Casey walked into the coffee shop with Snow, just as the vintage interior and lounge jazz music being the first to greet them. There was a man who sat at a table with his cup, too busied staring at his phone. Looking around, the rest of the shop was vacant, and he expected that at 8 a.m. and partly why he liked coming here.

He showed her to the long counter, leaning his arm against it, as he saw the female worker with whom he was familiar. He saw the back of her long curly black hair tied into a ponytail, and she was casually sifting through the items.

"Hey, Luna," he called to her.

She turned around, her mouth moving to a grin and with eyes more wide awake than his. "Hello Casey." She looked at Snow. "Who's this?"

"An acquaintance."

Snow put her hand in a small wave, smiling softly. "I'm Snow."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Luna." She stepped closer to the counter where the register was in front of her. "Now what can I get for you both?"

"Americano," Casey said. Americano was his usual order whenever he came here and she knew, but she always asked out of courtesy. He looked at Snow who was scanning at the menu board on the wall behind Luna. It was just like the time she stood at the vending machine and she was deciding on what to get. She had a look of trying to concentrate.

She looked at each one, unsure about her choice and then going over it again.

He gave her a minute. "I'll have a White Mocha," she said.

After taking care of their coffee orders, they sat down at a square table while waiting for their drinks to be made. Snow looked back at Luna, and within the seconds passing by she's currently around the presence of a guy—another coworker—and they were chatting.

"You know her?"

Casey shrugged. "I come here sometimes."

He was nervous; he knew they didn't come here just to hang out. She was devising a plan of action, a plan to map out their relationship. But that's not what they begin with. Instead, taking him by surprise, Snow wanted them to get to know each other.

"What do you want to know?" he asked.

"Everything," she answered.

By saying everything looked like a deep subject for him and he wasn't going to be particularly deep with her. She wore on a sheepish smile. Maybe she didn't mean to blurt out everything as the context of everything wasn't everything.

"The basics." Of course, she meant to start easy. Snow continued, "What's your full name?"

Are we really going to that first step? Casey thought. "Casey Jennings."

"And your middle?"

"Why do you need to know my middle now?" he asked doubtfully.

"I'll tell you mine," she offered.

"No."

"Didn't I say I'll tell you mine?"

He didn't want to sound rude, but he wasn't going along with that. It wasn't that necessary.

"Okay, I'm Shauna Wilson," she said, giving up on the favor.

Casey lifted his eyebrow. He was curious about one thing. "Why are you called Snow if your real name is Shauna?"

Snow looked at him as though he had asked a great question. "I was born in the middle of July and it snowed. My parents thought it was a miracle and they wanted to remember that time so they called me Snow."

Snow. Her parents must love her to want to remember the memories of snow falling with her. She looked like a person who was raised with lots of love.

"And where was that?" he asked.

"They traveled to Ontario to visit my grandparents. They weren't expecting a child."

He nodded. He could understand now. The first time he heard her name, he didn't think much about it except he never met anyone with a name like that.

She smiled. "And you? Where were you born?"

"Wisconsin, but I moved to Melbourne when I was fourteen," he said, tapping a finger on the table.

Luna approached them, setting down a wooden tray on their table with the cups on top. She passed one to Casey and then to Snow as she said, "Be careful, it's hot."

Snow nodded. Luna served a smile at them before taking her tray with her.

"Ooh, she's right, it is hot." Snow moved her hand away from the cup.

Since Casey had an Iced Americano, he sipped his right away. In his mouth, it just tasted like a bittersweet morning before going to his first class that began in an hour.

She blew on her drink. After the tenth blow count, she carefully grasped the cup, tipping it to her mouth. She smiled slowly. "It's still a bit hot, but I like it."

They talked about literal simple topics. What's your favorite color? What's your favorite food? What's your favorite season? What are your hobbies? What are things you like and things you dislike?

"Why do we need to know these things?" Casey asked, his expression quizzical.

