(Listening to Breathin by Ariana Grande)

They know, time would never stop them to do anything they wanted. Indeed, the time became the witness of both Amber and Krystal had standing face to face to each other and only the street was separating them.

When the traffic light turned red and the other strangers began to step forward crossing the road, Amber was nervous.

Because from the spot she was, her eyes had clearly captured the most perfect beauty she'd ever seen in her life. Minah, the girl she used to date is beautiful, but, Krystal- for Amber, is more than beautiful.

It had been years, she didn't give herself a chance to be with someone, in personal. The last girl was when she still in the language academy and there was nothing special instead of them satisfying each other's lust and passion.

"I recall our last conversation, Amber and I took it as granted," Krystal muttered, tilted up her head a bit to see into Amber's orbs. She smiled, "Or..is it only me who think we are going out together for today?"

"No-no, I am, me too," Amber denied instantly, clamping her palms together, trying to get rid of her sudden rushing adrenaline inside.

"So?" Krystal asked, lifting her eyebrows as seeing the older girl's nervous state.

"So... Let's get something to eat first? I know you're hungry, right?"

"Trust me, I'm always hungry,"Krystal chuckled out before standing next to the older girl and they began to walk side to side. "But hey, don't be too formal. Please, act casual,"

Amber nodded, releasing a nervous laugh. "I try,"

"Was it Key's idea again?"

"Huh?"

Krystal slightly tapped Amber's shoulder, "Are you dressed to impress? This style isn't bad anyway and... I like the natural touch up at your face,"

"Thanks?"

"And now your turn to praise my style," Krystal stopped taking another step as she playfully flipped her hair and gave Amber a meaningful look, referring to her appearance for that day.

The tomboy quickly changed into her serious expression, pretending that she's the judge for some runway project, checking Krystal up and down.

"Hmm... Not bad, Ms. Krystal, I bet you can beat Naomi Campbell or Tyra Banks with this look. Hair, summer outfits and especially your face, its on point,"

"Thank you," Krystal laughed.

"Only one thing that I really like is..." Amber marched forward, closed to the young woman as she touched Krystal's hair gently. "I love it when you tied your hair this way. It made you a princess-like,"

There's a pause moment when Amber shifted her eyes to stare at the beauty for a second, giving Krystal a small smile from her lips.

The boyish chuckled as she took a glimpse at the younger's blushing face, "That was cheesy right? I shouldn't describe it to you or your face not going to be as red as tomato,"

"No..." Krystal looked away, "Its okay, at least that was a compliment,"

"I spent hours to do my hair so now its worth it,"

"Alright, princess," Amber replied as she gestured her hand, signalling for Krystal to further their walk. "What's your favourite type of food? Italian? Arabian? Persian?"

"Haha," Krystal fake a laugh as she rolled her eyes, folding her arms closed to her chest, "That's not funny,"

"Well, tell me then. What would you like to have? But please, not fancy restaurant, I'm broke,"

"Actually I really want to try at Gordon Ramsay's. They said the hamburger there is the best in world," Krystal replied in her teasing tone.

Amber blew a sigh then.

"Gordon Ramsay's appetizer costs more than my shirt I'm wearing now, you know..."

"Oh come on, I'm kidding!" Krystal laughed, playfully caressing Amber's short hair. "What about we hunt for food truck?"

Then, Amber's eyes widen because she found that suggestion was very interesting.

***

Amber's POV

We strolled through the busy streets of New York. I took Krystal around the busiest city in America, we tried the tastiest pizza, we filled our tummies with an amount of eateries from the food trucks. She expressed that was her first time eating and standing at the same time, which made me stunned.

Her mother said it wasn't a good behaviour, its a beggar's attitude.

I want to clarify, even beggar is still an ordinary human being and deserves to be valid like us. But since, it is Krystal's mother who we're speaking, I'm afraid she would come and knock on my door- for a free preach.

"Hey Amber, one question," suddenly I heard Krystal's voice as we sat down together on the green grass, admiring the scenic view of tall buildings and the mighty sky.

"Hmmh?"

"You've said, human are built for each other, to complete one another. But... why there's so many divorces and splits in world? What's the use of meeting each other, get married, have kids and at the end separate ways then act like strangers?"

I stared at this pretty face for a moment, instructing my brain to start functioning.

"About why the couple get divorced, only they knew. The reason why they ended up their relationship is maybe because its their fates. Sometimes, even true love couldnt last long because of God's will," I answered, hugging my knees closed to my chest. "Like Romeo and Juliet, they sacrified their lives for each other but what people understand from their story is only some stupid and bloody fool actions. The true meaning, William Shakespeare kept it hidden so the next generation would do a research why there's no happy ending,"

Krystal stared at me back, "Who you believe more? People or what William Shakespeare left?"

