December 21st, 2019

The girl slowly tapped on his shoulder. He turned to the other side, falling for her bait. She smirked, taking the cotton candy stick away from his hand, she ran. The boy ran after her, calling her name over the crowd. 

Nith watched them, smiling at himself. With another turn at the corner, the kids mixed into the crowd. 

"This way!" Kate called over her shoulder.

He nodded. His hands were inside the pockets of his denim jacket as he walked behind Kate. Hoodie up to cover his hair. Nith didn't understand why he had to cover his hair, but according to Kate, hiding your hair from view was 101 when going incognito. He doubted it was working as well as Kate had expected it to work with the number of eyes that were stealing glances at them. They might as well lose the cap and the hood.

Nith breathed out, watching his breath turn white before vanishing into the air. The weather was cold, not enough to snow but enough to make you think it might.

"Look!" Kate pulled his arm, dragging him to the next stall. Their steps matched in pace as they moved from one place to another. It was a rhythm Nith was familiar with. One he often played to himself when he was alone. 

Kate shifted her hand until it was entwined with his. Warm and soft. His fingers flexed as the warmth from her fingertips spread through his veins like a forest fire. The bitterness of winter that had him complaining a few minutes ago turned into spring in his mind.

And then she let go of his hand to take a closer look at the trinkets. The warmth vanishes in thin air. With a sigh Nith puts his hand back inside his pocket, trying to salvage whatever that was left of Kate's touch on him. He leaned on his feet, watching her carefully pick each item in the stall. Her sun-set hair was poking out of the cap that she pushed back behind her ear. Blue eyes taking in the tiny clay earrings displayed in cases.

"Which one?" She dangled two earrings in front of him. One shaped like a bunny, hanging onto the hook by one of its ears. The other one was a half-eaten cupcake.

Nith chuckled. Kate had an obsession with cute animals ever since she turned nine. So he knew which one she wanted him to choose. He pointed at the cupcake.  "That one, it's cute."

Kate grimaced, looking at them once more. "But I think the bunny is cuter."

"Then why did you asked?" Nith tilted toward her to take a closer look at the ones still inside the case.

"You used to be so nice. Always 'Yes Kate' and 'No Kate'. But now ..." she tsked.

Nith rolled his eyes. "You mean when I was your lackey?"

Kate gasped, slapping him on the forearm. "You make me sound like a bully!"

Nith picked a pair of cats. "You kind of were. Beating everyone up everywhere you went."

Brows high in her hair as she shook her head. "I can't even look at you anymore." But the laughter in her voice gave her away.

Nith laughed himself as he took the earnings from her hand and placed them in front of the owner. "We will take all three."

"But-"

"Kate, you would buy them both." He knew how this was gonna end. They would stand here for the next fifteen minutes arguing over which one was cuter and then she would end up buying them both like the last five stalls they visited. Nith would rather save those fifteen minutes before she got on her rant. "I know that." He motioned his hand toward her. "As you know that. And," - he gestured at the stall owner - "she knows that too. Let's save all of our time. People are waiting." He motioned the crowd behind them.

"We know that," Kate mimicked Nith's voice mockingly. "Fine." She crossed her arm over her chest. "Then you pay. Wait, are you going to say I bullied you into buying that for me later? Then don't."

Laughing Nith got his wallet out, handing the money to the other side. "Then buy me something later."

"Seriously." Kate took the packet in her hand, dropping it inside her bag. She pushed her sunglass back as she started to walk ahead. "Don't be such a cheapskate, Nith."

"Wow," Nith blew a breath. He shook his head, matching her steps. "Calling me a miser after you made me buy you these earrings, those giant shrimp dumplings, and that huge cup of melon flush?"

"You ate two of those dumplings and we shared the melon flush," she shot right back at him, pointing her French manicured nails at his nose.

"Two out of five!" His smile busting out as he talked, "And you gave me only one sip!"

Kate rolled her eyes. Nith couldn't see it because of the sunglass but he knew. "You are acting like a child, Nith."

"Bully ..." Nith huffed loudly. 

Kate gave him another slap on the arm. Though her laughter made the impact weak. "Fine! What do you want?"