"I thought it's a good way to be comfortable with each other. I didn't think you would like to be my partner if you don't know me so wouldn't this be a good time to get to know each other better?" she said hesitantly.

She drank more of her mocha and further added, "It's good if we're closer than distant, I believe."

It'd make sense to him.

What would make a better relationship than to build one up as if they had established one already?

"Okay, I see what you're saying," Casey said.

"Then can we keep going with more questions?"

The Q&A they took in turns together was an easy process. He didn't go great with small talk, but it benefited him in a way that he's learning about Snow and the kind of person she was. She was a really nice person.

"What's your ideal type of partner?" Snow asked.

"My ideal?" he said, and she nodded.

Casey crossed his arms in all seriousness. "I like a girl who's confident in her skin and proud. She has to be someone who knows what she wants and acts on it. It doesn't have to be a fully confident person but she wouldn't just give up either. She'll find her way around. I also like... if she's kind, caring, and attentive. She would have to love me more than anyone else. If I can see she cares about me, I would give her all the love she needs. And every once and a while, I like if she opens up about her thoughts, feelings, or anything that concerns her. She doesn't keep them in the dark and can rely on me. I like to be her source of comfort."

His eyes softened a bit. "Essentially a person who's outstanding, honest, and trustworthy."

Snow looked slightly stunned. "That's kind of deep."

"Really? I think a lot of guys want that," he said. His former girlfriend was just like that.

"I guess."

"And now you. Why don't you tell me what guy is your ideal?"

"Hmm..." He watched as her gaze fell to the table and was contemplated. "I don't know if I really have one. I like a lot of types. I just want a guy to like me."

Short and precise, that's what she all had to say. But Casey didn't buy it. "It can't just be that?"

She looked back at him, her teeth shyly displayed a smile. "Is it hard to believe? I die-hard crush on many. I think I'd just be lucky to find someone who likes hanging out with me and to just want to be with me."

The longer that Casey looked at her, the longer her innocence was more apparent. It was really weird. "Then you must be fine with anything?"

Her eyes told No, not exactly, but in a way, yes. "As long as he's a good guy and he treats me respectfully."

Snow leaned a little forward. "Are you feeling a bit better about this exchange?"

He would've said that's one way to put it and another was that she was a girl who looked as sweet as honey. "Yes," he said.

Pulling out a piece of paper from her binder and a pen out of her backpack, she began writing something down and he eyed at her paper with a questioning expression. He could hear another customer coming in through the door with this moment of silence.

Soon she flipped forward the paper to Casey. "Read it and if you agree, sign at the bottom."

He looked closer at the paper.

RELATIONSHIP AGREEMENT

This agreement is made for the purpose to strengthen the bond and relationship between Snow (Party A) and Casey (Party B). If one of the two parties runs to a conflict or decides to back out of a relationship before it ends, they must first talk to their partner and have an honest discussion. Party A's experiences may differ from Party B's.

Remember:

- Be honest

- Respect choices and decisions

- Take responsibility for yourself

Rules :

1. Touch is fine if with consent. (holding hands, hugs, arms brushing, etc.)

2. This period is a practice and not real.

3. No feelings should be fostered and thus, falling for one another is prohibited.

The relationship between Party A and Party B lasts for 30 days. The date occurrences and ending date is determined depending on the schedule they're free. Once signed, a relationship between Party A and Party B is formed and they agreed to the terms and conditions stated.

On the X mark bottom of the paper was signed by Snow in cursive. Casey read through it again. For thirty days, he was going to find himself in a life-turning situation, thirty days where he'd touch and hold another girl that wasn't her.

There were two ways that he saw. After this relationship period, he could try to win her back (and he missed her so) or he wouldn't have to be in a miserable state. He would prefer the first option.

How was she doing? Didn't she miss him at all?

She hadn't responded to his text, and he met disappointment every time. He wished to talk to her again.

Casey met Snow's eyes and nodded. She handed him the pen. Writing his name on there was bizarre like he had just given his life to hers now.

Snow looked with widened eyes and examined the paper. The signatures in ink written like a confirmation. "This is..."