I gazed into her eyes,

"I believe more on what I thought about Romeo,"

"Which is...?"

"He's the kindest guy in his time, he's loyal to the girl he loved. He never lose hope when the world are stopping them. He put all his trust on the girl who was impossible to be with. He believed his love to Juliet would never die although they're not breathing anymore,"

"And it came out true. Up until now, we're already in the 21st Century but we still upset about Romeo and Juliet's death. They were perfect to each other but the ending story wasn't very promising, only frustration. Although they died, their love story are still living between us,"

I can sense Krystal was too focus in my speech because her pinky lips slightly opened. I held myself from laughing.

"Sometimes I'm curious either you're time traveller or what. You sound really like the people from 18th century you know..." she commented, letting the strand of her hair fell on her flat forehead.

"I wish I am a real time traveller. I could be a witness to every love story and returning to present time to tell what happened. Isn't that cool?"

"Hah, I know. Other than that, you want to go back and fix every mistake you did, right? Maybe you want to stop yourself from falling in love with that Minah?"

Her words cut me deep inside. I breathed in as I replied and shake my head in denial, "I won't ever do that, Krys, even I've been given a chance to go back to my teenage time and if its happening, the feelings still be there,I guess. I couldnt change what my heart already felt,"

Krystal apologized not a moment after,

"I'm... sorry... It just slipped out, I didn't really mean what I've said,"

"No... its fine..." I whispered, tilting my head up to the blue sky, letting my eyes scanned through the clouds. "When you fall in love, there's nothing much you could do, Krystal. The feeling is like a glue, will always stick inside and cannot be expelled easily..."

"Maybe I had move on from Minah, but everytime I drove passed by the school, my heart was in dreadful pain. It hurts and so hard to take in one time... I was a young kid who just discovered her uality, who not knowing why she fall for an innocent girl and everyone only knows to insult and to hate, not to understand or to help," I felt a sudden heavy tingling feeling in my left chest, recalling those bad times when I had no one by my side. I didn't aware my eyes got teary and the warm liquid streamed down at my cheeks.

Until I felt a tiny hand touched and caressed my wet skin, using her thumb to wipe my tears away.

I surpressed a fake laugh, covering my tears from keep falling down.

"Sorry, I'm emotional when I've come across with my past,"

Krystal gave a slight tap on my cheek then. "You know its okay to express what you've felt. Like what you had taught me on how to show feelings, I suppose you've done nothing wrong by letting those tears came out,"

I shifted my face on my left side and our eyes met again. I thanked her in my slow tone and she just closed her eyes, nodding at me.

We sanked in silence, saying nothing and lost in our own thoughts.

I was reminiscing my awful memory back the moment Minah had pushed me away- when Krystal moved closed and lean her head on my left chest. I'm sure she can hear my heartbeat and feel the warmth of my body, since we're attached physically.

I don't know how to react or what to say because it was just an 'all of sudden' behavior'.

"Amber, forget the past," she said. "And try to picture what's in the future,"

I think I will just pass her clingy mode and let us cherish this moment.

"You made it sounds easy," I said.

"Nah..." she flinched, turning her head up to see my face. "You're the master of positivity, Amber. You shouldn't let the past ruin what you had gained. I know it hurts for you, I know how does it feel when you loved someone and at the end- you're realized there's no space for you to fit in anymore..."

"Hmm... I can't insist that you were right," I replied, still letting her head on my chest. As I closed my eyes, breathing in deep, I could feel the gentle wind blew my face- as gentle as what Krystal had said to me.

"Krys, how you imagined about your future? I've turned 26 but still, I get nothing in mind,"

Krystal put her hands on my knee and changed the position- sitting back to where she was, staring directly at me. "I will tell you, but please, promise me, you will not laugh,"

"Ha, I don't ever get a chance to hear from you yet, the heck why I need to laugh?" I frowned then.

"Okay-okay," she muttered, "When I was a kid, I dreamed to have a savior, or we could just say 'the Knight'- similar to your fond in ancient love stories..."

"Hmm-hh, go on," I interrupted, nodding my head.

"The Knight is probably the charming prince or the unexpected guy who show me the light when I'm drowning in the darkness... The person who gets my heart warmer that its never been... He would be stranger at first, but the moment our eyes meet, I know, the feelings linger,"

"And...?"

"And I don't know what happen next since I grew up and couldn't remember what I had wish for my love knight," Krystal paused. "Silly, right?"

I shake my head twice, "I don't think so... A mind of a child always beautiful," I stated as I curved a smile at her. "I hope your knight will appear soon,"

She had a timid smile, nodding back at me.

"What about you?"

