Fenne adored when people smiled.

Eye crinkles, nose scrunches, bared teeth, rosey cheeks. Even when they grew to loud laughs, or let small giggles slip through, Fenne had a fascination with seeing people enjoy life's simplest pleasure.

In highschool, the young girl would sit quietly with her friends, and watch the way they'd grin. Hanna, her closest friend, was the best at making the group laugh. With outrageous stories and comedic timing, Hanna would have the girls smiling within minutes of being in her presence.

Science class would be filled with surpressed giggles and red faces. Fenne couldn't count how many times her friends were seperated for causing too much noise. She didn't know what it was about Science, but whoever sat at the high benches and tall stools lost the ability to behave.

Fenne Meer laughed a lot during her teenage years and smiled even more. In comparison to her friends, she was the more reserved one of the group, but never missed out on the fun. Fenne's parents expected her to do well in her studies, and well, she did. Her balance of work and social life was perfect, and Fenne could say that she enjoyed highschool.

With her bright, green eyes and maroon hair, Fenne was a wonder to everyone. With her friendly deamenour and soft aura, it wasn't hard for the girl to make friends. This made it easy for her to go up to anyone and immediately ease them into a conversation. Fenne Meer was nice, likeable, and most of all, Fenne was pretty.

Yet to be aware of this, twelve year-old Fenne Meer was unaware of the lingering glances she'd receive. Young boys cooed and rolled their shoulders back when she walked by. Friends would tease each other all while hiding the fact that they, too, longed for her attention. Her brown hair curled with the perfect redness in its strands and her own smile, which seemed ironic, was as beautiful as the ones she loved.

On one of the first days of highschool, Fenne heard a laugh that caught her attention. It neared a high-pitch, but not enough to reach an ear-piercing sensation. She wouldn't have thought much of it unless she hadn't looked to the lockers that lined the right wall.

A young boy laughed at the ketchup that had exploded in his friend's face. From what Fenne could tell, the larger one of the two had squeezed the single-use packet in an attempt to be funny. Fenne would have laughed at the sight, if it wasn't for the boy whose laugh originally caught her attention.

As he clutched at his stomach and stumbled away, the platinum-haired boy continued to howl. The corners of his eyes scrunched with lines and his straight teeth gleamed through his lips. His chest rumbled with his continuous laughter and Fenne was taken with the way the boy's face flushed.

'Dude, shut up! It's Fenne!'

The hushed cry made the girl realise that the ketchup-covered boy had caught her passing. She watched him jam his elbow into his friend's side, and his laughing came to a halt. With red cheeks and a lingering grin, the boy looked to where Fenne walked by. His clear eyes that shown through his balled cheeks met hers, and the laughter died to a choked gasp.

Fenne didn't know how to react at being caught staring. With the one boy still covered in ketchup, and the blonde boy blinking back at her, the Meer could do nothing but awkwardly smile back.

'Hey, Joost. Hey, Stuntje,' she was able to call out. Her eyes flickered between the two, before unconsciously settling on the small one of the two.

'H-Hey Fenne!' Joost Klein called back, trying not to sound eager.

Fenne saved herself any further embarrassment and turned away. She felt foolish for watching the two boys like a creep. The fact that they had caught her staring and even felt the need to greet them afterwards, Fenne hoped that Joost and Stuntje would forget she was ever there.

That year, Fenne noticed Joost Klein and his friends a handful of times. They always seemed to be messing around, laughing as much as Fenne and her friends did. The two groups never spoke, as preteen boys and girls wouldn't dare mix. But Fenne couldn't keep her eyes from finding the blonde boy, and his smile never failed to make her stare.

Because of her adoration for smiling, and the way faces changed with a tug of the lips, Fenne noticed things about people that most didn't. She noticed dimples, the shape of people's teeth, and how empty someone's eye looked when that special sparkle disappeared.

When Joost Klein first lost his smile, it felt like a punch to her gut. When he lost it the second time, Fenne struggled to laugh at Hanna's jokes.

Losing both parents in the space of one year sounded crippling. The word spread fast around the school and a solemn sadness surrounded the platinum-haired boy. His friends made sure to act no different after the initial shock, as it was the best way to keep Joost Klein from falling apart. They stayed with him after school until his older brother, his new guardian, came to pick him up every day.

From the combination of school work and changing schedules, Fenne Meer saw very little of Joost Klein after that.

When it neared their final years, Fenne heard that he had dropped out of the curriculum. By that point, she had been so engrossed in her studies and her own friends, that Fenne couldn't remember what he looked like past the age of thirteen.

The memory of his smile, and the impact it had when it was gone, faded.

After graduation, Fenne's parents asked what her next step was. Both project managers, her mother and father expected something academic, and her marks gave her the freedom of many subjects.

'Film? That's what you want to do?' her father repeated one evening. In their two-storey house, the Meer family sat in their living room as they listened to their only child's prospect.

Fenne bit her lip at her parents' stare. They had just gotten home from work, which was in the heart of the Amsterdam. It made her confession even more difficult when they were in their formal workwear. Her desire to do something more eccentric than a corporate office job was hard enough to admit, and with their hanging jaws, the sight of Fenne's parents made her want to sink through the floor.

'I know its not what you expected, but I looked into UA, and I liked their media program,' she defended while fiddling with her fingers.

