The past is done we've been betrayed
It's true
Youth is wasted on the young
Before you know it's come and gone
♪
robbie williams - eternity

Tuesday the 14th of June, 6pm

Howard POV

The street isn't as empty as I thought it would be. I sit alone in my car. The music blasts through it and the song makes me shiver. I'm sure, it's not only the song. I'm nervous as someone could be and whenever I am, I feel cold. 

Outside, the sun shines warmly down on me. The light is so pretty, I want to take a photo of it, so I never forget it, but I guess I couldn't handle driving and photographing at the same time.

I wonder how Tionne looks like. The boys showed me a photo of hers, but they didn't realise, that it is a painting.
How is her voice? More feminine and high or deep and low?

Will she be the same sarcastic jerk as she was in her texts? I hope so, because if not, I wonder if she is real.

The song changes. A groovy sound fills the car. The music is so loud that the car almost shakes. A big smile appears on my face. I'm happy. And I'm nervous. What, if we sit there in silence? What, if everything I talk about is ridiculous?

It feels like the first date in school. I don't remember it very well, but all I know, is, that it was a beautiful day with a beautiful girl and I ruined it with my stupity. But how should I know, that girls in sixth grade don't like a guy, who laughs so hard, that the soda he drank a minute ago splits out of his nose?

If I think back now, it was very funny. For me. I guess, the girl never ever came to me again.

The memory makes the smile on my face even bigger.

My fingers tap on the steering wheel, can't wait to see her in person. 

At home, I had to convince the guys, that I can handle meeting her. They wanted to come with me to get a conversation going. Luckily, I ran out of the house and drove like the devil was behind me, so they quit yelling at my decision. 

For the hundred time, I look in the mirror to check my hair and face. Do I have a dimple? Although the other 99 times I checked, there was no dimple, I had to check again. 

My anxiety of meeting her grows and I'm not sure what this means. Does it mean, that I don't want her to be real? Does it mean, that I'm in love with her? Does it mean, that I'm afraid of her? What, God, what does it mean?! 

After twenty minutes, I park my car in front of the Beach Café, the place where we want to meet. I take a deep breath. I wasn't that nervous my whole life. It feels, like this is a really big thing and if I mess this up, I will hate myself forever. 

Finally, I go out of the car. 

Slowly, I walk in the direction of the door. Although I saw a picture of hers, I don't know where she could be. How am I supposed to find her? The vibration of my phone makes me jump. I took it out of the jeans pocket.

Tionne: 
Hey, dumbass. Stop staring at the door. I'm sitting outside. First table on the right. The hysterical girl who winks. 

I search for the girl in the description. At the first look, there is no person who does that, but as I look closer, there's a girl that winks accurately not like Tionne descibed herself, but she seems to be waiting for someone. I start to walk in her direction, as a loud voice yells. "Dude, I'm over here!" Immediately I turn around and what I see, is not quite what I expected I would see. 

Tionne doesn't even look like the girl on the drawing. She must have sent the guys a fake drawing. Alone the fact, that she did this, makes me grin. As I reached the table, she punshes me on the shoulder. 

"Hi. I didn't thought, that you would take this long. Were you driving like a granny?" She laughs. Her black Afro is held out of her face with a hairband, so as she laughs, not one strand of hair escaped. 

"Hi. How are you doing?" I greet her. 
"Good. But do you really want to start our first face to face conversation like this?" She said almost mad as if she had expect me to be better than that. 

"Where did you get that nose ring?" I asked, not knowing what else to say. Her skin has a soft brown teint, so the silver of her nose ring and her earings stands out. I notice that she isn't wearing any make-up which is exactly how I expected her to be. 

"Oh, I don't remember. This happened five years ago, I think." She answered, shrugging her shoulders. 

"Five years ago? But that time you were 15." Another shouldershrug of hers. I look around and my look is left on a good looking guy who is looking at us. Trying to make Tionne noticing him, I wink with my head in his direction. 

"What are you trying to do? Is this your definition of doing sport?" She jokes. I think, it doesn't work. 

"Who is this handsome guy who keeps staring at us?" I ask her directly. Tionne turns around and faces the boy. A disgusted look appears on her face. 