I replied with a small sigh, "Almost as same as you... but I imagined for a girl, not a guy,"

Krystal didnt say anything back, she just stay there and looked at me.

"I've tried to move on, Krys. I did everything I could do to fit in, to win hearts but it never work. Like right now, I should feel grateful to hang out with you, one of the most beautiful girl I've ever meet but there's part of me telling- I should realize for who I was. The rejections- I'm still afraid of that,"

"You're afraid... I will reject you too?"

"Yes,"

"It is such a loss if I push you away from me, Amber," her voice softened as we gazed at each other. "Maybe its you who should stop rejecting people,"

Her words caught in my ears afterwards- quite a bit of reversal statement which, I've never heard of.

"What's now? The cat bite your tongue or what?" she asked, half-chuckling.

I just gave her my flat look then.

"For somehow, I think you were right,"

"Yes! Finally! I'd heard that from you!" she squalled happily, snapping fingers exactly on my face.

"Hey Krys," I called out her short name softly.

"Hmmh?"

"I wish this moment will be frozen," I said.

"What? Why?"

I caressed her head as gentle as I could, gazing into her eyes. Half of me insisting but the other half-permitting. Should I say it out or not?

"Krys... I don't know what happen next but one thing you should know, I... trust you. Today was great, I'd enjoyed every moment we spent together. The bright side of you was very nice to see, really- and I'm impressed," 

She smiled a bit.

Then I continued, soothing my own voice, "You're special, Krys. In the way that nobody knows, because they don't see what's inside your heart. I'm lucky since you shown me the other half of you,"

"That's because..." she stuttered, avoiding my eyes. "You're the first person that I like, Amber"

And that's my turn to curve a little smile.

She rose from the picnic mat- backing me up, perhaps trying to hide her real expression at that time. I just stared at the pretty figure, wondering what she would say next.

"You opened my eyes, my mind... At first, I thought you were just some busybody who act like she's perfect in everything and never been in pain but when you told me your stories-your past, I must say we share something in common, about life's perspective especially..."

I'd listened to her and slowly rise from my seat. I approached her and stood precisely at her right side before shoving both hands into the pockets. I glanced at the flawless face for a while and smiled. "Yeah, we quite similiar in things,"

She turned her head at me and furthered, "You asked me everything about myself but you missed out something,"

I lifted my eyebrows, "Missed out something?"

"Yeah, about my father. You'd never ask me about him which people always do. They knew who my father was, except you,"

I relased a small breath, stating in honest tone,

"Because I think its better if you talk about it first... Krys, I'd understand the past sometimes shouldn't be carried forward to future. I know how much it hurts and the pain would never subside although we tried thousand ways to keep it out. I don't want to make you upset, because people usually won't ever talk about something that left them a scar in life,"

"But you talked to me about your awful past," Krystal questioned, hugging herself as the wind blows.

"Maybe because that's how I embrace it, Krys," I replied. Taking off my varsity jacket, I passed it to her, signalling to wrap it quick to her slim body.

And, she did wear it on since the dress is too thin and armless.

"I talked a lot about it, maybe because I want to push it away. When I started, the memories flashed back and it hurts but as the story ended, then the pain also stopped there. You must find your own way on how to stop the hurting. It couldn't be ended when we stay still and do nothing to get rid of it,"

"But what if..." I heard her voice cracked. Krystal looked at me again, "I just missed him too much and the way to stop it is by pushing the memories away from my life? Is that make me the most heartless daughter ever in this world? Who still can't forget her father's mistakes? And for blaming my mother for making him left our house?" she started to sob.

"Hey, it wasn't your fault..." I tried to sooth her.

"No... I made him went away, Amber. The day I knew he had love affair with another woman, I shouted at him and called him liar. The worst was, I screamed out loud that I wish he died, and that night his car collided with divider, before falling down to the edge of the hill..."

"My father really dead, Amber. I'm the reason he's gone," Krystal kept her head low, didnt strong enough to see me in the eyes.

I reached for her left arm and slowly pulled her to me, leaning her head on my chest as I enveloped my arms around her.

She's still trying to hold the tears but when I said its okay and tapped her back gently several times- she finally cried her heart out.

Again, I wish the time is frozen and I could be here forever, holding her like this where nobody will see. Protecting her and stay like this, until we can't even remember the time had passed.

I soothed her by kept saying everything will be okay and when she realized the top of my shirt was drenched wet, Krystal released herself from my embrace.

"I'm sorry... Your shirt," she said, looking up to see my face.

"Its fine Krys..." I whispered and used my thumb to wipe her wet cheek.

I don't know why, the sudden instict kicked in- and I touched my forehead with hers. Looking at each other's eyes, I said,

"I love you, Krys,"

And I kissed her lower lips.