Jovan collapsed on one of the benches while gasping for air. The park was filled with people and families who were enjoying the evening. Kids were playing around, and couples strolled along the paths. Jovan and Jason had just arrived at the park after their bike race.
"I am dead" Jason said as he slumped against the bench.
Jovan, though still catching his breath, was more exhausted than he looked. "You almost beat me today" he said with a grin and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Good job!"
Jason shook his head with a playful frown on his face. "What's the point? I still lost."
"Hahaha"
Jovan laughed.
Jason chuckled. "Don't celebrate too soon. I am not letting you win next time."
After a brief silence between them, Jason got up and stretched his arms. "I will go and get some snacks from the store" he said and took a step forward, but Jovan stopped him.
"Nah, I will do it this time. You bought last time, remember?" Jovan said with raised brows.
Jason couldn't help but smile. "Alright, it's your treat then" he replied and sat back on the bench.
Jovan stood up and made his way toward the store across the park. It was just a quick stroll to the nearby store, where they always picked up their favorite snacks and sodas after their ride. Not long, Jovan arrived and walked into the store.
After grabbing their usual snacks and sodas from the fridge, he was about to head to the checkout when he bumped into someone.
"Thud!!!..."
"Crash!!!"
The sound of soda cans crashing against the floor echoed in the small space. Jovan quickly raised his head to apologize, and his gaze met another pair of stunning eyes. A young girl with fair skin and long, dark, glossy hair stood in front of him. Honestly, she was beautiful.
They stared at each other for a good while, unable to tear their gaze away from each other. Jovan swallowed the last liquid left in his mouth, and his lips parted without a word. He blinked a few times, trying to regain his composure.
Normally, Jovan wasn't a fan of girls to begin with. He wasn't the type that appreciated beauties nor chased girls. He was like an ice cube and never cared about his romantic life. Even in school, he had never given any girl a second look, despite all the girls who wanted his attention. But today, he couldn't deny the fact that the girl in front of him was gorgeous.
Jovan soon snapped out of it....
"Ahh...I..i... I'm sorry." he apologized and bent down immediately to help her pick up the items that had spilled onto the floor."
Jovan was surprised when he realized the items she bought were the exact same thing he had in his bag: two Rubby Bloom sodas and two Honey Bite packets of snacks. It was as if they had both walked into the store with the same thing in mind.
"I'm sorry" Jovan handed the bag back to her and apologized again.
"It's okay" she replied with a smile.
Jovan nodded slightly and turned away, then walked toward the checkout. Just as she was about to go, something on the floor caught her eye. She bent down and picked it up, and it turned out to be a necklace with the letter "J" dangling from it. She stared at the necklace for a while and her eyes widened for a moment.
"It must be his" she muttered to herself.
She quickly glanced in the direction he followed earlier, but jovan was already making his way toward the exit.
"Hey!...hey!!"
She called and chased after him, but by the time she got outside, he was no where to be found.
She glanced at the necklace one last time before sliding it into her pocket. "If I see him next time, I will return it to him" she thought to her self, and made her way back to the store.
==============
However, at the park, Jovan arrived, he was having a weird feeling after he mate that girl in the store.
"What took you so long? Jason asked and grabbed one of the soda from him.
Jovan replied casually "There was just a delay at the checkout." He popped the tab of the soda and took a sip, before taking a seat beside Jason.
Sigh..."can't believe the holiday is already over, the thought of the school resuming tomorrow is already given me a head eck" Jason complained. But they was no response from Jovan.
He looked at him and find him staring blankly at the open space.
Jason chuckled lightly. "Hey!... what's wrong with you?" Jason was totally unaware of his friend's emotional struggle.
"Huh!...ahh, nothing" Jovan snapped out of his thoughts, he took another sip from the soda, and threw a piece of snack in his mouth.
The two settled down together, enjoying the evening as they always did, but Jovan couldn't shake the image of the girl from his mind.
Later that night.
As the night goes on. Jovan occasionally tossed himself across the bed, he couldn't sleep. His mind was consumed with memories of the girl he met at the store. her eyes, her smile. He couldn't just get her image out of his mind.
"Damnit!"
"Am I really going crazy just like that" he muttered to himself as he sits up on the bed....
"Who exactly is she?." Jovan kept wondering.
the night grew quite and darker, and finally the cold hands of sleep overpowered him.
...The Next Morning...
It was already morning, and the sun was at the edge of the horizon." Jovan was getting ready for school, but he seems to be looking for something.
"Where did it go? I thought I was wearing it yesterday" Jovan muttered as he continues to search through his stuff in the drawer.
"God!...I must have lost it yesterday at the park".
He sat back on the bed with a frown on his face and his hands on his head. He suddenly ruffled his hair in annoyance and picked up his bag and left the room.