Jessica stared at the smiling beauty before her. Taking in the mushroom bobbed hair, high cheek bones that accentuated the eyes that have transformed into crescent moons, and finally to curved upward lips that got her attention when Tiffany giggled at Jessica's blurt of, "You have a pretty smile." Upon hearing the giggle, Jessica immediately snapped to reality with a poker face and turned towards the window again. Tiffany whispered a thanks as she too started looking at the scenery through the window. 

 

 

Tiffany was unexpectedly not deterred by Jessica's staring. It was a first for her that someone had stared directly at her. As if, Jessica was looking at Tiffany like she looked out of the window. Seeing through as if there was water in the well. Tiffany found it quite refreshing hearing Jessica compliment her smile. It too was a first for Tiffany, having someone compliment her smile without ulterior motives. Just an innocent confession from a stranger. 

 

 

Still gazing out the window, Tiffany asked, "Why do you think it's a beautiful day?"

 

Jessica glance over her shoulder, "Because," she began. Directing her attention back to the outside scenery, she continued, "the sky is quite dark for it being day time. Only illuminated by the small amount of sunlight emerging from a hole in the clouds. It's like, from that ray of sun, something is waiting to descend from the heavens. An illuminated path."

Jessica cleared , "At least that's how I see it. What's your reason?" She said rather coldly. 

 

 

Tiffany only hummed in response, still pondering Jessica's response. She somehow guessed the blonde would respond with something poetic.  

 

"When you said 'illuminated path,'" she stared, is that what's beautiful or is it that something might come from the sky?"

 

"Both, I guess. I mean, seeing an illuminated path in the sky is certainly beautiful with the contrast of light and dark. But also, seeing something descend from the heavens is majestic in itself and beautiful as well."

 

"Hmm," was Tiffany's only response. 

 

"And you're reason?"

 

"My reason? It reminds me of a song."

 

"Which is?"

 

"Have Faith In Me."

 

"How is that related to the beauty of the day?"

 

"Well, you see the sun rays as a facilitator for something that could be beautiful. I see those same rays, as rays of hope. Hope is beautiful. You can't go wrong with hope. Maybe it's hope that tomorrow will be better or just hope that it won't rain until tonight when I'm bed."

 

 

Jessica was pleasantly surprised at the bubbly mushroom's serious answer. She had expected an answer about how the sky darkness allows us to reflect in its emptiness. Something cliche like that, not a post-hardcore song that could save even the most hopeless of people. 

 

 

Jessica smiled at Tiffany, albeit a small one, but Tiffany felt what Jessica was expressing. Tiffany notice the blonde standing up to depart the bus, making way, Tiffany followed her out. 'Why do I keep following her?' Tiffany thought as steppes of the bus and watches Jessica aim her camera at the sky. "Following me now, Miss Hwang?" Jessica asked, not taking her eyes of the sky. 

 

"Don't call me Miss Hwang."

"But we're still strangers, and I don't talk casually with strangers."

 

"We introduced ourselves already though..." Tiffany said while pouting.

 

Jessica stopped taking pictures to look at Tiffany, "You introduced yourself, last name and all," she paused, I only gave my first. It might not even be my real name for all you know." She smirked at the pouting Tiffany. 

 

The pouting was beginning to make her stop teasing the eye-smile one. 

Jessica stopped smirking, walked in front of Tiffany and smiled. 

"Stop pouting. I was just teasing you."

 

"Yah! I thought you were seriously hinting at making me leave, you meanie!" Tiffany burst then playfully smacking the teaser's shoulder.

 

Jessica grabbed her shoulder and fake cried as she used Tiffany as support. Tiffany grabbed both of Jessica's shoulders bringing their eyes to make contact before bursting into a fit of laughter. 

 

After recovering, Jessica spoke,"Serves you right, though. Didn't your elementary school warn you not to talk to strangers? I mean go watch the movie 'Taken'."

 

"But you'll never get to make new friends if you don't talk to strangers. Plus, you looked nice. You wouldn't hurt me. "

 

"Most people look nice until they hurt you. The guy in the movie!.... Wait, you said I seemed nice?"

 

"Of course! I wouldn't have spoken to you of I thought you were a bad person."

 

"I've never had anyone tell me that I looked nice before. You're weird."

 

"I'm not weird, just different. Think of it this way, since I'm the first to say it, you'll always remember me," Tiffany defended. 

 

"How is me remembering you a good thing?" Jessica asked with one eyebrow raised teasingly. 

 

"Simple, I'm awesome. Who wouldn't want to remember an awesome person like me?" Tiffany said proudly. 

 

Jessica playfully scoffed, "Someone's cocky."

"Confident, not cocky. Gotta stay classy."

 

"We'll Miss Confident, would you like to take this somewhere inside? Even without there being much sun out, it's still muggy. I'm starting to feel like I'm melting." Jessica gestured to a cafe on the corner of the street. 

"Ice does tend to melt." Tiffany said before sticking her tongue out towards Jessica and walking away. Jessica stuck her tongue out back and caught up to Tiffany. 

 

 

Once inside of the cafe, they were quickly seated at a small corner table facing each other. The waitress asked if they wanted something to drink, "Caramel Coffe" "Caramel Coffee" the both answered at the same time. Both laughed awkwardly and the waitress left. 

 

"So, you like Caramel Coffee too? Most people don't." Tiffany said in attempt to break the awkwardness. 

 

"Um... Yeah, it's good." Jessica responded robotically. 

 

 

Jessica could not explain to herself, why she was feeling and behaving in such an awkward way with Tiffany. 'Maybe it's the proximity? God knows how I'm not fond of being close to people. No, that doesn't make sense because we sat even closer on the bus and even had a little skinship outside.' Jessica tried to reason. 'Maybe it's because she's so beautiful that I want to take picture of her,' Jessica's mind tried to reason again. That's right. She does want to take her picture and keep it forever. 'Forever? That's a little too intense for a first meeting. Plus way creepy.'

She was itching to take Tiffany's picture, but she didn't want to scare off her maybe-new-friend, leaving her alone. 

 

The entire span of Jessica's spacing out, Tiffany watched the blonde mumble something about a picture.

 

"Jessica," Tiffany called out softly when their coffees arrived.

 

"Oh... Coffee... Right," Jessica responded as she slowly came out of her mind. 

 

"If you want to take a picture of me, you can," Tiffany says playfully and eye-smiles. 

 

Jessica immediately grabs her camera and snaps a few shots of the eye-smile. 

"Sorry if that was a weird and abrupt. It just, your eye-smile and the lighting from inside the cafe and outside made a perfect composition where you shined brighter than gems," Jessica hastily defended her actions.

 

"It's okay. Brighter than gems, huh? You read a lot if romance literature, don't you?"

 

"W-why would you ask that?" Jessica sputtered out as pink engulfed her cheeks. 

 

"Aww, you're blushing! So cute!" Tiffany squealed as she leaned over the table and pinched Jessica's now burning red cheeks. Jessica swatted away the hands and pouted unconsciously while she crossed her arms over her chest. 

 

"I only asked because you say many romantic things. Romantic as in romanticism, not like flirting." Tiffany said before sipping on her coffee. 

 

 

"Jessi, since you took my picture already, I have a favor to ask of you."