She was speechless. "Okay, so you're cool if we're like seeing each other?"

"I guess."

He checked the time and knew he had to get to his next class, so he waved a hand for a check. A waitress came by the table with one, and he and Snow paid for their bill before leaving.

It was like getting into another relationship after getting out of one, a treacherous sin. He didn't want to believe he's doing something wrong. It was just all practice, Casey reasoned.

Malloy or Kyle didn't know. Not yet. Snow was clear on that, and he didn't mind. He was good at not telling anybody anything and just went along with it.

The evening rolled by as Casey sat on his black bean bag chair with the living room dark, but the lamp gave a little light he needed. He couldn't help that after days went past him, he still couldn't get her off his mind. The world was against him and didn't want to be by his side.

Raquel was the only girl for him. He never imagined a day like this where he was helpless and left to wonder why he wasn't enough for her to hold on to.

She was a pillow to him, all nice and soft, so when he'd sleep at night, it was peaceful. Her beautiful smile was there in his mind like a picture stapled to it. Even his lock screen was her smiling at him. He couldn't change his wallpaper.

If he'd try attempting, he wouldn't go through with it.

Casey came home these days to sleep until he had forced himself to do basic necessities like eating, showering, and working on his homework. Though with dried eyes, he was crying with his heart.

He stared at the no new text message from her. She could be busy, but he was worried it was because of how he took it that day when she told him it's over. He remembered how he was confused, and the breakup was just a hard hit to him.

Her words became a heavyweight and a chain wrapped around his heart, suddenly moving it downwards. What she said to him was like a bullet. I'm sorry, but I can't continue like this. I want to break up.

Casey sighed. Did he miss any warning sign that would lead up to that moment? There was so much he wanted to go over.

After what seemed like an infinite amount of time, he sent a new message. Hey.

Without a response, he wondered if she read it, then a text message appeared, but it was from Snow.

Hey Casey, Snow here. We can talk more about the plan. How are you feeling about it?

How are you feeling was a touch of concern for him like she had to check again on him. She didn't have to, and that made Casey felt an odd sensation.

Yeah, I'm here. I'm feeling alright.

She texted back fast because, in the same minute, he got another reply.

Okay! so, I want to make a plan for how our relationship is going to work and I thought we should exchange our class schedule so that we don't interfere with it and see when we're free?

Casey looked at the text. How thoughtful, he thought. He could have some days to himself or when he was busy, so at least there was flexibility.

Casey:

sure. I'll send it by this weekend. When did you want to start?

Snow:

Next week works for me. When you send it in your schedule and I send mines, I'll draw out things we could do. Does that sound cool with you?

Casey:

yep. I'm fine with that

Snow:

That could give you time to take it easy for yourself. I know the breakup must have had an impact on you, but I won't do anything that makes you uncomfortable if you don't like it, okay?

Casey:

thanks

Snow:

Also, I think you should ask me out. It'd feel less forced that way.

Casey:

What do you mean?

Snow:

Like how a boy asks a girl out. So it looks like we're together instead of already being together.

Casey:

...

Snow:

Just a thought. If not, that's okay.

Casey passed the time texting her a while longer. Soon he realized the time and thought he should start doing other things before it would get so late. They ended their chat with a goodbye, and he put his phone down.

He ruggedly ran his hair with both hands with his head falling back. He didn't know how to get through the rest of the week on his own without breaking down every time he remembered his former girlfriend. On his own, he tried distracting himself with other things, but it all ran back to her.

Maybe this was a good thing for him. Snow might be a little strange, but that was good. He could use a distraction.

▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓

July is ending soon and we're almost meeting August. It's going to be a sad time because the fall semester begins and I'm not ready to go through that hell. Ahh. But, look at Snow and Casey. They're doing it. It was nice of Snow to be considerate of Casey, yes? Do you like reading his POV? Or do you like Snow's? How do you think the relationship would be like between them?

Please Vote and Comment as it means the world to me!