'Can I ask why? You've never shown much interest in cameras or movies,' Fenne's mother said, sharing a look with her husband.

'I just... like seeing people?'

She knew how strange it sounded, but there was no way to explain it. Movies and film weren't concepts that she boasted about, but the production of media and its presentation of emotion was something she admired. Fenne loved seeing people in the moment, in their moment, and how was she going to find a career in watching people in the street?

Perhaps she could try and replicate moments, create a world where she could admire others. Or something like that.

So, Fenne enrolled at the University of Amsterdam in a Bachelor of Media.

She learnt to work a camera and learnt the history of film. Completing essays in culture, emotion and concept representation analyses, Fenne could call herself an arts major.

After class, Fenne walked out of the building while zipping up her bag. In a pair of black denim cargo pants and a fitted top, Fenne tossed her hair from her shoulders to slip her bag onto her back. She looked up, seeing a familiar brunette making her way towards her.

'If I have to watch another c-section, I'm going to simply implode.'

Hanna huffed with a straight face, making Fenne let out a laugh. Her highschool friend was in her student scrubs with her hair in a braid down her back. The intense nursing classes were taking a toll on Hanna and Fenne often thanked the lord that she had chosen a relaxed major in comparison.

'Did you want to go out tonight?' Fenne asked.

Her friend let out a hum and Fenne didn't need further confirmation. The two twenty-one year-olds spent most days planning their weekends. It distracted them from their assignments and homework and made the walks through the modern campus short.

'There's some show at Air tonight. I heard some guys talking about it today,' Hanna suggested, her voice lacking the excitement it should have. Fenne didn't hold it against her as she knew that she would liven up once they got home.

'Yeah, I heard that, too. Want to go?'

'We can start there and maybe go somewhere else after.'

Fenne and Hanna went back to their shared apartment. They rented a two bedroom apartment and travelled by train to and from the university. Living in Amsterdam wasn't cheap, so their living situation couldn't rely on their parents' funds. They had part-time jobs for their general expenses, meaning nights out in the city were from their own earnings.

That night, they got ready to head to Air. It was a club known for good music and descently priced drinks. After a long week of classes and working, Fenne felt like she and Hanna needed a good night out. Amsterdam was always buzzing and the city's nightlife never failed to wash away their week's struggles.

In a simple black mini dress, Fenne pulled on a pair of Doc Martens. The Netherlands' summer was humid and it was a somewhat pleasant change from the cold nights. Fenne was able to get away with keeping a cropped cardigan wrapped around the strap of her shoulder bag.

'Did you google anything about this show?' Hanna asked as they sat on the train. She wore a pair of dark brown tight pants and a 70s-style wide-sleeved top. With some platform boots, Hanna sat with one leg crossed over the other as the train shot underground.

'No. I didn't think to, actually.'

Fenne went to pull out her phone, but saw the 'SOS only' symbol in the righthand corner. The underground tunnel made it so that any internet connection was near extinct. She slipped her phone back into her bag and decided they would just have to be surprised by whoever appeared on stage tonight.

The queue into the club was long. It barely moved, and at one point, Fenne suggested they go somewhere else.

'Come on, Fenney, it's moving now!' Hanna gestured to the front, where the bouncer was letting groups of people in.

Inside was dark with purple and red flashing lights. The stage was being set up and the dance floor was buzzing. A mixture of young men and women crowded the bar, and bartenders rushed from end to end trying to serve everyone.

Like always, the music was good. With catchy beats and vibrating floorboards, a playlist of Dutch and English songs prepared the crowd for the main performer. It was a good sign for a fun night, and Fenne and Hanna made for the bar for their first drink.

The queue was a mass of organised chaos. Those who had an ounce of social awareness let those who were ahead of them go first, and others snapped at the bartender to get their attention. It wasn't long until the two girls were leaning against the wooden bar, waiting to be served.

'Do you see any signs for whose performing?!' Hanna yelled over the hum of chatter and loud music. Fenne looked around, standing over her toes to peer at opposite walls. She hoped for a poster or something, but shrunk back to face her friend with a shrug.

'I would Google it but I can't reach my phone right now!'

The crowd were shoulder to shoulder, making any movement to get into her bag a dangerous task. Fenne's elbow would no doubt chin someone, so she gave up in finding out the main event.

With drinks in their hands, Hanna and Fenne made their way to the dancefloor. The music was slowing and people rushed from the bar to head for the stage. It was out of luck that the two girls had gotten their drinks early and found themselves squished towards the front of the stage.

'Shit, I'm not gonna survive this!' Hanna cried as she stumbled. The man next to her was so busy shoving his friend, that he rebounded into her. The crowd bunched together and Fenne held her drink close to her chest in an attempt to save it.

Fenne was also concerned for herself. She hadn't drank enough to warrant ignoring the pushes and shoves of a crowd. But it wasn't something she hadn't experienced before. Her and Hanna had been to clubs and shows in the past and this was nothing new. But considering they didn't know who was performing and had only just arrived at Air, they wondered if it was even worth staying.

'His name is small!'

The English lyrics came before the music. Those that knew the song cheered. The beat was a strange melody and Fenne raised an eyebrow to her friend, wondering if she recognised the song. The stage was still empty, but as the base built, it wouldn't be long until the performer appeared.

'But his dreams are big!'