"That's Wren. He's an asshole." She says and says the last sentence extreme loud. A wide grin appears on the face of Wren. 

"How's your crush?" Tionne asks during she grins. Crap. I know she would ask that question. 

"Did I mention that I love your look? Really, the white oversized t-shirt fits perfectly with the black pair of pants." I try to confuse her and turn to an other topic, hoping she would jump on it. 

"So, are you together?" She continues. Why can't you just let it down? Is it so difficult?!

"And he keeps staring at us. Should I stand up and invite him to join us?" Keeping on ignoring her questions, I try it with the stranger. 

"No, and stop ignoring my questions." She stares at me with a look that says 'Don't even try playing my game'. 

"Hey, what's up, sweetheart?" A deep, male voice speaks up behind her. I look up and there's the stranger, looking down angry at me. Am I in trouble? Well, maybe a little bit.

"Just ignore him, Howard. He just wants our attention, but deep down he knows that he should go back to his cheerleader." Tionne says in a normal tone with no secret meanings. Maybe she doesn't like him. 

"So you did notice it!" Happily, Wrens face lights up. Okay, I don't know about Tionne, but this guy right here is definitely in love with her. He may not know it right now, but let alone his actions speak for himself. He's a total suck-up when it comes to her. The only question I have, is, why would he do something that stupid? Everyone knows that this always turns out bad. 

"Yeah, she's pretty. Why don't you go out with her?" Surprisingly, Tionne turns around to him. It is so much fun how he stares at her. It is a mix between disbelieval and surprise. And if I look closer, there is something that looks like pain. His eyes are by the way golden like the sun with a little brown. 

"Why should I?" Wren asks, clinshing his eyebrows together which makes him even hotter. Really, if I ain't in love, I would go for him. 

"Because she definitely likes you." Tionne makes a gesture with her hand which says 'obviously'. This so full with passion. She may not notice it, but Wren seems like he thinks about revealing his feelings. 

"Listen, Tionne. I don't want to go out with her..." Wren says loudly. 
"Okay. We have to go anyways." Tionne says and stands up. Confused, I stay at sitting. Maybe they will have another conversation and if so, it's better to sit and watch. 

"We?" Wren stares angrily at me. Woah, back up bad boy! 
"Yeah, Howard and I. Only one hour left, than he has to go back." She says with a look at the clock. 7pm. I didn't notice that one hour passed by during our conversation. Slowly, I stand up, not sure what to do. 

"Howard?" Wren asks. Yeah, that's me! You don't have to ask in this 'Who the heck is this' tone, I'm standing right in front of you. In case he is stupid, I give him my hand. 
"Yes, hi. I'm Howard from Manchester, Tionnes online friend and gay." I say every information that's necessary for him to not punch me. A little realization appears at his face. His emotions relax a little, but theres still his clenched jaw. Man, this dude has muscles. 

"Great, so you two know each other. Now we have to go." Tionne grabs my arm and walks away. During her walk, she yelles over her shoulder "Good-bye, Wren and please go for the cheerleader. She really likes you. Love you!" 

"What was that?" I ask, while we walk down the road. 

"I don't know, man. It just turned out like this." She answered. I don't know if it was just a haluzination, but I bet there was a hint of sadness in her face, as if she does this on purpose. 

***

After a little walk on the beach, she walks me back to my car. We watched as the sun went down on the horizon. The sky is still a little purple but more black and blue than other colours. 

"So this is it." She says as we stand at my car. 
"Yeah, for today. You will never get past me. Never! I will stick on you like glue." I say, jokily. A little smile appears on her face. 

"Yeah. You are like this annoying beagle that flys at night noisily around you and you never catch it." There it is. The Tionne I know from my phone. The badass Tionne. 

"I'll write you when I'm home." I say, because why not? It's the best final sentence you could say. 
"You better." She smiles. Then an expression as if she forgot something important appears on her face. 

"Before I forget, what is with you and your crush?" She asks the question I hoped she forgot. 
"Well, he isn't gay." I say. It was a sad moment, but I'll get over it. Eventually. In a few years. After hoping he'd change his mind. 

"I'm sorry. For everything." I nodd at her said words. Then I open the door and climb in the car. 

"Hey, you have to meet Gary, Robbie, Mark and Jason some day." I say, before closing the door.