"Hey, what's the matter with Misty?" Lisa asks when Karin came back from the restroom.

"She said she has something to do. You know her, always busy with something to do", she replied, putting all her attention on wiping her hands on the paper towel she took back with her from the restroom so as not to prolong the conversation.

"I wonder if I should call her up?" Lisa said looking from Erin to the door with a concerned look. "We always meet here at this time as usual and I never know of Misty to leave for anyone or anything when we are to meet up."

Karin saw the look of concern and felt a bit of anger when she knew that Misty was not in any form or way in need of their friend's concern. She however was by no means going to tell her that their friend was pining over her man. Who the hell did that to their friend?

"Come on, let's order...we have been waiting so long on you," Karin said, pulling her to the seat. "Misty will be alright."

Through this, Erin said nothing and just sat beside Lisa and watched as Karin fumbled with her napkin. He figured she knew more than she was letting on.

Misty was their friend but he was of late not too fond of her. He saw her watching him in ways that left him uncomfortable. He had on one occasion made this known to Lisa and she had laughed it off saying in her sweet seductive way.

"Which girl wouldn't want to eyeball you, love, after all, you are the nicest eye candy I know."

He too had laughed and left it at that, but deep down he still felt apprehensive, he did not like Misty's behaviour. There was something about her that left him cold. He looked back to the door silently hoping that whatever had caused her to rush from the cafe would keep her away when he saw her brother enter.

Dustin was the punk rock figure through and through, unlike his sister he had a sunny disposition that would always be lacking in Misty.

The dark eye shadow, inked toned highlights in his blonde hair, multiple spike earrings and black nail polish did not take away from the sweet easy-going charm he possessed and being the leader of the greatest boy band around town was also a tick in his favour.

He smiled and waved at him in greeting and was given in return Dustin's trademark smirk and nod with his hazel eyes smiling back as he made his way to the counter to pick up his order that Elaine the head waitress had already prepared.

He said something to her as he got closer that had the older lady giggling and blushing as he took the paper bag and handed her some money. He was like that. He, unlike Misty, seems genuine with those around him. He made an effort to relate, open up and respond without the sarcasm that often laced Misty's response.

Once he heard Karin say that Misty was like that because she spent so much time in and out of foster homes...but so did Dustin.

As he rushes to change the conversation he pushes every thought of Misty from his mind. He focused on Lisa and Karin and made their luncheon jovial and fun as they share various funny experiences that happened at school in their different classes.

Sometime later they were settling down to the lazy after-effect of a well-put-together lunch and various chit-chat about the upcoming events at school when his phone vibrated indicating he had received a message, he made to check it but decided he would do it after they left the diner.

He had no idea how lucky he was that he had made that decision. He turned his focus to Lisa and felt his heart vibrate with his love for her. He had thought coming to a new town and meeting a whole new set of people was not by any means going to be to his liking.

He had already made up his mind that this was going to be a living hell, surely being away from his best buds and having to leave his swim team of which he had been apart for the past four years was hell personified. It had all however turned out to be for better than he had anticipated.

There had turned out to be a great swim team of which he was now the captain, he had the prettiest and the sweetest girl in the school as his girlfriend and a witty best bud despite being a girl, they fitted into the spot left behind from his departure from his previous home in Houston and kept him happy.

He had never expected things to turn out so well. He had felt awful when he had shouted at his grandmother when she had relayed that they would be moving away from the only life and home he knew.

The home where the memories of his mother and father graced the walls and sat on top of furniture with mementoes. Their presence still filled every nook and cranny of the three-bedroom house even though a month prior a reckless speedster had careened into his parents' car taking them away from him.

He was once again going to have to tell them goodbye and it had upset him greatly. His friends too would all be left behind as he was unwilling to be chucked into a new life he never asked for.

He thought how it had all seemed like hell as they drove away a few weeks later the lush green grass of the lawn holding a SOLD sign placed firmly in its depths. That green lawn where he had played and learned to swim in a plastic pool at the age of two and a half years drifted further and further away as they drove to their new home.

He pulls himself from the past as the memories tug at his heart and watches as Lisa cheerfully calls to someone and Karin gives a hearty wave. He glanced briefly at the person who caught their attention and frowned when she quickly turned away before he could greet her too.

With a shrug of his shoulder, he glanced about the diner with its mixture of teens huddling together at their favourite table while towners partake in a late lunch. The past eleven months here had slowly helped him heal.

The real force behind his healing was the sweet, caring and sensitive girl sitting across from him. His heart soared with love and contentment as he gazed at her slender oval face with its emerald eyes that always radiate care and warmth. How could he help himself from not falling in love with her?

He wanted to caress the lustrous strands of her blonde hair but instead, he reach across the table and held her hand. Lisa was the reason for his survival.

He looked at their fingers laced together the dark of his skin and the creamy white of hers contrasting yet making an appealing image. He smiled as he felt her fingers tighten against his. He loved her so much and felt so blessed to have her.

Karin sat staring at them dreamily and grinning with delight. It was a pleasure for her to watch their love. She grinned at them and was about to tease them when Erin's phone chimed a notification. She automatically glanced down at it and saw that it held a familiar number. The smile evaporates from her lips and the words die on her tongue.

All of a sudden she was filled with an unnerving feeling. If only there was no Misty.

************************************Thank you for moving on to Chapter 2 😁 Please vote and leave your comments 😊😊.

Question: What do you think is going to happen to our little quartet?
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