the Poplar and the Gothic

3.

~Maybe this could change you. Maybe if you finally let someone in, you'll find out that there is nothing to be afraid of all along. Take a risk.~

Kai's sudden head turn was a reaction to the strange noises made by Via standing on the sidewalk beside him. She had left a big, not too old brown suitcase beside her. On the other side, she saw Kai, who at the moment excitedly extinguished the half-lit cigarette.
"Good morning," she said with a wide smile, then lifted her round black steel sunglasses to the top of her head, next to a messy bun. Strands and curls were hanging everywhere, but still, Kai thought she was beautiful. Unlike yesterday, she didn't even have a gram of makeup. He saw tiny freckles on her cheeks and lip balm on her chapped lips. She was relaxed and smiling. It was more than enough makeup for his notions.
Her shoulders were covered by a short but wide black T-shirt. It reached down to the waist, where tight, deep burgundy three-pants began. She sat down on the sidewalk beside him and pulled her knees to her chin. Her ankles were hugged by two thin straps of two decent almond-colored sandals. On her hands, Kai noticed countless rings, bracelets and ornaments, which, despite their large numbers, managed not to look kitschy.
"Hello, old friend of mine." He said sarcastically through his pearly white teeth. "What's your decision? Have you prepared yourself to stroll around Europe or do you think it would be better to do so in society?" He added with hope, turning to her. He flexed his left leg and placed his hand on his knee, and extended the other close to her feet.
He watched her expression; once in high school, he was learning about how facial expressions cas tell a lot about what person wants to say.
Vivian, still very hesitant and unsure of her decision, looked him in the eye and Kai withdrew. For a long time, she looked at him and thought. She knew she still had time to reject him, but the more she thought about quitting, the more she wanted to say yes.
"I'll go with you. That's my decision. We'll stroll together."
"That's right!" Kai exclaimed and jumped off the sidewalk. "Where are we going first?" He asked excitedly. He was aware that he had to watch how he behaved because he could lose her every second. At any moment, she could turn around and say 'Goodbye'. As he rejoiced, she still sat on the sidewalk warmed by the July sun. Only thing that was on her mind was whether this decision would pay off or destroy her.
I'm not a coward.
Happy, with one hand Kai pulled her by the thin white wrist to loft her off the ground, and took her suitcase with the other. He walked quickly, thinking of the little quasi-program of their journey. There was nothing he could decide by himself anymore.
"Okay, that's my car. I know it's nothing special, but it's quite comfy to sleep in. Your spine won't hurt." He said pointing to his tiny dark blue Mini Cooper as soon as they arrived at a nearby parking lot. The car was not new, but Kai loved it a lot.
Vivian smiled slightly and opened the passenger door as Kai placed her brown suitcase next to his, slightly smaller one, in the trunk. He felt that she wasn't too joyous and cheerful at the moment, but he understood. Or at least he tried to understand.
She sat down in the car and looked around. She smelled of citrus and marveled at the cleanliness of the car. Kai closed the trunk door and opened the back seat door. He put his things in there to free himself from any potential obstacles to driving. He then dropped into the seat next to Vivian and looked at her. She looked in front of her and tried to look confident; the way she always did. She didn't think it worked this time. When she felt a look at herself, she turned slightly and laughed.
"Are you sure you want this?" He asked. She didn't amswer. "Then, I'll tell you this: you can trust me. After all, I won't blame or try to stop you if you ever decide to buy a train ticket and leave. I would be sorry, but I wouldn't stop you. That's all I have to say. That's all I want to say to convince you that there's no reason for you to be afraid." She lowered her head between her palms and began to laugh. Then she put her right elbow on the door. She leaned her head on her fist and said with a smile, "Let's go."