. Dan slows his breathing as Katherine slightly backs off stutteringly, saying, "S-sorry f-for panicking you."
"W-what is i-it?" Dan mutters, his body still stunned from the trance.
Katherine responds, "I felt your eyes touching me, but I noticed they were closed." She tilts her head, curiously. "Do you see me through your scar?"
"Of course not, the eye itself is scarred,"
"You always give me that feeling, a-and you've never shown me your injury." She sighs, pouting like a child.
"It isn't a pretty sight." Dan sighs, giving Katherine a genty head rub. He looks over towards Nick, who is staring down his phone, annoyed by something. He notices Dan and walks over to him.
"We going, mate? Or do you wanna join the meeting?" Nick rhetorically asks.
"Alright." Dan gets up from the booth, looking back to Katherine. "Catch up again some time." He says grinning.
"Of course! But don't ghost me this time!" Katherine responds, cheekily. They both wave, Dan and Nick head to the door, Nick still glaring down to his phone. Out of the corner of Dan's eye, he spots Jasmine watching them, her gaze as cold as before. The two exit the warmth of the Cafe and head along the windy streets.
"Once it's installed, we're gonna beat those noobs like the old days in BUB-G," Nick says enthusiastically.
"As long as youdon't slow me down," Dan cheekily remarks. Nick hits Dans' shoulder asthey wander down the street.
