Standing By

Chapter 2

Verity's POV

"Dan! Matt! Finally we're here!" Connie shouted, dumping her bag on the floor and running to hug Matt and Dan. I noticed that she hugged Dan a little longer than Matt. Lucy ran after her and gave the guys a bro fist, she's a proper tomboy so isn't really a hugging person. I'm left struggling in the doorway with all of the bags!

A tall man wearing a Simpson hoodie came through the door into Starbucks and nearly walked into me, or so I thought. He walked straight up to me and bent down to pick up some of the heavier bags. "Are you ok? Here, let me help you to your seat" he said in a comforting tone. I blushed and was to embarrassed to look at him in the face. From what I briefly saw he looked quite young, maybe only a few years older than me. He was kinda muscular and had blonde hair that was squished under his hood. "Umm well my friends and I have just got here, so we don't really have ones yet." I said, to embarrassed to look him straight in the face. He smiled at me, causing me to smile back. I recognised him, for some strange reason. That voice and face rings a bell, and a big one too.

We picked up the rest of the bags and I waddled forward, peering over the towering pile of luggage in my arms. "VARIETY!!" Matt shouted,gaining the whole of Starbucks attention. He ran forward and jumped into a hug, causing the bags to fall onto the wooden floor with a loud *thud*. "Hi Cuddle Buddy," He whispered in my ear. I snorted. "Who's your boyfriend?" he continued, pulling away from the hug and nodding at the tall figure behind me. Giggling, I stared at him with an 'are you serious' face.

Dan, who had impatiently been standing with his arms folded, shoved Matt out the way, presenting me with outstretched arms. "And where's mine?" he said teasingly, pulling me into a short hug. Connie and Dan are so alike.
"Guys hurry up!" Connie said grabbing Dan and Lucy's arms and dragging them towards a large table in the corner of the room. Dan grabbed Matt as he passed him "oh you're not getting away with this!" He giggled as Matt struggled to keep his balance.

Once again I was left with all the bags. I turned around, expecting the man to have got fed up with waiting and gone, but to my surprise he was still there, staring down on me with a sparkling smile. Unable to resist the urge, I smiled back. He was staring into my eyes, and even though nothing was funny, I couldn't help but laugh. Ok I'll admit it, he was pretty hot. And he was really cute too! Wait, What am I saying! I've only just met this guy, and I'm reserved for Avi, but it does feel like I've known him for years. I definitely recognise him, but I just can't remember where from.

I bent down and attempted to pick up the cascading pile of bags. The tall, and when I say tall I mean legit tall (he must've been around 6 ft 3 maybe taller, and I'm only 5 ft 7), man picked up another large bag and assisted me picking up the rest. On the last bag our hands touched for a second, sending shivers of warmth down my spine. I looked up at him and smiled. He looked away blushing.

I straggled along behind him as he effortlessly strode to the table and gently paced them under the table. A meter or so from the table, I tripped over a chair leg and catapulted forward into the guys arms. The bags went flying and landed with a thump in a heap by the others. Still shocked from the trip, I stood there paralysed for a few seconds before brushing myself down. The others were laughing, and Lucy sounded like a dying dolphin. "Verity!" Connie said through breaths, I giggled a little before stepping out of the guys arms.

"I don't know about you, but I'm thirsty!" Dan said, taking a seat at our table. It was a dark wood square with some matching chairs around it. Along the two walls there were benches with a red cushioned seat. "THATS RHYMES WITH KIRSTIE!" I said, fangirling. Wait, is it just me or did the man react when I said 'Kirstie', is he called Kirstie?
"Oh come on Dan don't be boring!" Lucy said, dragging him out of the chair, " you've got to sit on a bench!" She pushed him onto the bench next to where Matt was now sitting before taking a seat on the bench the opposite side. Connie sat next to Dan and grabbed the Menu.