"Anything."

She looked up at him, a perfectly arched eyebrow questioning him. Nith shrugged. "And then you are gonna put the scraps in your treasure box, aren't you?"

"I might if I find it," he lied.

"You used to everything in that box." Kate chuckled. "Who knows where my old shoe box is?" She suddenly stopped, pulling Nith with her. "Nith," her voice breathless as if she just had a revelation. "Tomorrow, let's look for your box! I will come over and we can search for it together!" She held his hand in excitement. "It's probably somewhere in your room. Behind the dresser or the table. It will be like those scavenger hunts Ann would make us do when we were kids!" Kate started to walk again. "You are not the type to lose things. I wonder what's in there?" she asked in a teasing tone, her eyebrow going up and down in acceleration.

Nith gave her a thin smile, walking ahead. He already knew where that box was and what was inside. Stuffed inside the vent hole, the box had all the letters she had sent him. The ones he read again and again instead of replying. His old phone with his old mail and number that had their never-ending conversations and pictures of the most mundane things they used to do. Text and emails Kate sent him throughout the months waiting for him to answer back until she stopped sending them one day.

He regretted it, all of it, more than anything else.

Not following her to Mbona, not answering her numerous calls. Not telling her about Riley and his lies. Not telling her about his own feelings and the lies he told her. Back then, he used to tell himself that it was for Kate. That he was doing this for Kate. So that she didn't get hurt, so that Beth couldn't find her through him. But the truth remained clear. He did it cause he was selfish and a coward. Because he chose his own feelings over her.

His fist clenched. How could Kate have forgiven him so easily?  

"I'm glad we came here today. It brings back so many memories," her voice faded, reminiscing. "I am glad we can be friends again."

Nith's mouth soured at the thought of the word. Friend ... How long would that be enough for him? How long would he hide his true feelings? How long before she finds out?

He didn't want to think anymore.

"Is that a photo booth?" 

Nith looked up in the direction Kate was pointing at. He recognized it instantly. They had been to the same booth before when they were sixteen. The photos were blurry and unfocused. Photos that were still inside his treasure box. Though the booth that stood in front of him looked different now, disheveled and more broken down. The shiny wooden panel now was in beaten-up black. With the chuck of wood missing from the side, colors faded, and a piece of dark cloth hangs from it acting as a makeshift door.

Was this supposed to represent their past friendship? Or his current state?

Kate looked between Nith and the booth, his somber expression. "Wanna go?"

Nith glanced at her briefly. He nodded. "You're paying," he said, ducking inside.

"Seriously..." Her brows furrowed as she got in. She took off her cap as she gave the inside a once over. The place smelled like smoke, much better than what she thought it might smell like. Compared to the outside the inside was in a better condition. Except for the coin slot that was rusting away. The red seat for them to take was small, barely leaving any space for Kate to sit after Nith. "Scoot over, you took the whole seat." She pushed him to the side.

"There is nowhere to go," Nith laughed, showing her how he was already over the wall. "Sit at the edge."

"In air? Cause that's what's left after your big butt took over the stool." Hunching over, she punched him again to move. "Move!"

"Where would I move to?"

Kate pushed him again. "I might as well sit on top of you at this point."

"Who's stopping you?"

"Fine!" She plopped herself onto his lap.

Nith stiffened, blinking. "Wait, Kate - " He didn't actually expect her to sit on his lap. He shifted again.

"Stop moving." She inserted the coin. "What?" she asked, turning toward him. Her hair whipped through the air, scaring him. He could smell her shampoo and the subtle lavender in her perfumer.

Panicked, Nith tried to move away. His back hit the wooden wall of the booth. Kate tried to stop him but the sudden confusion of movement made Nith slip off the stool. It tipped, almost tumbling them over before he caught himself. One hand on the side wall to hold himself as the other automatically went to hold Kate. His leg bent beneath the stool to keep it from going away. While his left leg anchored against the camera stand to keep him from sliding.

With an Oomph, Kate grabbed his shoulder and hoodie. His hand slipped down, touching the pale skin of her waist under her shirt.

And without any warning, the camera flashed once and then again.